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  • Pawel Szczepanski, CEO at JJP Biologics, on Leading Without a Science Degree, Building Culture from Day One, and Why Trust Still Wins in Biotech Fundraising

    Pawel Szczepanski, CEO at JJP Biologics, on Leading Without a Science Degree, Building Culture from Day One, and Why Trust Still Wins in Biotech Fundraising
    2026/09/21

    In this episode, I talked with Pawel Szczepanski, CEO of JJP Biologics, a Polish biotech developing next-generation biologics in the personalized medicine space, to hear about his path from investment banking and management consulting into biotech leadership, and what it actually takes to build a clinical-stage company from scratch.

    Pawel opens up about the phone call that changed the direction of his career, the proudest moment of his time as CEO, and a startup he tried to build with friends that never got off the ground. We also get into the three pieces of advice he gives every new CEO, why JJP built its culture around courage, and a trend in fundraising that he believes is quietly damaging trust across the industry. Pawel gives his honest take on what is still missing for Poland to produce a true global biotech success story.

    Outside of work, he is a dedicated traveller who plans every family trip himself, a passion he is now passing on to his two children.

    (Find out more in the episode.)

    Here's What You're In For

    • Moving from investment banking and consulting into biotech leadership.
    • The three pieces of advice he gives every new biotech CEO.
    • The trend of overpromising in fundraising, and why he believes it fails to build trust.

    Timestamps

    02:21 – How a phone call from a Polish Investor pulled him from consulting into biotech

    04:31 – Career high point: the two-word text that changed everything, and the low point of a startup that didn't survive

    07:08 – Lessons learned since becoming CEO, and the three pieces of advice he gives new CEOs

    11:47 – What JJP Biologics does, and where the pipeline stands today

    12:42 – Building a culture around courage, teamwork and purpose from day one

    15:33 – What's next for JJP over the next one to two years

    18:13 – The real challenge of scaling a young biotech while staying stable

    20:06 – The trend of overpromising in biotech fundraising

    23:09 – Balancing youth and experience when hiring as the company scales

    26:28 – What makes the Polish life science sector unique, and what is still missing

    34:26 – Why travel is his biggest passion outside of work

    38:40 – The worst career advice he has ever received

    About Pawel

    Pawel Szczepanski is the Chief Executive Officer of JJP Biologics, a Polish biotech developing next-generation biologics in personalized medicine, focused on autoimmune disease and cancer. Before stepping into the CEO role, he spent years in investment banking, M&A advisory, and management consulting, eventually specializing in life sciences, and he currently sits on the boards of JJP Ventures and Polpharma Biologics. Pawel has a bi-profile education in Business and Law and is currently working towards a PhD in Economics, a non-scientist leading a science-driven company.

    Outside of JJP, he is a petrolhead and avid traveller, passing those same passions on to his two children.

    Connect with Pawel

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pawelszczepanski
    • JJP Biologics: https://www.jjpbiologics.com

    About Charles

    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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    40 分
  • Eliot Forster, CEO at Levicept on 30 Years in Pharma, Running a Six-Person Biotech, and the Future of European Drug Development

