10 Most Admirable Women Leaders in Biotech for 2021

VOL 10 ISSUE 02 2021

MOST

ADMIRABLE

Women Leaders in

Dr. Cornelia Haag-Molkenteller Execu ve Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Urovant Sciences, Inc.

Biotech for

2021

Know Your Leader

Corporate Leadership Styles: What kind of a leader are you?

Inside Details Understanding the Importance of a CRO in Drug Development

Dr. Cornelia

Haag-Molkenteller Leing Innovation Lead the Way

The Era of Women Leaders in the Biotech Space

T

hat biotechnology plays a vital role in the wellbeing of humankind is known to all. Researches conducted worldwide have time and again proven the importance of biotechnology.

The COVID-19 pandemic has only highlighted the importance of life sciences. Realizing its importance, companies are eager to fund biotech research and the sector as a whole. Recent times have also thrown the spotlight on women who have assumed prominence in the biotech space. It is no surprise that the child-bearer is making giant strides in the field. They are revolutionizing the biotech space with their discoveries for treating diseases or enhancing the present ways of treatment for efficiency.

Biotechnologists form an integral part of the healthcare space, from finding cures for diseases, drug development, plant biotechnology, improving the food that we eat, and enhancing the quality of human life. Women are increasingly distinguishing themselves with their pathbreaking contributions in the field.

They are establishing themselves as leaders in biotech companies and researchers and are even starting their companies. Navigating companies for better research, market expansion, and gathering funding, these women also have leveraged technology to increase efficiency in the biotech vertical. They have amalgamated science and technology, proving that women no longer can be stereotyped as technologically-handicapped.

Their contributions in the biotech field cannot be overlooked. To celebrate the achievements of such distinguished women leaders, their journey, and contributions in the biotech sector, we came up with our new edition of Insights Care, 10 Most Admirable Women Leaders in Biotech for 2021.

Read through this interesting issue and discover the exciting journey of women leaders in the biotech space.

Have an enlightening read!

And of course, who can forget the contribution of Rosalind Franklin towards the discovery of the double-helix structure of the DNA! She set the trend for many women to follow and lead the biotech space.

Women have proven themselves as great leaders with their excellent management skills, multi-tasking, and empathy – the qualities that are natural in them. These leadership qualities in the biotech space are an added advantage.

Women have set themselves apart through their professional achievements and contributions to the well-being of humankind.

Sumita Sarkar

Editor’s Note

08

Dr. Cornelia

Haag-Molkenteller Leing Innovation Lead the Way

Cover Story Articles 20

28

Know Your Leader

Inside Details

Corporate Leadership Styles: What kind of a leader are you?

Understanding the Importance of a CRO in Drug Development

Dr Elin Haf Davies Transforming the Healthcare Space Through Decentralised Clinical Trials

16

Lyndsey Harper, MD

32

Changing the Landscapes of Women’s Health and Sexual Wellness

Natalie Bartlett Chauffeur of Modern Change in the Biotech Industry

CxO 24

Jeeva Senthilnathan Education after the Pandemic

36

Editor-in-Chief Senior Editor

Sumita Sarkar Anish Miller

Managing Editor

Trishika

Assisting Editors

Abhishek, Ashlesh

Visualiser Art & Picture Editor Co-designer Art & Design Assistant Business Development Manager Marketing Manager

David King Rohil Shinganapurkar Paul Belin Mrunalinee Deshmukh Amy Jones John Smith Sarah Wilson, John Smith, Alex Vincent

Business Development Executives Sales Executives

Kelli, Bill, Anna

Technical Head Assistant Technical Head Technical Consultants

Jacob Smile Pratiksha Patil David, Robert

Digital Marketing Manager Assistant Digital Marketing Manager SME-SMO Executives

Alina Sege Amol Wadekar Atul, Gemson

Research Analyst Circulation Manager

Eric Smith Tanaji

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omen Leader W Biotech 2021 MOST

ADMIRABLE

in

for

Featuring

Company Name

Description

Christine Placet CEO

HORAMA S.A horama.fr

Horama is a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on developing life changing gene therapies in rare ocular and CNS (Central Nervous System) diseases.

Daphne Koller Founder and CEO

Insitro insitro.com

insitro is a data-driven drug discovery and development company that leverages machine learning and high-throughput biology to transform the way medicines are created to help patients.

Darlene Higbee Clarkin CEO and Founder

KORE Digital Health Therapeutics koredigitalhealth.com

KORE Digital Health Therapeutics is optimizing digestive health outcomes through behaviour change, progressive nutritional education and evidence-based digital therapeutics.

Dr. Cornelia Haag-Molkenteller Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer

UROVANT SCIENCE urovant.com

Urovant Sciences aims to advance urologic patient care through bold innovation, based on diversity of thought, openness to new ideas, adaptation to change, integrity and compassion.

Dr. Elin Haf Davies CEO

Aparito aparito.com

Aparito streamlines the drug development process by integrating specialist clinical and regulatory knowledge with technology for gathering patient-generated data outside of hospital.

Houda Hachad Vice President of Clinical Operations

AccessDx Laboratory accessdxlab.com

AccessDx Laboratory is a CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited, and NYCQ diagnostic laboratory dedicated to providing clinical insights that improve patient outcomes.

Katie Drasser CEO

Rock Health rockhealth.com

Rock Health is making healthcare massively better by investing in the next generation of entrepreneurs, advising major corporations on what matters in digital health, and working to scale health equity for all humanity.

Lyndsey Harpere MD, Founder, and CEO

Rosy Wellness meetrosy.com

Designed by doctors and psychologists for the 43% of women who have sexual problems and questions. Rosy is the first-of-its-kind platform offering women a holistic approach to sexual health and wellness.

