Top 10 Podcasts of 2019 from the BioHealth Capital Region

Check out these Podcasts Featuring Some of the Top Biohealth Industry Leaders and Executives from the Region

To say it has been an exciting year in the BioHealth Capital Region (BHCR) is an understatement. Whether it was Viela Bio’s IPO, Kite Pharma’s announcement that it is building a new biomanufacturing facility in Maryland or American Gene Technologies IND submission for a potential HIV cure, the news has come in fast and furious.

While BioBuzz looks forward to covering another compelling and exciting year in the BHCR, we think it’s worth taking a look back at some of the best podcasts of 2019. With so much happening in the region, it’s easy to miss some interesting and valuable conversations that speak to the region’s past, present and future.

We’ve collected some of the top podcasts featuring some BHCR heavy-hitters for your listening pleasure. Enjoy these during your commute or while you have some downtime to catch up on all things BHCR.

#1. Capital M Podcast Featuring Chris McDonald, VP of Manufacturing at Kite Pharma

The Maryland Tech Council (MTC) started the Capital M podcast to address topics relevant to capital markets in Maryland and the Mid Atlantic Region. Hosted by MTC’s CEO Marty Rosendale, the podcast interviews top executives that have raised capital, asking them to share their experiences to help companies seeking equity capital.

Rosendale interviewed Chris McDonald, VP of Manufacturing at Kite Pharma, at the first annual BioInnovation Conference in October 2019. The podcast includes an overview of Kite’s new facility in Urbana, why Kite selected Maryland, workforce development and the thriving biomanufacturing industry developing in the state.  

Click here to listen. (Length 15:30)

#2. BioTalk Podcast Featuring Dr. Marco Chacon, Founder, and Chairman of Paragon Bioservices

Few individuals have experienced the history and growth of the BHCR like Marco Chacon, Founder, and Chairman of Paragon Bioservices, which was recently acquired by Catalent for $1.2B this year. Rich Bendis caught up with Chacon in a recent podcast to discuss Paragon, his role with the University of Maryland Baltimore, his new venture IRAZU Biodiscovery and being a BHCR leader.

Listen here. (Length: 41:30.)

#3. Dragons, Gazelles & Unicorns Featuring NCI’s Dr. Thomas Stackhouse

Hosted by entrepreneur, distinguished corporate executive, and angel investor Rosemary Truman, Dragon, Gazelles & Unicorns explores the world of tech transfer via interviews of tech transfer leaders from government agencies, research universities, and the private sector. In November 2019, Truman interviewed Dr. Thomas Stackhouse, Associate Director for the Technology Transfer Center at the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Frederick, Maryland campus.

In this position, Dr. Stackhouse oversees NCI-Frederick partnering activities through NCI Collaboration Agreements and CRADAs, and manages all of NCIs intellectual property portfolio. Increasing Tech Transfer and moving these technologies toward commercialization is of major importance to the continued growth of the BHCR. This lively and robust dialog provides key insights into the opportunities and challenges in this space.

Listen here. (Length: 20:00)

#4. Next Gen Ventures Partners Podcast Featuring John Hopkins University’s Christy Wyscal

Christy Wyscal is the Senior Advisor to the President of Johns Hopkins School of Innovation & Entrepreneurship. In a little under six years in her role, Wyscal has grown VC funding of Hopkins spin-outs from $20M per year to approximately $200M per year. In this Next Gen Ventures podcast, Wyscal discusses her efforts to drive the startup ecosystem at Johns Hopkins, from encouraging student education about entrepreneurship to getting funding for tech companies founded by academics.

If you want to learn more about Johns Hopkins’ technology startup ecosystem, then this is a podcast you won’t want to miss.

Listen here. (Length: 23:23)

#5. The Bio Report Podcast Featuring Dr. Daniel Alkon, Founder of NeuroDiagnostics of Rockville and Neurotrope

Dr. Daniel Alkon, Chief Scientific Advisor at NeuroDiagnostics in Rockville and the President and Chief Scientific Officer at Neurotrope, a leading clinical-stage neurodegenerative disease biotech company, shares the development story of the experimental therapy bryostatin. Bryostatin is a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.