    Eliot Forster, CEO at Levicept on 30 Years in Pharma, Running a Six-Person Biotech, and the Future of European Drug Development
    2026/09/07
    In this episode, I talked with Eliot Forster, CEO of Levicept, a neurophysiologist-turned biotech veteran with 30+ years of experience across Big Pharma and a series of CEO roles. We get into clinical failures, the realities of running a six-person company through a Phase 2 trial, and what it really takes to lead when the outcome is binary.Eliot also shares his honest take on the state of European biotech, what he wishes he'd known before his first CEO role, and why he still rolls out of bed excited every single morning. And yes, he also runs a brewery, hosts his own podcast, and still finds time for cricket, golf, and the wildlife of Africa.Here's What You're In ForWhy getting your first break in pharma through atypical, non-linear routes can be more valuable than a straight pathWhat Big Pharma truly gives you, and what you need to unlearn before it stifles youThe emotional reality of closing a company after a drug failure, and what it means for the people who trusted youWhy biotech employees take existential career risks while Big Pharma employees with nothing to lose are paradoxically more risk-averseHow a six-person team took a novel OA drug successfully through a 520-patient Phase 2 studyThe lean biotech model: when it works, when it breaks down, and how to decide what stays in-houseWhat Eliot looks for in a recruiter, and why understanding the business is the bare minimumWhy EU biotech is not as broken as people think, but what three structural gaps are still holding it backHow CEOs of early-stage companies should think about commercial positioning from day oneWhy forming trust with investors early - rather than treating them as adversaries - is one of the most important lessons in the CEO toolkitTimestamps05:08 – How Eliot got his first job: neuroscience PhD, sabbaticals at Merck and Parke-Davis, and landing at Glaxo in 199207:55 – What Big Pharma at Pfizer and GSK taught him — leadership, trusting teams, and what "good" looks like11:18 – Career low point: closing Solace Pharmaceuticals after a failed Phase 2 trial and the personal weight of that moment15:02 – Why biotech employees take bigger career risks than Big Pharma employees who have nothing to lose16:46 – Levicept: the company, Leve-04, and the successful Phase 2 outcome in osteoarthritis18:11 – How Eliot joined Levicept and Simon Westbrook's transition from CEO to CSO24:19 – Running a six-person company through CROs and consultants — and why most investors are surprised it works28:06 – How to decide what to keep in-house versus outsource30:40 – What Eliot expects from recruiters and how trust-based relationships are built in small biotech hiring33:21 – What's coming next for Levicept: IND in the US, long-term dosing studies, and joint replacement deferral35:48 – The state of European biotech: where it's improving and the three structural gaps still holding it back40:39 – Advice for seed-stage CEOs: start with the end in mind and live three to five years ahead42:23 – What Eliot wishes he'd known before his first CEO roleAbout EliotEliot Forster is the CEO of Levicept, a UK-based clinical-stage biotech developing Leve-04, a neurotrophin 3 inhibitor for the treatment of osteoarthritis. A neurophysiologist by training, Eliot spent the first half of his 30+ year career at Big Pharma - including Pfizer and GSK - before transitioning into a series of biotech CEO roles. He also serves on multiple boards, including at Ematics, and splits his time between the UK and South Africa.Outside work, Eliot runs a brewery, hosts the LifeSci Fantastic podcast, and still makes time for cricket, golf, and the wildlife of Africa.Connect with Eliot:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliot-forster-5a6ba63/ Levicept: https://levicept.com/ The Life Sci Fantastic: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-life-sci-fantastic/id1846575448 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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    46 分
  • Michael Zaiac, Medical Affairs Lead for Oncology at Daiichi Sankyo on 30 Years of Hiring Lessons, The ADC Wave, and Building Teams in a Fast-Moving Pipeline