Natalie Bartlett Chief of Staff

ZAGENO Inc zageno.com

ZAGENO is on a mission to accelerate scientific innovation by streamlining biotech purchasing processes with its award-winning, first-of-its-kind e-commerce platform.

Sophia Wang Co-founder and Chief of Culture

MycoWorks, Inc mycoworks.com

MycpWorks creates materials at the intersection of art, nature and biotechnology using mycelium, one of the earth’s most regenerative resources.

Dr. Cornelia

Haag-Molkenteller Leing Innovation Lead the Way

“

“

Many may not think of overactive bladder (OAB) as an area of unmet need; however, even with more products being available to address this condition, the stigma remains.

Dr. Cornelia Haag-Molkenteller Execu ve Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Urovant Sciences, Inc.

Through the 10 Most Admirable Women Leaders in Biotech for 2021, the team at Insights Care is seeking these leaders from across the globe and bringing them into the spotlight that they rightfully deserve. In that journey, we crossed paths with Dr. Cornelia Haag-Molkenteller, a seasoned biotechnology professional.

As Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Urovant Sciences, Inc., Cornelia Haag-Molkenteller, MD, Ph.D., has found a home where she can advance her passion for helping address unmet needs through, as she describes it, “innovation with truly novel approaches.”

Many may not think of overactive bladder (OAB) as an area of unmet need; however, Dr. Haag-Molkenteller, a clinically trained urologist originally from Germany, understands that, even with more products being available to address this condition, the stigma remains. And many patients—both women and men—are reluctant to talk with their healthcare providers about their challenges with bladder issues and OAB.

“

“

F

or professionals and leaders within the healthcare and associated sectors, the term ‘changing lives’ elicits a profound emotion. Every day their passion and commitment is channeled into finding solutions for patients’ needs.

Urovant offers a very collaborative and trusting environment.

We also share a commitment to doing the right thing for patients and healthcare providers, as well as for our employees.

“I also learned how to work internationally with the company offices and study sites in the different countries and with all levels of company management. As a physician, I continue to be very passionate about urology, the specialty I trained in. For me, urology was a great choice among the surgical specialties because it combines the practice of diagnosis, medical and surgical treatment, and follow up for patients.”

Therefore, many patients do not seek out effective medical treatments that are available today to help manage many of the bothersome symptoms that have a limiting effect on their daily lives. “People are reluctant to mention OAB to their doctors; it’s embarrassing for them to discuss the topic,” she added. “And it’s not a subject the doctor will always ask about, either.”

Dr. Haag-Molkenteller describes her previous experience as ‘a good training ground’ for her current work and how it helped her realize why Urovant is the right fit for her professional goals.

Dr. Haag-Molkenteller joined Urovant in April 2018 following stints at both large and mid-size pharmaceutical companies, including 10 years at Allergan where she led the clinical development of OnabotulinumtoxinA (BOTOX™) for OAB and neurogenic detrusor overactivity along with other development programs. Her last position at Allergan was as Therapeutic Area Head of Women’s Health, Urology, and Internal Medicine in Clinical Development.

“At Urovant, there are fewer management layers, allowing for faster decision making and higher agility and innovation.” From working at larger companies, Dr. HaagMolkenteller also believes she learned how to work within a complex organization and how to adapt to a variety of leadership styles. She attributes these experiences to why she appreciates being part of Urovant’s dedicated leadership team.

“Experience in a variety of different company structures is extremely important,” she pointed out. “For me, as a young physician entering a large company, it was about learning processes. By working first for larger companies, I learned how the process of developing and obtaining approvals of new drugs happens,” she said.

“Urovant offers a very collaborative and trusting environment. We have a strong leadership team, headed by President and CEO Jim Robinson. Importantly, however, everyone on the team is approachable and open to new ideas,” she added. “We also share a commitment to doing the right thing for patients and healthcare providers, as well as for our employees.”

10 Most Admirable Women Leader in Biotech for 2021

The pandemic could not have struck at a more challenging time for the Irvine, California-based company. The New Drug Application for Urovant’s first commercial offering, vibegron, was in the final stages of review by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for approval of the first new oral branded medication in nearly 10 years for the treatment of OAB. The Urovant team responded to all FDA requests in a timely manner, despite the challenges with the pandemic and the demands of completing most of the work and meetings virtually.

“It is a testament to the dedication of the entire Urovant team, our investigative and development partners and the FDA that we were able to obtain approval during the pandemic,” Dr. Haag-Molkenteller stated. The new drug approved under the brand name GEMTESA™ (vibegron), was approved by the FDA on December 23, 2020.

“For our ongoing clinical studies, the pandemic caused us to implement a temporary pause in new patient enrolments,” Dr. Haag-Molkenteller recalled. “Then, reopening of those study sites was done on a one-by-one basis depending on regional COVID-19 infection rates and making sure each center had appropriate COVID protection

“

“

Successful FDA Approval During a Pandemic

Focus on innovation and innovative products and technologies to serve patient needs. Really think about what can be done, then keep on pushing forward on how to best achieve it.

measures in place. We followed the FDA’s and other regulatory authority’s guidance on the conduct of clinical studies during the pandemic.”

With patient and staff safety paramount, “the Urovant team engaged with the clinical study sites and development partners to add remote visits to the protocols and other measures to reduce the potential risk to patients and site staff.”

“

“

Think ‘outside of the box’ when partnering with regulatory authorities, keeping in mind they are also interested in bringing efcacious and safe new medicines to patients.

