Maximizing the Value of Emerging Biotechs: Insights from Inizio Biotech’s Executive Vice President

Executive Vice President of Inizio Biotech Dean McAlister, speaks to the Life Science Success podcast to share his journey in the industry.

In this conversation, Dean shares more about his leadership experience in the pharmaceutical industry and gives insight into the upcoming opportunities in the emerging biotech space. 

Listen to the full podcast on the Life Science Success website.

What skills and capabilities did you learn during your 28 years at AstraZeneca that you find helpful when working with emerging biotechs today?

At AstraZeneca, I learned a variety of skills and accumulated knowledge that are invaluable in my current role working with emerging biotechs.

Although the company is now doing very well, I experienced some lean years with many uncertainties, which have taught me a lot that I still use in my role today. From navigating a huge-scale company merger to witnessing many big pharmaceutical brands coming off patent in 2011, I’ve been able to learn a lot about how to overcome the challenges and harness the opportunities that arise in this space.

In my current role, I have found that many emerging biotechs are in the very early stages and need guidance in developing a narrative for their drug development, which is where my experience comes in. 

My previous company taught me the importance of scale and persistence in following a launch plan, which has proved invaluable in my work with emerging biotechs. These companies are typically science-intensive, and their leaders may not have extensive business experience. I can provide them with the value of my experiences to keep the project moving forward and help them curate and maximize the value of their assets.

What are your markers of success at Inizio Biotech?

Our markers for success at Inizio Biotech mean providing value to our partners in whatever way they need. Our goal is to maximize the value of their assets, whether they want to commercialize and hire their own people or use strategic partners as much as possible. In the emerging biotech space, we typically work on one or two projects at a time because innovators often have multiple assets or programs in different phases. 

To achieve success, it’s important to watch for developmental arcs that are most important to clients and stay current on industry news. I track the news flow on every public company we deal with and send articles to potential clients to show that I’m paying attention and have ideas to contribute. 

It’s crucial to break through the noise and help clients reach their goals. This has been a big part of my growth over the past 15 months, and I’ve learned that staying current and contributing to the narrative in my sector is essential for success over the long term.

What are some of the biggest opportunities for Inizio in the future?

There’s a huge opportunity in the market right now, as we believe that by looking beyond just the emerging biotech companies and considering how we can aggregate with other organizations and be more efficient with a one-to-many approach.

I also see a great opportunity to connect with individuals who have grown to run sections of companies or entire organizations and utilize our contacts to create new opportunities. By working to connect these innovators with subject matter experts, we can help bring people together and deliver greater solutions that address unmet patient needs.

What inspires you the most about working at Inizio Biotech?

What inspires me the most is the ability to help people see that their work can have a purpose beyond just earning a paycheck or finding their next job. 

As an executive leader at my previous company, I had people come to me and ask for guidance on their next steps. I learned that it’s more important to think about inspiring people toward a legacy that they can leave behind. This is what truly inspires me about what we’re doing here at Inizio Biotech – we’re creating something that’s sustainable beyond just ourselves. 

We have the opportunity to bring the next great innovation to market on a daily basis, which may cure diseases that currently have no remedy and provide hope for people’s future. We strive to create an organization where all these approaches are sustainable beyond ourselves, and we want to build something that inspires others to come along with us and ultimately achieve things that are way greater than what we could accomplish alone.

Click here to listen to the full interview on the Life Science Success website. 

Creating value at every opportunity

At Inizio Biotech, we are committed to delivering scalable solutions that meet the unique needs of our emerging biotech partners. Coordinated by a single strategic point of contact, we take the time to understand your business, optimize efficiencies and ensure connectivity across everything we do.

Discover what we can achieve together: https://inizio.health/contact/