『A Dose of Reality with Charles Spence』のカバーアート

A Dose of Reality with Charles Spence

A Dose of Reality with Charles Spence

著者： Charles Spence
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Welcome to “A Dose of Reality”, the podcast where we infuse insight, laughter, and practical wisdom into the world of clinical leadership and career development. Hosted by Charles Spence, each episode offers a deep dive into the challenges and triumphs of clinical leadership, providing listeners with meaningful conversations, career insights, and a dose of inspiration to navigate their professional journeys. Whether you're a director, a C-level executive, or a clinical researcher in oncology bio-techs, this podcast is designed to empower you with the knowledge and tools needed to excel in your field. So, visit our website at www.discera-search.com, and tune in to A Dose of Reality for your prescription of career wisdom, leadership insights, and a healthy dose of laughter. Subscribe now and join us on the journey to becoming global clinical leaders!Copyright 2026 Charles Spence 個人的成功 出世 就職活動 経済学 自己啓発
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  • Tobias Kampfenkel, MD, MHBA, Vice President of Early Clinical Development and Translational Research at Miltenyi Biomedicine, on Transformative Drugs in Oncology and Autoimmunity: It's Always the Team!

    Tobias Kampfenkel, MD, MHBA, Vice President of Early Clinical Development and Translational Research at Miltenyi Biomedicine, on Transformative Drugs in Oncology and Autoimmunity: It's Always the Team!
    2026/06/15
    In this episode, I talked with Dr. Tobias Kampfenkel, Vice President of Early Clinical Development and Translational Research at Miltenyi Biomedicine. Tobias spent nearly a decade at Janssen building the daratumumab story from the German launch and HTA negotiations through global pivotal trials and regulatory submissions — and then did it again with two bispecific antibodies in multiple myeloma. In early 2025, he made a deliberate move to Miltenyi Biomedicine, stepping into an executive committee role to lead a CAR-T program now being tested in autoimmune diseases — one of the most fascinating and fast-moving intersections in drug development right now.We go deep on what it actually feels like when a late-stage program doesn't land, how to hold a team together after a major setback, and the real tension between hiring for hard skills versus hiring for cultural fit. We also explore what the CAR-T revolution in autoimmune disease could mean for patients who have been on lifelong immunosuppression — and why some people are beginning, very carefully, to use the word "cure." Outside the office, Tobias is a racket sports enthusiast, a recreational runner, an avid reader, and an occasional piano player — and someone who will happily trade a busy schedule for a quiet weekend on a small Dutch island with no traffic and nothing to do.Here's What You're In ForWhy leadership during failure is about being active, not assuming everyone is okayWhy some hard skills in drug development can only be built through repetition, not readingWhat it's like to move intentionally from Big Pharma to a smaller, more entrepreneurial companyTimestamps03:39 – Whether his MHBA at Erlangen-Nürnberg was coincidence or connected to the CASEL trial04:54 – A decade with daratumumab and what deep team ownership really feels like07:13 – When a major readout doesn't land and what that does to a team12:49 – Miltenyi's core strengths in CAR-T manufacturing and the blind spots of a multi-business organization15:55 – Bridging oncology and autoimmunity across zamtocell and zorpocell19:59 – Balancing modality expertise, disease experience, seniority, and culture when building a team23:44 – What moving deliberately from J&J to a smaller company actually teaches you27:32 – Tobias's first time in autoimmune drug development and the learning curve that came with it29:39 – The first ever CAR-T treatment in a patient with systemic lupus in 202132:52 – What early safety data from CAR-T in autoimmune patients is starting to show34:13 – In vivo CAR-T, solid tumors, and where cell and gene therapy is heading in the next 10 years38:19 – Why this is one of the most exciting times to be working in this spaceAbout TobiasTobias Kampfenkel, MD, MHBA, is the Vice President of Early Clinical Development and Translational Research at Miltenyi Biomedicine, and a member of the company's executive committee. A board-certified internist and hematologist/oncologist, Tobias spent nearly a decade at Johnson & Johnson (Janssen), where he led clinical development across multiple myeloma programs including daratumumab (Darzalex) and bispecific antibodies teclistamab and talquetamab — spanning the German launch and HTA negotiations through to global pivotal trials and regulatory submissions. In early 2025, he joined Miltenyi Biomedicine to lead their CAR-T programs in autoimmune diseases, including studies in systemic lupus and systemic sclerosis. He also holds a Master's in Health Business Administration from the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg.Outside the office, Tobias is a racket sports enthusiast — tennis and badminton both — a recreational runner, an avid reader, and an occasional piano player. Above all, he values time with family and friends, which keeps him grounded amid a demanding professional life. Welcome, Tobias.Connect with TobiasLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobias-kampfenkel-m-d-mhba-026b54b9/ Miltenyi Biomedicine: https://www.miltenyi-biomedicine.com/About CharlesMy name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.In 2023, I decided to launch my firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.Connect with me:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/Website: https://www.discera-search.com/Opinions and comments expressed by the guest do not represent the company and are fully their own.
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    39 分
  • Sofia Heigis, CEO of OncoPeptides, From Sales Rep to CEO, Being "Present", and Hiring for Self-Insight

    Sofia Heigis, CEO of OncoPeptides, From Sales Rep to CEO, Being "Present", and Hiring for Self-Insight
    2026/05/31

    In this episode, I talked with Sofia Heigis, Chief Executive Officer of OncoPeptides, about a career path that did not start where she expected. Sofia originally wanted to move into clinical operations, but her first role in pharma ended up being in sales — a move that shaped everything that came after it. We talk about why early career detours can matter more than people think, what tough roles teach you about value and resilience, and why some of the best foundations are built in jobs people do not initially want.