Additionally, Dr. Haag-Molkenteller credits current newer technologies with helping to support the ‘human element’ of teamwork, so that the team could collaborate virtually during the COVID-19 shutdown. “Because of the new virtual conferencing technologies, we were able to see each other, and this offered a huge advantage over what we could have done over the phone,” she expressed.

After working virtually for a few months and as the pandemic continued, the senior management team, led by CEO Jim Robinson, established the parameters for Urovant employees coming back into the offices in alignment with CDC and state guidelines.

Putting Patients First When asked about how biotech companies can address the ever-changing landscape of patient needs, Dr. HaagMolkenteller sees tenacity as key. “Focus on innovation and innovative products and technologies to serve patient needs.

Really think about what can be done, then keep on pushing forward on how to best achieve it,” she advised.

“The mRNA vaccines are an excellent example. At Urovant, we are focused on new and differentiated medicines for patients, their families and healthcare providers. We are always looking for new solutions and new compounds. We are looking for truly innovative new compounds to address unmet patient needs.”

Dr. Haag-Molkenteller also appreciates that even the most innovative medicines cannot benefit patients unless they have access to it. “We have a dedicated and very experienced market access team for the U.S. to enable

insurance coverage of our medicines. That allows our R&D team the ability to focus on novel therapies and technologies,” she adds.

“We keep an open mind to opportunities that make sense for Urovant and the company’s capabilities and structure.

It’s always foremost that any new product we pursue be right for the patients and healthcare providers we already serve.”

Encouragement for Aspiring Innovators Dr. Haag-Molkenteller advises budding biotech entrepreneurs to, “Keep on moving with an eye toward the path forward and be prepared to adjust as needed. The path

“

“

The Urovant team engaged with the clinical study sites and development partners to add remote visits to the protocols and other measures to reduce the potential risk to patients and site staff.

will not always be straight forward – you need to keep this in mind. It’s important for those of us in the medical development community to remember that the path is not straight most of the time.”

Her advice regarding the design of clinical development programs focuses on the importance of people. “Work collaboratively with the clinicians, always remembering to consider the desired outcome in a clinical trial program from the patient and healthcare providers’ perspective. A ‘cool new thing’ has no relevance if it doesn’t meet patient needs,” she stressed.

“Think ‘outside of the box’ when partnering with regulatory authorities, keeping in mind they are also interested in bringing efficacious and safe new medicines to patients.”

She also charges the industry to “find better ways to manufacture drugs cost effectively while making the best quality medicines for all.”

Some final guidance for women aspiring for positions of leadership in the biotech world: “Lead by example,” Dr. Haag-Molkenteller advised. “Learn from your role models, both men and women. Keep an open mind and don’t be limited to only one role model. Follow all those you admire.”

A Vision for the Future and Future Generations When asked about her blueprint for scaling Urovant’s operations and offerings, Dr. Haag-Molkenteller says, “Over the next five years, I see Urovant expanding its

footprint in urology and possibly other specialties with new, novel products coming into our pipeline.”

“We are indeed fortunate to have a medical professional of Cornelia’s caliber on our leadership team at Urovant,” said Urovant President and CEO, Jim Robinson. “She is an immensely capable leader and has assembled a world-class team of research and development experts at Urovant. Her experience in developing new drugs and concern for people dealing with urologic challenges has been a critical factor in bringing GEMTESA to healthcare providers and their patients, and I am grateful for her many contributions to help drive the success of our company into the future.”

Up next for Urovant and Dr. Haag-Molkenteller are advancing the Urovant clinical pipeline, including the investigation of vibegron in OAB in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia, as well as URO-902, which is currently in early clinical development and has the potential to be the first gene therapy for OAB.

Stay in touch.

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Dr Elin Haf Davies Transforming the Healthcare Space Through Decentralised Clinical Trials

P

eople living in remote areas are less likely to get medical treatment timely. They have physical limitations to reach out to doctors every time.

Especially, people suffering from chronic diseases need more healthcare attention. Here comes remote patient monitoring (RPM) in the picture. RPM allows patients to take the necessary treatment as per their need. It provides a way to keep track of patients outside of the clinic.

Technological advancement has triggered the process of digitalisation. This digitalisation is widely spreading in every sector. It is driving the wagons in the healthcare space

Our approach is very much to develop digital biomarkers via video-based assessments and wearables for monitoring and prognostic purposes. too. The COVID-19 pandemic was a decisive situation where the whole world swiftly adopted remote working.

Resultantly, many people came forward to serve the patients and to provide them with essentials regarding their treatment.

Dr Elin Haf Davies is one of the leading names on that list.

Dr Davies is the CEO of Aparito – a tech company which provides remote patient monitoring services by means of wearable devices to monitor rare diseases.

In an interview with Insights Care, Elin shares her journey in the healthcare sector, her company Aparito, and the key aspects of the global biotechnology space. Below are the highlights of the interview: Dr Davies, please give us a brief overview of your journey as the CEO of Aparito.

Dr Elin Haf Davies CEO

Aparito might only be seven years old, but the background is 22+ years based on my clinical experience at Great Ormond St Children’s Hospital, my academic experience at University College London, and regulatory experience at the European Medicine Agency – all pivotal chapters of my career that contributes significantly to the creation of Aparito.

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10 Most Admirable Women Leader in Biotech for 2021

Tell us more about Aparito, its vision, and the key aspects of its stronghold in the global Biotechnology space.

The vision for Aparito is to completely change the experience of clinical trials for patients and their families. Patient centricity has been a bit of a tokenistic gesture, but now we do finally see the opportunity that we can take clinical trials to patients with high unmet needs rather than bring the patient to the clinical trials.