    Michael Zaiac, Medical Affairs Lead for Oncology at Daiichi Sankyo on 30 Years of Hiring Lessons, The ADC Wave, and Building Teams in a Fast-Moving Pipeline
    2026/08/24
    In this episode, I talked with Michael Zaiac, Medical Affairs Lead for Oncology across Europe and Canada at Daiichi Sankyo — a trained surgical oncologist who walked away from the operating table, moved through clinical development, bone health at P&G, GSK, and Celgene, and eventually landed at the centre of one of the biggest oncology stories in recent memory: the HER2 ADC wave. Michael has spent over 30 years hiring people in pharma and brings some of the most grounded, no-nonsense views I've come across on what the job actually demands — and what most people aren't told before they take it.We covered the rapid build-out of Daiichi Sankyo's medical affairs team off the back of their ADC pipeline, what Michael now wishes he'd prioritized when hiring in the early days, how the function needs to reinvent itself over the next decade, and the honest conversation that rarely gets had — about hours, stability, and what life in this industry really looks like. Michael trained and studied in Berlin, has family roots in London, and brings the kind of directness you'd expect from someone who spent years making high-stakes decisions in an operating room.Here's What You're In ForThe one global role he calls his "only real disaster" in the industry — and why he takes full ownership of itWhat Michael looks for in a CV: agility, humility, and the ability to lead without authorityThe honest truth about working hours, stability, and what industry life really looks like vs. what candidates are soldTimestamps02:24 – Why he left surgery and how he landed his first pharma role05:43 – Career highlights: reshaping a compound's development, Imatinib UK market access, and building regional teams07:47 – The global role that didn't work — and why he takes full responsibility for it09:42 – What Daiichi Sankyo is, where it came from, and how they cracked the ADC problem17:02 – What Michael looks for in a CV — and what he's really testing for in the interview room22:17 – The biggest shift in pharma hiring over 30 years: from technical knowledge to agility26:03 – The hard skill gaps coming: data literacy, AI fluency, and legal frameworks around data28:41 – How medical affairs will evolve — and what "double personalization" means in practice34:15 – The honest truth about working hours, stability, and what industry life actually looks like36:25 – How companies and individuals can do better for female talent trying to climb beyond the MSL level38:03 – What Michael would tell his younger self about ego, cooperation, and learning fasterAbout MichaelMichael Zaiac is the Medical Affairs Lead for Oncology across Europe and Canada at Daiichi Sankyo. He trained as a surgical oncologist, specialising in breast cancer, sarcoma, melanoma, and other malignancies. Motivated by a desire to bridge science with patient care and broaden treatment options for cancer patients, he transitioned into industry research and has since led teams of varying sizes across clinical research, development, commercial functions, and medical affairs. His work has supported the development and launch of therapies spanning oncology, immunology, cardiovascular disease, transplantation, and infectious diseases across companies including P&G, GSK, Celgene, and now Daiichi Sankyo.Connect with Michael:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-zaiac-45ab191/Daiichi Sankyo: https://www.daiichisankyo.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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    40 分
  • Juho Jalkanen, CEO at Faron Pharmaceuticals on From Surgeon to CEO, Rethinking Boards, and Fighting for the Right Science

    Juho Jalkanen, CEO at Faron Pharmaceuticals on From Surgeon to CEO, Rethinking Boards, and Fighting for the Right Science
    2026/08/10
    In this episode, I talked with Dr. Juho Jalkanen, CEO of Faron Pharmaceuticals — a publicly listed Finnish biotech building novel immunotherapies for blood cancers. Juho's path is unlike most you'll hear in biotech: trained vascular surgeon, PhD in molecular biology, business school graduate, and father of five. He eventually left the operating table to join his parents' company, Faron, where his mother's decades of university immunology research became the foundation for what is now one of the most exciting programs in high-risk MDS. We covered the Traumakine Phase 3 failure, the deep frustration of being completely ignored during COVID when he believed they had the right drug, and how Faron rebuilt itself from a respiratory trial company into a serious oncology player. We also got into the board structure he's deliberately built to be unlike most you'll see, and what it really takes to scale a company when the pharma ecosystem around you is still finding its feet.We wrapped things up with a quick round of mystery questions Juho hadn't seen coming. Outside of running a listed biotech and raising five kids, he recharges the Finnish way — out in nature with his family.Here's What You're In ForWhy a vascular surgeon walked away from the operating table to run a biotechThe family origin story behind Clever-1 and Faron PharmaceuticalsHow a Phase 3 failure set the stage for what came nextThe COVID frustration: having the right drug and nobody willing to listenWhat Clever-1 is, why it matters, and why the biology can't be shortcutThe MDS data turning heads at ASCO, ESMO, and ASH — and what comes nextWhat a CEO actually thinks about when moving from early to the pivotal stageThe CMC blind spot that catches most biotechs off guardHow Juho built a board that mirrors the C-suite — and why that logic mattersWhy CMOs and CSOs can get onto boards, but have to start in the right placeTimestamps01:49 – Origins of Clever-1 and the family story behind Faron Pharmaceuticals05:35 – Career highpoint: caring for a dying father-in-law and what it means to fight cancer06:50 – Career lowpoint: Traumakine Phase 3 failure and two years of being ignored during COVID12:53 – Faron's elevator pitch: what the company does and why it exists14:42 – Bexmarilimab (BEX) and why macrophages are the hidden driver of treatment resistance16:30 – The Phase 1/2 results: 64% response rate and 14.5-month survival in high-risk MDS19:36 – Next 12–18 months: €40M raised, Phase 2b underway, investigator-led trials in sarcoma and beyond23:12 – What CEOs have to think about at late stage: CMC, fundraising, and clinical navigation27:42 – Mirroring the C-suite and deliberately avoiding the VC-heavy default34:33 – Quick-fire questions: books, interferon biology, and what keeps him sane in FinlandAbout JuhoDr. Juho Jalkanen is the CEO of Faron Pharmaceuticals, a publicly listed clinical-stage Finnish biotech developing novel immunotherapies for blood cancers, with a lead asset, bexmarilimab, targeting Clever-1 on immunosuppressive macrophages. He holds an MD (vascular surgery), a PhD in molecular biology, and a business school degree — and transitioned from active surgical practice into leading Faron, a company built on his mother's immunology research and spun out by his father from the University of Turku. His work sits at the intersection of deep biology and late-stage oncology drug development. Outside of leading a publicly listed company and raising five kids, Juho recharges in the Finnish outdoors — in nature with his family.Connect with Juho:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juho-jalkanen-md-phd-2176a83/Faron Pharmaceuticals: https://faron.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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    38 分
  • 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
  • Hubert Truebel, Managing Director at DEBRA Research, on Creating Own Career Opportunities...and a Practical Approach to Longevity

