“When you’re in the middle of a clinical study and you have to change partners….it's a big lift.”
In this episode, I talked with Dawn Rubel, President of R&D at NexEos Bio, where she shares her career journey from a scientific technical writer to a leadership role in biotech. She discusses her experiences at Immunomedics, the development of Trodelvy, and her transition to NexEos Bio, where she focuses on eosinophilic inflammation. Dawn emphasizes the importance of teamwork, hiring the right people, and learning from failures in clinical trials. She also provides valuable advice for aspiring leaders and highlights the significance of passion in one's work.
Here's what you're in:
- What motivated Dawn to transition from a scientific technical writer to her current role?
- What is Immunomedics and Trodelvy?
- What’s the biggest lesson she learned from her career journey?
- Why did she move from a large company like Arthrex to a smaller biotech like NexEos Bio?
- Who does Nexeos Bio aim to help, and what is the company’s approach?
- What have been the biggest challenges and rewards of her current role?
- What would she want potential candidates to know about Nexeos Bio, and why should you join?
- Example of a trial that faced or avoided derailment due to errors in development or decision-making.
- What do companies focus on instead of looking at the value of hiring experienced people?
- What are the painful lessons learned about hiring and leadership?
- What advice she gives to someone aiming for a career like hers?
Timestamps
01:52 Dawn's Career Journey
05:20 Immunomedics and Troldevy
08:05 Joining Nexeos Bio
11:47 Challenges and Opportunities at NexEos Bio
15:09 Failures and Lessons in Clinical Trials
22:10 Insights About Hiring and Leadership
31:25 Advice for Aspiring Leaders
About Dawn
- Dawn Rubel is the President of Research and Development at NexEos Bio, a privately held medical diagnostics and therapeutics company focused on developing innovative technologies for eosinophil-mediated diseases.
- Dawn has successful leadership experience in Biotech, Pharma, Medical Device from global multibillion-dollar corporations (Pfizer, Arthrex) to small biotechs (Immunomedics, NexEos Bio).
- She held leadership roles in safety, quality, & regulatory in her previous companies.
- She earned an MBA in Fairleigh Dickinson University and she did her Graduate Studies in Industrial Pharmacy, Pharmaceutics and Drug Design in Long Island University.
Connect with Dawn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawn-rubel/
About NexEos Bio
- NexEos Bio is dedicated to developing novel technologies to identify and treat underlying inflammation in eosinophil-mediated diseases.
- The company focuses on slowing the progression of eosinophil-related diseases.
- Lead Programs:
- NDX-3324 (previously NDX-3315)
- NexEos Bio is also developing therapies applicable to various eosinophil-mediated diseases, including eosinophilic conjunctivitis (atopic keratoconjunctivitis, perennial allergic conjunctivitis, and vernal keratoconjunctivitis)
- Both development programs are based on eMBP1, an eosinophil degranulation product that plays a central role in driving inflammation
Company Website: https://www.nexeosbio.com/
Pipeline: https://www.nexeosbio.com/technology
About Me
My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.
In 2023, I decided to launch my firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.
Connect with me:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/
Website: https://www.discera-search.com/