From a business leadership perspective, what is your opinion on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Biotechnology industry?

From our side, supporting remote patient monitoring and decentralised clinical trials has opened doors of opportunity which were previously shut, specifically turning what we do from being a nicety into a necessity.

What efforts did you take during the pandemic to sustain operations and ensure the safety of your team at the same time?

Being a tech company, we were ideally set up for working remotely, and the team has been immense, not just in adjusting to working remotely but accelerating through it.

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What is your opinion on the necessity for biotech companies to align their offerings with technologies like AI and ML, especially when catering to the everevolving healthcare needs?

Our approach is very much to develop digital biomarkers via video-based assessments and wearables for monitoring and prognostic purposes. ML and AI will be key enablers to that, but I loathe the hype surrounding AI in healthcare which is yet to live up to expectations and assure us that it won’t lead to harm for many if left unregulated and without an ethical framework of the application.

As an established industry leader, what would be your advice to the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts aspiring to venture into the healthcare services industry?

Find your north star and stay true to it. Being a founder is an extremely lonely and exhausting place, so you need to have a strong vision to keep you going through the tough times.

How do you envision further strengthening Aparito’s stronghold in 2022?

We want to expand the impact and the value that we bring to patients by delivering high-quality technology and solutions.

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Corporate

Styles

What kind of a

S

ince the industrial revolution, the world has seen several leaders that have transformed the corporate world. The need to manage a huge number of people requires skills and courage at the same time. The corporate world, after every few years, has given rise to a new leader, who has changed the working and has turned a small venture into a global empire.

There are different styles of leadership that have defined the success of the company. There has never been a specific style of leadership that will define success. However, the leadership style may differ from person to person and from the type of work that needs to get done in the industry. Over the years, many leaders have adapted to different styles to achieve the company goals and bring the best out of their employees.

The leadership style is often regarded as the method, direction, and motivation the leader chooses to lead the team members. Though most of the leaders with time tend to develop their unique leadership styles, there are some of the leadership styles that are already established in the corporate world. In this article, we have listed some of the major corporate leadership styles, read on to know what kind of a leader are you.

1. Coach Style Leadership The coach-style leadership is one of the most effective and innovative styles of leadership. Just like a coach and player relationship in a sports team, this style is seen in many corporates today. The leader is the coach who instructs and trains the employees to achieve the end goal.

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Know Your Leader

21|October 2021|www.insightscare.com

In this style of leadership, the leader often sets goals for the teammates, assisting them with their target completion and providing them with regular feedback. Leaders help in setting clear expectations while creating an environment with positivity and motivation, the period required for all this is quite high. Being a time taking process, this is the only drawback that this leadership style has.

This type of leadership is often seen in startups where the employees handle the work pressure, and the leader focuses on the growth of the company. This style of leadership sounds appealing, but when it comes to implementing it on a larger number of people, it might raise any major issues.

As long as the number of people under this style is controlled, this leadership style will not possess any major threats.

2. Democratic Leadership 5. Strategic Leadership In a democratic leadership, the decision is not taken unless the whole board approves of it. Though the ‘decision to take’ power is completely in the hands of the leader, the leader takes into account the insights of everyone regarding that project before finalizing the decision.

Over the years, it has been a leadership style that has been widely accepted and adopted by leaders across the world.

As this leadership style allows every employee of the company to express their views, it also gives the employees a wide spectrum on how the decisions are made at a higher level or in a board meeting.

3. Autocratic or Authoritarian Leadership Autocratic or authoritarian leadership is the opposite of democratic leadership. The leadership decides the future of the company by consulting anyone. It gives the leader the freedom to define expectations and outcomes from the employees. This type of leadership is often seen at workplaces where the leader is the most knowledgeable individual in the group. This type of leadership saves an ample amount of time, but sometimes creativity has to be sacrificed to meet the required needs. Apart from that, to give the peers clear and specific guidelines, such leadership style of leading the team is required.

There are many leaderships that the world has come across.

Strategic leadership has been one of such leaderships that has evolved with time and is integrated today into the corporate world. As the name suggests, it is a strategic approach to achieving the company’s objective. A leader often lays down a plan keeping all the strong points in mind and guides the team to achieve the objective of the company. Over the years, it has become an effective way of managing different types of employees and bringing out quality work.

Different leaders have even mixed two or more types of leadership qualities to achieve the company’s goals. A good leadership style is not just achieving the objectives but also maintaining the employee’s happiness. Transformational leadership style, transactional leadership style, bureaucratical leadership style, etc., are some of the styles that have made their way into the list of corporate leadership styles.

Though leaders have always been known for making their way out of the crowd, the aforementioned are some of the best leadership styles that are present in the industry that can help you assess the leader inside you. On the other hand, you can always break the stereotype and define your own leadership style!

Often times the legendary entrepreneur Steve Jobs has adopted this style of leadership to meet the company goals.

4. Laissez-Faire Leadership With the rise of startup culture all around the world, Laissez-Faire leadership has become more and more popular. In this type of leadership, the leader gives the employees complete freedom to finish the task. There are often no specific working hours, deadlines, etc., but the need for getting the work done is what is prioritized in this style of leadership.

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- Ashlesh Khadse

Education after the

Pandemic: Things

Educators Must Consider

I

my graduation cap over Zoom, and threw it up in the air as it hit the ceiling and came back down. That’s how I’ll remember my allegedly “most memorable” high school moment.

At first, I was relieved. I was very tired during my senior year from completing seemingly endless assignments.

Moreover, taking exams in person was exhausting after the burnout from writing college applications. Fast forward eight months: my mental health took a hit during my first semester of college.