    Sofia also opens up about the more personal side of leadership: raising three children while building a senior career, dealing with the guilt that can come with travel and time away, and learning how to be fully present instead of constantly split between work and home. We also get into OncoPeptides’ journey through a difficult period, why she stepped into the CEO role internally, how she thinks about culture and hiring, what is next for the business in Europe and glioblastoma, and the reality of board roles and strategic decision-making. Toward the end, we also touch on more personal quick-fire reflections, including what she is most grateful for and the soft skill she most wants her children to develop.

    Here’s What You’re In For

    • What “being present” really looks like at work and at home
    • Why self-insight matters more than polished interview answers
    • How she thinks about board roles, contribution, and strategic fit

    Timestamps

    02:59 – How Sofia got her first pharma role after aiming for clinical operations

    05:03 – Why she believes sales can be one of the best starts in pharma

    07:38 – Career, motherhood, and the myth that you have to choose one

    11:30 – Dealing with guilt, travel, and being away from family

    13:47 – What OncoPeptides does and why its peptide drug conjugates stand out

    15:44 – Why she stepped into the CEO role and what she wanted to stabilize

    19:28 – The culture she wants at OncoPeptides and how she hires for it

    24:42 – What 2026 and 2027 look like for OncoPeptides across Europe, glioblastoma, and Japan

    28:42 – What a board really does and how people can position themselves for board roles

    37:43 – What she is most grateful for and the soft skill she wants her children to develop

    About Sofia

    Sofia Heigis is the Chief Executive Officer of Oncopeptides, a Swedish biotech listed on Nasdaq Stockholm that focuses on targeted therapies for difficult-to-treat cancers. Sofia started her career at Astrazeneca, first as a Sales Rep in 2006, then into Clinical Operations, then Medical Affairs and then eventually into VP positive leading the Medical and Regulatory teams across the entire Nordic + Baltic regions.

    And similarly at Onco she joined to lead their Global Medical Affairs and then moved into CCO and GM positions and now the CEO. Outside of this she is a mother of 3, and loves nature.

    Connect with Sofia:

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofia-heigis-%E2%99%A6%EF%B8%8F-00b9205/
    • Website: https://oncopeptides.com/en/

    About me

    My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment, I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.

    In 2023, I decided to launch my firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.

    Connect with me:

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/
    • Website: https://www.discera-search.com/

    Opinions and comments expressed by the guest do not represent the company and are fully their own.
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    38 分
  • Jens Lindberg, CEO at Medivir, on The Biotech Rollercoaster - Medivir´s Previous Four Months (and Biotech Today in 2026)

    Jens Lindberg, CEO at Medivir, on The Biotech Rollercoaster - Medivir´s Previous Four Months (and Biotech Today in 2026)
    2026/05/18
    In this episode, I talked with Jens Lindberg, CEO of Medivir AB, a Swedish biotech developing innovative therapies in liver cancer and rare disease. Jens brings over 30 years of late-stage development and commercialisation experience—including 25 years at AstraZeneca—where he worked on blockbuster drugs such as Tagrisso and Lynparza.Jens opens up about the moment he was handed the global commercial lead role for what the company believed would be its next blockbuster—only to realise the asset was significantly overvalued. What followed was one of the hardest things you'll ever have to do professionally: telling senior leadership that the people who licensed the asset were wrong—without making them feel that way. We also get into Medivir's turbulent last few months: a forced pivot from a multi-country Phase 2b study, a round of layoffs, and then a dramatic reversal with new investors coming on board and two programs now moving forward at the same time. For anyone trying to understand what fundraising truly looks like in today's biotech environment, Jens is direct about how completely his approach to investor relations has had to change since 2022. When he's not steering Medivir through the ups and downs of biotech, Jens is out on the cross-country ski trails—and has been for most of his life.Here's What You're In ForHow Jens landed his first job as a sales rep at Astra—without fully knowing what the role was—and ended up staying 25 yearsThe art of managing expectations upward when senior leadership doesn't want to hear the truthWhy Jens now starts building investor relationships two years before he needs the money—and what investors actually want to see before they commitTimestamps02:04 – First job in pharma: starting as a sales rep at Astra and staying 25 years03:25 – Career highlight: joining AZ Investor Relations and defending against Pfizer's hostile takeover bid08:07 – Career low: being promoted to global commercial lead for a late-stage asset—then realising it was overvalued10:29 – The challenge of managing senior leaders who in-licensed the asset themselves13:07 – What Medivir is: history, liver cancer program, and osteogenesis imperfecta14:45 – Medivir's recent rollercoaster: funding challenges, the pivot from Phase 2b, and layoffs20:30 – How Jens describes Medivir's culture: agile, transparent, and built on helping each other23:05 – How Jens integrates consultants into the company's culture as if they were permanent employees26:32 – How Jens's approach to investor relations changed dramatically since joining in January 202232:34 – Perseverance in biotech: herd mentality in capital markets and why doing the right thing eventually pays offAbout JensJens Lindberg is the CEO of Medivir AB, a Swedish biotech focused on development of drugs in rare and orphan diseases with high unmet medical need. Jens brings over 30 years of late-stage development and commercialisation experience in pharma and biotech, including 25 years at AstraZeneca where he held roles spanning sales, commercial leadership, investor relations, and global brand strategy—working on blockbuster drugs including Tagrisso and Lynparza. He has also held roles at Sedana Medical.Outside of work, Jens is an enthusiastic cross-country skier with over 30 years on the trails—which, given the pace he keeps professionally, is probably the only time he slows down.Connect with Jens:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jens-lindberg-2585903/ Medivir: https://www.medivir.comAbout CharlesMy name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.In 2023, I decided to launch my firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.Connect with me:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/Website: https://www.discera-search.com/Opinions and comments expressed by the guest do not represent the company and are fully their own.
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    34 分
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