Leonard Mazur's entry into the pharmaceutical industry was not a planned career path but a "random walk." He was drawn to a pharmaceutical sales job ad in the newspaper due to perks like a company car, demonstrating that significant careers can begin with opportunistic choices rather than a grand vision.
Contrary to narratives that it's never too late, Leonard Mazur bluntly states that age 50 was the most difficult time to become a founder. At that stage, one has accumulated significant personal and financial responsibilities, meaning the stakes are highest and there is "everything to lose" if the venture fails.
When starting a company from scratch with no capital backing, Leonard Mazur's driving principle was an absolute refusal to fail. This mindset is more than resilience; it's a foundational commitment that fuels the intense effort required when you are the only one who truly cares about the business's survival.
In the pharmaceutical industry, the execution team is more critical than the product itself. Citius CEO Leonard Mazur is convinced that an average drug brought to market by a phenomenal team will achieve greater success than a superior drug handled by a so-so team, highlighting the supreme value of people and execution.
Citius employs a lean model where the same leadership team manages both the parent company (Citius Pharmaceuticals) and its public spin-off (Citius Oncology) via a shared services agreement. This structure efficiently funds and oversees distinct assets without duplicating executive overhead, a novel approach for a small company.
A non-obvious benefit of the FDA's PDUFA fees is that they force the agency to commit to review timelines. Citius Pharma's CEO notes this allows companies to confidently plan launches and hiring, a stark contrast to the past when approvals were unpredictably released in a year-end flurry with no feedback on delays.