Even though I didn’t have the greatest high school graduation experience, I knew it was important for me to stay at home through the pandemic to help reduce COVID-19 cases and make the lives of frontline healthcare workers easier. I felt like I could catch up on sleep that I had missed out on in those four years of high school. The summer was somewhat joyful because that was the most amount of rest I have had in my life, but it was equally, if not more, disheartening to see families lose their loved ones from the virus.

t was April 7th, 2020, when I remember my Physics Professor emailing students not to come to class for the following week because the COVID-19 pandemic had become a serious threat to public health. I had been burning the midnight oil for four months of sending in college applications, and I couldn’t believe my eyes that my life was being shifted to completing my high school education at home.

I had never really attended the high school homecomings or prom because I never really liked them; I was so academic-focused, I knew that I would receive my moment at graduation… until I didn’t. I was in the graduating class of 2020, where I had my laptop open, sat on my bed, wore

As I was heading into my first year of college, administrators removed the “first-year dorm policy”, so I ended up taking my engineering classes virtually while living from home. In the process of doing so, it was the first day of school – August 24th, 2020. I was exploring the new portal my university used for students to look up their

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Subtitle

About The Author Jeeva Senthilnathan is a 19-year-old undergraduate student currently pursuing Mechanical Engineering at Colorado School of Mines. She pursued a dual enrollment option, now holding an associate degree from Arapahoe Community College and her high school diploma from Colorado Early Colleges Parker.

During the 2020 presidential election, she was chosen to be a DNC Delegate for Senator Bernie Sanders from Colorado’s 4th Congressional District and had the opportunity to work on policies surrounding Medicare For All with the national committee.

Jeeva has also received multiple recognitions, from becoming a 2021 Global Teen Leader from Nile Rodger’s We Are Family Foundation, a 2021 Diana Awardee from Princess Diana in the UK, and a 2020 Presidential Volunteer Service Awardee.

She was also a former candidate for the Parker Town Council in Douglas County, Colorado, and has been thus far one of the youngest Indian-American women to have run for office in the United States.

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assignments and schedule. I had clicked the Zoom link for chemistry class only to see the face of my professor. No students.

My professor then proceeded to explain that class would be conducted as a webinar “to fit the class size” and that we wouldn’t be receiving access to recorded lectures because we had “to imagine what class would be like in person, that we would need to absorb the knowledge in one go.” On top of this, we couldn’t ask questions in class directly, and we would have to email our questions to the professor.

Right off the bat, I was concerned about how I was going to pass this college class with so many restrictions in place.

We had to “imagine normality” when life wasn’t normal at the time. From this experience onwards, many other college classes I had taken were a lot more lenient than this one, but if one thing became clear to me at this time, it was that teachers needed to be better about prioritizing mental health, and as it currently stands, the administrators/professors appear to be making no effort to do so.

Educators need to teach the basic foundation for students.

We were exhausted by “tricky methods” from our teachers trying to catch attendance over the screen through iclickers and also from sitting in one room for hours, completing our assignments.

After the pandemic, there are many lessons to take away from the education space. When school was to be attended in person, students always discussed how they should just “pass” the class instead of actually learning the content.

Educators need to understand that giving us 20+ hours of homework each week only causes mental strain and anxiety for us to rush and complete the assignments rather than learning the material with depth.

least incorporate free time for students to rest or work on their own passion projects.

Providing students time for self-care will bring them to be more engaged within the course material if they are relaxed.

I can remember the countless times where I was drawn away from the course and the professor because I had lost sleep and felt more irritated, spent numerous hours on assignments, or simply was not given any time for self-care.

Another learning moment for teachers: checking in weekly or monthly will help you understand the current difficulties of what your students are undergoing, and it will also help you tweak your curriculum for the success of your next class.

Year after year, professors lecture students to learn time management. While students have been time-managing their course workload, education is reformed each year, especially as the technology gets more advanced, and in turn, coursework and knowledge required to succeed only get harder.

This is all supposed to set students to the standards of current technological advancements and modernized life routines, but what is life if we spend 100% of our time on work? What about the college experience – going to football games, falling in love, hanging out with friends?

This seems to be nonexistent in my engineering degree as it currently stands in a post-COVID era.

On top of this, students who typically had faced bullying and anxiety in person had immensely decreased over the pandemic. Students had the option to turn their cameras on/off and also had limited chatting abilities. Moving forward, educators must also consider how they will recognize this bullying and anxiety for a healthy and safe space for all students in the classroom.

Students need to explore the subject to gain a passion for the subject and while investing their own time into understanding the content, completing the homework, and taking the exams. Keep in mind the general college student takes five courses in a semester. That will be 100 hours of coursework weekly if the teachers follow the 20-hour rule, which, unfortunately, most college professors do.

Honestly speaking, many students skipped classes over the pandemic to take out time for themselves and watched recorded lectures at their leisure. If educators continue to assign students homework with long hours, they should at

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Inside Details

Understanding

the Importance

of a inCRO Drug Development I

n recent years, the enhancements in medical technologies and the growing success of the drug development industry have resulted in changing the scenario of utilizing the Contract Research Organizations (CROs) and biotech.

With consolidations and acquisitions, CROs continue to grow and expand their scope in drug development services by: Augmenting the Drug Development Industry The COVID-19 pandemic has put the medical and pharmaceutical industry into the spotlight, and it is highlighting the increasing level of public interest in the clinical development process. It is now globally recognized that the latest advancements and developments in the medical industry and the clinical successes during the pandemic would not have been possible without the assistance of CROs.

