PharmaSource Podcast

"When you are seeing great results in your research lab, you think that everything has been done. But then when you try to humanise your drug, a new adventure starts, because the CMC process is very difficult. In my opinion, it's as difficult as demonstrating efficacy." - Mari Carmen Álvarez Mari Carmen Álvarez PhD. is the Managing Director of Tetraneuron, a pioneering Spanish biotech developing novel gene therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. With nearly two decades in biotech leadership, she founded Valencia University's first biotech spin-off and brings expertise spanning innovation management, business development, and fundraising from seed to Series A. In the latest PharmaSource podcast episode, Mari Carmen explains why scaling gene therapy development requires more than strong science, how to navigate the complex CDMO ecosystem, and what she learned from a previous biotech failure that shaped her approach to leadership and patient impact. Full interview: https://pharmasource.global/content/podcast/from-lab-to-patient-how-tetraneurons-gene-therapy-approach-is-tackling-alzheimers-disease/

“From Tokyo to Boston, we knew people had to see and feel the future we were building together. That is how you create lasting change.” Amber Meriwether, Director of Corporate Strategy at Astellas Pharma, has orchestrated one of the industry’s most dramatic supplier rationalisations whilst navigating complex cultural dynamics across seven global locations. In the latest PharmaSource podcast episode, Amber reveals how effective supplier rationalisation transcends traditional cost-cutting approaches, requiring sophisticated change management, cultural intelligence, and the ability to forge consensus amongst diverse scientific teams spanning multiple continents and research modalities. https://pharmasource.global/content/podcast/how-astellas-procurement-cut-their-supplier-base-by-95-while-building-global-consensus/

"Current revenue scale is $1.3 billion. We anticipate it will grow to $5 billion, just in five years' time. We've committed to invest about two-thirds of Fujifilm's entire annual capex in this business." Toshihisa “Toshi” Iida, Chairman of FUJIFILM Biotechnologies Group and Board Director at FUJIFILM Corporation, reveals how 89 years of healthcare heritage drives the company's ambitious CDMO expansion strategy. Toshihisa brings 34 years of experience at Fujifilm, having witnessed the company's transformation from the golden age of photographic film through the digital revolution to its current position as a major biotechnology manufacturer. His journey spans international marketing, European operations, and now leading the Life Sciences strategy for the 91-year-old corporation. In this exclusive podcast interview, Toshihisa explains how Fujifilm's unique modular manufacturing approach and zero-defect philosophy position the company to achieve unprecedented growth whilst delivering scalability, speed and resilience to pharmaceutical partners worldwide. Full article: https://pharmasource.global/content/podcast/from-film-to-pharma-inside-fujifilm-biotechnologies-5-billion-growth-strategy/

A panel of M&A advisors and consultants at CDMO Live 2025 explored how private equity investment has transformed the contract manufacturing sector, whilst examining current challenges from geopolitical uncertainty to market volatility. The session, sponsored by TH Healthcare & Life Sciences, featured Kurt Nielsen (Managing Partner, Longview Leader LLC), Dirk Beyer (Managing Director, Raymond James), Asif Shahinsha (Executive Director, TH Healthcare & Life Sciences), and Vishnu Dwadasi (Director Life Sciences, West Monroe). Download the full CDMO Live report [https://pharmasource.global/content/expert-insight/cdmo-live-report-2025-download/]

The biologics external manufacturing panel at CDMO Live 2025, sponsored by BSP Pharmaceuticals, brought together industry leaders to tackle the key challenges in scaling biological manufacturing amid geopolitical tensions, capacity constraints and evolving partnership models. The panel featured Olaf Birkenmeier, Head of External Manufacturing at Polpharma Biologics; Julien Laizé, Director of External Manufacturing CTM at Valneva; Catherine Seigneur, Senior Director of External Manufacturing Business Lead at UCB; and Giorgio Salciarini, Head of Sales - Technical Business Development at BSP Pharmaceuticals. Download the full CDMO Live Report [https://pharmasource.global/content/expert-insight/cdmo-live-report-2025-download/]