The biotech industry's messaging to legislators often fails because it focuses on economic contributions. To gain support and combat negative narratives, leaders must shift to "plain speak," using patient stories to humanize their work and focus on their core mission of improving health.
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To influence policy on critical issues like the Priority Review Voucher, biotech CEOs are forming consortiums and going to Washington as a unified group. This collaborative approach is more effective than individual company efforts because it demonstrates a widespread industry problem that needs a legislative solution.
To humanize R&D and maintain motivation, biotech leaders bring patients into the company. This practice directly connects scientists with the human impact of their work, grounding the entire team in their shared purpose, especially on difficult days.
The pharmaceutical industry is often misunderstood because it communicates through faceless corporate entities. It could learn from tech's "go direct" strategy, where leaders tell compelling stories. Highlighting the scientists and patient journeys behind breakthroughs could dramatically improve public perception and appreciation.
The current political and regulatory environment means running a biotech company is no longer just about science and capital. CEOs must now actively engage in policy discussions and lobby legislators to ensure the ecosystem remains favorable for innovation. Ignoring politics is no longer an option.
Successful biotech leadership requires a clear decision-making hierarchy. Dr. Bahija Jallal advocates for a framework where patient welfare is paramount, followed by scientific rigor. Financial success is treated as a byproduct of excelling in the first two areas, not the primary goal.
To be effective, the patient's lived experience cannot remain a "soft narrative." It must be converted into hard data points—like reduced healthcare utilization for payers or influence on treatment pathways for clinicians—to become a decision-making tool they cannot ignore.
A crucial piece of advice for biotech founders is to interact with patients as early as possible. This 'patient first' approach helps uncover unmet needs in their treatment journey, providing a more powerful and differentiated perspective than focusing solely on the scientific or commercial landscape.
The fundamental purpose of any biotech company is to leverage a novel technology or insight that increases the probability of clinical trial success. This reframes the mission away from just "cool science" to having a core thesis for beating the industry's dismal odds of getting a drug to market.
Gene therapy companies, which are inherently technology-heavy, risk becoming too focused on their platform. The ultimate stakeholder is the patient, who is indifferent to whether a cure comes from gene editing, a small molecule, or an antibody. The key is solving the disease, not forcing a specific technological solution onto every problem.
The industry over-celebrates financial winners. Equal praise should be given to leaders who, despite poor financial outcomes, successfully pioneer new scientific ground or persevere to get a drug approved for a high unmet need. Their work provides crucial groundwork for future successes.