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Efficient, prompt, and precise medical expertise is the crucial fundamental that is required for clinical trials. This fundamental is more important in tackling the current pandemic situation.

In an industry where time and medical expertise are necessary, CROs are being essential resources that are playing a pivotal role in the success of many studies, also developing vital drugs and treatments for the patients.

On the other hand, there was immense pressure on the medical industry to deliver a vaccine in the shortest time possible. While medical companies played an important role in these procedures, the delivery would not have been possible without the expertise, and vast resources brought forward by CROs in the medical industry.

With the increase in personalized medical assistance and medicine consumption, the one-size-fits-all model is becoming obsolete. However, coupled with the medical industry’s drive to make trials more accessible and efficient for the patients, technology has become a vital element in clinical procedures and trials.

On the brighter side, CROs are at the forefront by implementing the latest technologies and tools that are available to maintain a competitive advantage. They are ensuring that they are offering a full spectrum of available solutions for their partnering medical companies and their patients. Given that these CROs work with hundreds of global partners and sponsors, their working environment and background provide them with an ample amount of data to provide reliable solutions to the medical industry.

Additionally, CROs provide cost-effective solutions.

CROs have come a long way in very little time, considering that these organizations hardly existed a decade ago. As medical companies and pharmaceutical houses face the pressure of increasing drug costs, these research organizations provide them with great cost-effective alternatives.

These alternatives reduce the cost of overhead operations and ensure that they do not lose out on the profit due to lower costs of prescription drugs. CROs have also presented a more affordable outlet for the companies and medical institutions pursuing and working on new medications.

Providing Cost-Effective Solutions Earlier, the approval to pursue a drug test was expensive and required a lot of effort, and the approvals were possible when the situation was backed up by a guaranteed strong demand and a large market base.

The cost-effective operations of CROs allow the pharmaceutical companies to develop rare and smaller drugs with treatment methods as per the requirements of the healthcare suppliers. With these strong aspects, there is now an increased presence and demand for CROs in the drug development industry. Companies are significantly gearing up to utilize this opportunity.

CROs, on the brighter side, are also evolving to meet the demands of a new, global economy. They are keeping the best interests of both the patients and the shareholders by fulfilling diversified demands. CROs continue to enhance excellence in adhering to GLPs and regulations in the medical and drug development sector.

As large CROs have acquired regional capacity, and they are also serving as specialist service providers, the number of smaller and independent CROs is significantly reduced.

On the other hand, smaller CROs are enhancing the specific areas of drug development by providing quality-assured clinical trial supplies and equipment.

Enabling Convenience CROs are playing a crucial role in the drug development industry over the past few decades, and they have expanded their services to become more than just a simple outsourcing resource. They are the experts in this sector, with active partnerships in clinical research, and they are contributing dejectedly in driving the success rate of the medical and drug development industry.

The drug development industry is embracing these partnerships and collaborations with CROs, and by doing so, companies are experiencing clear performance indicators. They are setting up new standards with a clear governance structure. CROs and the drug development industry together are on the way to their fruitful and stable relationship, enabling convenient, cost-effective, and reliable solutions.

- Abhishek Joshi

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Lyndsey Harper, MD Changing the Landscapes of Women’s Health and Sexual Wellness

T

he stigma around female sexuality and wellness has long been persistent in society.

It is omnipresent and impacts the everyday life of women. Women suffer from many health issues, yet they feel uncomfortable expressing their problems. There has been a lot of awkward silence when it comes to women’s sexual wellness. This harsh reality is not limited to the developing economies but is a concern for people in the developed nations as well – despite having all the medical facilities.

Give us a brief overview of your journey as the Founder and CEO of Rosy Wellness, Inc., and tell us what inspired you to venture into the healthcare sector.

As an OB-GYN in private practice, women would ask me to help them with sexual problems every day. Sadly, even as a women's health expert, I had not been trained to treat these conditions that 43% of women have.

Instead, doctors are trained to tell their patients to 'drink a glass of wine' or 'go on a vacation’.

We would never say these things to men with sexual problems. Out of this need came my desire to create an evidence-based resource where patients could find legitimate solutions to their problems and connect with one another in order to erase the shame and isolation that so many women are feeling.

We are becoming a more health-conscious society than ever. We literally have become educated consumers of our bodies, but we are still far behind in overcoming potentially lethal stigmas in society.

Hence to get rid of the awkwardness around women’s sexual health, some aware individuals started providing women’s sexual wellness services. One prominent name in that list is Lyndsey Harper, MD who created waves in women’s healthcare through her company – Rosy Wellness, Inc.

Tell us more about Rosy Wellness, its vision, and the key aspects of its stronghold in women's sexual health and wellness niche.

In an interview with Insights Care, Dr. Harper shares her experience in the women's healthcare space, its importance, and the necessity of creating awareness about female sexual wellness. Below are the highlights of the interview:

Rosy’s mission is to create solutions that empower women on their journey toward sexual health. We want to meet the 1.9 billion women in the world who have a sexual problem exactly where they are in their busy lives with solutions that make sense. Rosy's

platform is convenient, private, and accessible.

In addition, our users have been shown to find sexual health benefits after use of the platform, as outlined in an abstract in the Journal of Sexual Medicine in 2020. We exist to support women and their healthcare providers who now have a trusted resource to which they can refer their patients who need help. Currently, more than 6% of OB-GYN in the US are recommending Rosy to their patients.

From a leadership perspective, what is your opinion on the impact of the pandemic on the global healthcare sector, and how did you aid your organization to overcome the challenges rooting from the pandemic?

The pandemic had many effects on healthcare, and in my opinion, most of them have been for the best. We have moved forward what would have likely taken more than a decade in under a year. The need for more convenient, less centralized options for care was mandatory.