Neurotrope generated some controversy over the way it characterized results from a phase 2 study of the drug in 2017. It is now conducting a second phase 2 study of the drug in the hopes of demonstrating meaningful benefits for patients. Dr. Alkon, chief scientific officer of discusses bryostatin, the controversy over the way it reported its previous results, and the path forward for the drug in this can’t miss podcast.

Listen here. (Length: 43:28.)

#6. BioTalk Podcast Featuring Sara Nayeem, Partner at New Enterprise Associates (NEA)

BioTalk is a podcast hosted by Rich Bendis, the President, and CEO of BioHealth Innovation. In this podcast episode, Bendis interviews Dr. Sara Nayeem, who joined NEA, a U.S.-based, global venture capital firm in 2009. Nayeem focuses on biopharmaceutical company investment and operates out of the organization’s Washington, DC location. NEA is a large, diversified, 41-year-old VC firm that is currently investing out of its $3.3B NEA 16 fund, $1B of which will be deployed in the biopharma space.

It is a quick listen but the interview is ripe with valuable insights about Nayeem’s interesting career, the trends she sees in the capital market and how these trends might impact as it the BHCR.

Listen here. (Length: 33:00)

#7. MedTech Talk: Medtech VCs Klein, Nielsen Explain Why They Decided to Start Up Their Own Venture Firm, Vensana

The MedTech Talk podcast is hosted by Tom Salemi, a follower and fan of Medtech for nearly two decades, Tom Salemi is the former bureau chief, venture capital, at Elsevier Business Intelligence, where he oversaw coverage of venture investments in Medtech.

Justin Klein and Kirk Nielsen entered venture capital separately 13 years ago, taking roles at two of the top firms in Medtech. Over that time, the two VCs have led investment in more than a dozen Medtech companies that have either gone public or been acquired. Now, the pair have joined forces to create Vensana Capital, a new investor in Medtech. In this episode, you’ll hear why they decided to venture out on their own and where they’ll be investing $225 million in capital from their first fund.

Listen here. (Length: 37:06)

#8. Capital M podcast Featuring Elaine E. Hayne, President, and CEO of KaloCyte, Inc. Part 3 of the #LifeScienceRevolution Series: Access to Resources

The Maryland Tech Council (MTC) started the Capital M podcast to address topics relevant to capital markets in Maryland and the Mid Atlantic Region. Hosted by MTC’s CEO Marty Rosendale, the #LifeScienceRevolution podcast series was recorded at their BIO Innovation Conference this Fall.  Rosendale interviewed top executives at the conference asking them to share their experiences in building a business in the Maryland region.

Listen to part 3 of the #LifeScienceRevolution series, Proximity to Resources with KaloCyte. In this episode, Marty discusses business in Maryland with Elaine E. Hayne, President, and CEO of KaloCyte, Inc., a pre-clinical biotech startup developing a synthetic red blood cell substitute. KaloCyte relocated from St. Louis to Baltimore in 2019 and Elaine has some very

Listen here. (Length: 14:29)

#9. The Long Run with Luke Timmerman Featuring Building Biotech Clusters with Joel Marcus of Alexandria Real Estate Equities

Luke Timmerman’s podcast features interviews with the biotech executives, entrepreneurs and thought leaders that are shaping the industry. In this in-depth conversation, Timmerman sits down with Joel Marcus, Chairman of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, to discuss what it takes to build and sustain a successful biotech cluster.

Listen here. (Length: 64:00)

#10. The Bio Report Podcast Featuring Landos BioPharma CEO Josep Bassaganya-Riera

Blacksburg, Virginia’s Landos BioPharma, which recently raised $60M in Series B financing, is a biotech company focused on developing the next generation of therapies for autoimmune diseases. The Bio Report Podcast interviewed Landos BioPharma’s CEO Josep Bassaganya-Reira about his company’s novel approach to treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and why new treatments are needed.

Listen here. (Length: 19:36)