A conversation with biotech leader, Sujal Shah, former CEO of CymaBay Therapeutics about his company's story arc, leadership, resilience, and building a biotech company in the face of adversity.

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00:00 Introduction to Biotech Leadership

03:00 Sujal Shah's Journey in Biotech

05:46 Leadership Philosophy and Team Dynamics

09:13 Navigating Challenges at CymaBay

11:48 The Development of seladelpar

15:07 Strategic Decisions in Drug Development

17:58 Clinical Trials and Regulatory Interactions

20:50 The NASH Study and Its Implications

47:10 Navigating Drug Development Challenges

49:07 The Patient-Centric Approach in Drug Development

51:56 Facing Clinical Setbacks and Organizational Resilience

53:36 Unexpected Findings and Immediate Reactions

01:00:27 The Emotional Toll of Drug Development

01:05:08 Rebuilding Purpose and Finding Answers

01:19:52 Patient Advocacy and Support During Crisis

01:23:30 Uncovering the Truth: The Role of Independent Panels 01:33:59 Independent Review and Safety Assurance

01:36:50 Leadership Challenges and Stakeholder Management 01:40:12 Resilience in Adversity

01:43:51 Turning Point: Stock Recovery and Investor Relations 01:47:07 Skepticism and Ongoing Challenges

01:55:00 Data Presentation and Competitive Landscape

02:01:11 Building a Robust Evidence Package

02:04:53 Reflections on Leadership and Future Aspirations

Kenny and Shivu each cook up three predictions for Biopharma in 2025

NOTE: This episode was recorded on January 10th, 2025

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In this episode, we unpack, examine, and debunk the public perception that drug companies intentionally do not pursue curative therapies, because it is financially less beneficial to them. We speak from our own experience working on curative therapies in Oncology and HCV, discuss how difficult it is to develop cures, the implications of curing a disease for drug companies, and how the industry can do a better job fostering trust with patients.

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