The options for remote and digital care that so many of us were already focused on were welcomed to center stage and forced both provider and patient adoption overnight. These changes have their challenges, but they

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10 Most Admirable Women Leader in Biotech for 2021

Lyndsey Harper, MD – Founder and CEO

We exist not only to support women but also their healthcare providers who now have a trusted resource to which they can refer their patients who need help.

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and systems must prioritize to compete.

What efforts did you and your team at Rosy Wellness take during the pandemic to sustain operations and ensure the safety of your employees at the same time?

During the pandemic and still, currently, our team went to a completely remote environment. We had to make adjustments in terms of communication and team building, but we knew that this was the safest thing for our employees.

also have many gifts that the healthcare system now realizes much earlier than we would have without the pandemic.

Rosy offered support to our users during the pandemic by offering them a safe, digital space to access evidence-based information during a time when they needed it the most.

Many of us spent more time with our partners than ever before, often emphasizing potential relationship and sexual issues. We are proud to support women and their partners during this new phase of life.

What is your opinion on the necessity for healthcare companies to align their offerings with newer technological developments, especially when it comes to catering to the ever-evolving needs of the industry?

A healthcare company that ignores technology will definitely lose the long game in this current climate.

Healthcare consumers expect easy transitions and access along the entire healthcare journey. Unfortunately, this is much easier said than done given current regulatory and technological challenges, but healthcare companies

Since that time, many people on our team have now taken advantage of that flexibility and have moved to other places in order to explore their dreams.

At Rosy, we are completely invested in the personal and professional growth of each of our team members. We are proud to be able to show this in our new circumstances.

In your opinion, what could be the future of the healthcare sector post the pandemic? And how are you strategizing Rosy Wellness' operations for that future?

The future of healthcare treats patients with the respect and independence that they deserve. With increased options for consumers, healthcare systems will be forced to rethink the entire patient experience. Every aspect of healthcare must evolve from the education of each individual, incentivizing wellness over pathology, pricing transparency, and the patient-provider relationship.

Rosy is a model for the future of healthcare because we focus on changing the baseline understanding of each of our members while also meeting them where they are in their busy lives. We have increased access to high-quality resources while also

breaking down barriers such as high cost and geographical constraints.

Rosy is changing the narrative by offering women an individualized experience in a community setting.

If given a chance, what is the one thing that you would change about the global healthcare industry?

Globally, access to healthcare is the biggest challenge we face. So many of us in resource-rich countries have no idea what it would be like to be a patient in a different setting. There are countless opportunities to raise the bar for people across the world through new technologies and strategies that have been developed in the last 18 months.

As an established leader, what would be your advice to the budding entrepreneurs aspiring to venture into the healthcare sector?

My advice would be to know your buyer. There are many healthcare innovations to be made, but in order to build a successful business, there must be someone willing to buy your solution. It is helpful to understand that what is needed isn't always what is successful. The best healthcare companies figure out a way to accomplish both.

Pertaining to your role as Rosy Wellness’s CEO, how do you envision scaling your company's ambitions in 2022 and beyond?

Rosy will continue to change the narrative about women's sexual health amongst women, our partners, healthcare providers, insurance companies, and the media. We will not rest until women across the globe understand that they are not alone, and evidence-based therapies exist to solve their problems.

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Natalie Bartlett Chief of Staff

Natalie Bartlett Chauffeur of Modern Change in the Biotech Industry

P

harma R&D is one of the most booming industries that always supported the world even when the pandemic hit it; thanks to its bloodline, the leaders of lab supply

chain companies have always kept it running. In the last few years, the biotechnology industry has witnessed digitalization and enhancement of technology in its every code of conduct

as people are looking for an advanced way of coxswaining everything.

The demand for digitalization in the biotechnology supply sector is very

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10 Most Admirable Women Leader in Biotech for 2021

high as many are still following the same outdated method of purchasing lab supplies with catalogs, fax, telephones, and so on, and buyers are looking for a better alternative.

To fulfill this need of the biotechnology industry, one of the prominent leaders Natalie Bartlett, the Chief at Staff of ZAGENO, has worked very hard to solve many issues through the company's in-depth solutions. These include online monthly spending data, comparison of products, best alternatives, tracking order status, etc., making the industry's procedures extremely convenient.

Also, by eliminating various steps, Natalie Bartlett has given her best to save her client's time and money potential by developing the company's top services.

In the following interview, Natalie tells us about the various challenges she sailed through to provide ZAGENO's clients with excellent services.

Following are the highlights of the interview:

At a high level, ZAGENO is seeking to democratize the buyer-seller relationship through lab supplies - the very lifeblood of scientific discovery.

solve this. I decided to roll up my sleeves and help make a direct impact on myself. My first role was as Chief of Staff, but eventually, I moved to the customer-facing side of the business.

Today, I work on ZAGENO's enterprise business development team, focusing on helping large pharma organizations improve their research efficiency when ordering supplies.

Tell us more about ZAGENO, its vision, and the key aspects of its stronghold in the global biotechnology space.

Give us a brief overview of your journey through your role at ZAGENO, and also tell us what inspired you to venture into the biotechnology sector.

I started working in venture capital and focused on early-stage startups within life sciences and software. Growing up in a family of healthcare providers, this was a good fit because I always had an interest in the space. While at General Catalyst, I sourced and invested in ZAGENO, a startup reimagining life sciences commerce with an initial focus on R&D supplies.

ZAGENO's vision is to accelerate the time between scientific milestones.