    Hubert Truebel, Managing Director at DEBRA Research, on Creating Own Career Opportunities...and a Practical Approach to Longevity
    2026/05/04

    In this episode, I talked with Hubert Truebel, Managing Director at DEBRA Research, to discover a career that wasn’t built traditionally—but through creating opportunities where none formally existed.

    Hubert shares how his journey started as a physician in intensive care, before a simple conversation over dinner—pitching a research idea—turned into his first step into pharma. What stands out isn’t just the transition, but the mindset behind it: creating the conditions for “serendipity” to happen. We go through the key moments in his career, from leading translational work at Bayer to stepping into smaller biotech environments, and how each shift required a completely different way of thinking and operating.

    We also explore his current role at DEBRA Research, where he now connects patients, biotech, and pharma to move treatments forward in rare diseases—often bringing together groups that wouldn’t naturally collaborate. And in the latter part, we talked about his book on longevity, where Hubert challenges the industry around supplements, breaks down what actually drives healthspan, and explains why most people focus on the wrong things when trying to live longer, healthier lives.

    (Find out more in the episode.)

    Here’s What You’re In For

    • How a simple conversation led to his first role in pharma
    • The hidden complexity of bringing a drug from idea to market
    • How to think about longevity using an “investment” mindset

    Timestamps

    02:45 – How a Dinner Conversation Led to His First Pharma Role

    06:27 – What “Serendipity” Really Means in a Career

    07:41 – The Emotional Turning Point in Pediatric Intensive Care

    10:08 – What DEBRA Research Does Differently in Drug Development

    13:52 – Moving from Big Pharma to Biotech: What Actually Changes

    15:46 – Acting as the Connector Between Patients, Biotech, and Pharma

    19:29 – Why He Wrote a Book on Longevity

    21:00 – The Reality About Supplements: “Almost Zero Data”

    22:00 – The 10-Year Healthspan Loss Most People Ignore

    24:00 – Why Exercise Outperforms Medication in Longevity

    About Hubert

    Hubert Truebel has built his career across medicine, pharma, and biotech. After starting as a physician in intensive care, he spent nearly 15 years at Bayer, ultimately as SVP Translational Medicine, working on major drug programs and clinical trials. He later moved into biotech as CMO at AiCuris, helping advance Pritelivir through late-stage development, shortly before the company was acquired for just under $1 billion.

    Today, Hubert works with DEBRA Research, focusing on ultra-rare skin diseases like epidermolysis bullosa through a patient-driven drug development model. Alongside this, he is a strong advocate for health and longevity, and recently published his book “Longevity – Die Anti-Bullshit-Formel.”

    Connect with Hubert:

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hubert-truebel/
    • Website: https://www.debra-research.org/

    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/

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