While simple to articulate, it is quite complex in executing this vision. It begins by completely rethinking the industry's lifecycle, which begins with identifying where other business markets have successfully transformed, modernized, and automated. We sometimes take the kernel of other innovations and customize them for biotechnology.

I found myself intrigued by how outdated purchasing products for lab supplies was and how a team and technology like ZAGENO's could help

Our interpretation of the wellestablished subscriber model is experienced through ZAGENO's marketplace and services. Through it,

our subscribers benefit from various unique advantages such as data on historical spending, detailed product comparisons, and alternatives to products on backorder or with long lead times.

At a high level, ZAGENO seeks to democratize the buyer-seller relationship through lab supplies - the very lifeblood of scientific discovery.

Historically, this part of the industry was dictated by manufacturers and distributors. Without an alternative, scientists had little choice but to accept this status quo. But just as the subscription economy has redefined the buyer-seller relationship in consumer markets, so is it changing these relationships in biotechnology.

The future of the industry will be a more harmonious one, equally dictated by manufacturers and users. Because ZAGENO provides a platform to support this evolution, we are at the epicenter of this change.

From the business development perspective, what is your opinion on the impact of the pandemic on the biotech space? How did you aid your organization to overcome the challenges rooting from the pandemic?

From ZAGENO's perspective, the pandemic has divided the industry into groups of haves and have nots. The thing that is often overlooked is the running cost of biotech, which can range from $10,000-40,000 per day.

So, any downtime in productivity can have profound business implications to the bottom line.

COVID's impact on the supply chain caused some labs to go dark and their scientists to be furloughed. But biotechs that subscribe to ZAGENO benefit from access to a marketplace

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where they are able to forecast accurately and manage supply levels and face challenges like backorders and extended lead times with suitable alternatives to ensure labs remain open and productive.

What is your opinion on the necessity for biotech companies to align their offerings with newer technological developments, especially when catering to the everevolving healthcare needs?

While focusing on investing in earlystage startups at the intersection of life sciences and software at General Catalyst, I witnessed the burgeoning of startups looking to accelerate the drug discovery process from R&D through clinical and beyond.

In my opinion, the software has not impacted the life sciences field in the same way it has in other industries, so the opportunity to accelerate the drug discovery process (which today averages ten years) through the use of the software is immense.

For R&D purchasing in particular (ZAGENO's focus), a vast majority of

research scientists are still purchasing supplies in the same way consumers purchased goods in the 1970s! They are still phoning and faxing in orders via paper catalogs. While today's consumers can buy groceries in one click and have them arrive the same day, scientists spend 4-8 hours just finding and purchasing supplies. If technology can reduce wait times from weeks to days and even hours, imagine the savings potential, both in time and money, of the drug development process at large!

Through your role as Chief of Staff, what efforts did you and your team at ZAGENO take during the pandemic to sustain operations and ensure the safety of your employees at the same time?

As you may imagine, the demand for R&D supplies during COVID has been immense. As our team transitioned to a work-from-home setup, our order volume simultaneously skyrocketed.

Personally speaking, I cannot imagine starting a new role or even a first job completely remote! But with half of ZAGENO based in Berlin, we were

already accustomed to remote collaboration through video meetings, slack, and other web-based tools. To further support a work-from-home environment, our team also focused on several initiatives, such as new daily and weekly stand-up meetings.

We also provided our leadership with resources for remote management and guidelines for remote work to all employees. To provide additional support for new employees, we established a buddy system so that new hires had a dedicated ZAGENO alum as a resource. For all employees, ZAGENO also sent care packages to ensure everyone had proper at-home office and technology setups.

Despite a majority of ZAGENO never having met one another, as a company, we have been quite productive, which is evidenced by a doubling in revenue over the past year.

In your opinion, what could be the future of the biotech sector post the pandemic? And how are you strategizing your organization's operations for that future?

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We have witnessed a few trends during the pandemic for remote lab work, which I believe will continue in the future.

As an established leader, what would be your advice to the entrepreneurs aspiring to venture into the biotech space?

a particular focus on enhancing their purchasing experience for the industry's largest pharmaceutical companies.

After the initial closure of research labs, we saw that research scientists began to return for critical work only, splitting into teams to reduce risk and performing all operational management remotely.

For entrepreneurs looking to build software companies in the life sciences space, in particular, my biggest advice would be to create a well-rounded team with experience from both the life sciences and software industries.

In this time, I've witnessed the huge trend happening across pharma R&D to provide a superior user experience, consolidate buying channels, and drive digital adoption for both time savings for research scientists and cost savings for the research team at large.

It became even more critical that supplies were there for research scientists when they did spend time in the lab, especially amidst an increase in product backorder rates. I believe that remote lab management will be a long-lasting effect of the pandemic, even beyond just ordering supplies.

Given that startups in this space are still emerging identifying and hiring individuals with blended expertise is quite challenging. However, there is unique knowledge from both sides that needs to be combined in order to build a successful company, so instilling this balance through your team from the start as well as while you grow is essential.

ZAGENO is strategizing its operations to enhance these capabilities through mobile optimization and integration into inventory management solutions.

Meanwhile, our operations and customer success teams are equipped to support research scientists whether they are at the bench or at home.

How do you envision contributing towards the goal of sustaining your company's stronghold in 2021?

Building supply and demand are crucial to winning the market with any new subscriber service (e.g., a marketplace). I believe that working with large pharma will not only drive our stronghold within the market to realize our company's full potential but will also simultaneously bring efficiency to the lengthy R&D drug development process. It's a true winwin, which aligns with ZAGENO's greater mission to accelerate life sciences.

I have recently taken on a role in enterprise business development, with

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