It’s tempting to think that the first skill you need to learn in business development is negotiating. That’s important, of course, but it should not be your first stop. Business development, at its core, is all about building relationships. And while that may sound simple, I’ve seen many up-and-comers stumble because they fail to understand […]
Author Archives: avrobioprod
Cruella’s at the door
That’s what I call her: Cruella, my inner critic, the woman who’s perched in my psyche just dying to point out how much I suck. She raised her mean head just this week after I flubbed a presentation at a critical meeting. I was mortified at my own mistake, seeing in my mind’s eye how […]
FDA and the CMC goalposts: CMC should accelerate, not curb, gene therapy progress
There’s no getting around it: This has been a challenging stretch for gene therapy companies on the chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC) front. We’ve all seen the headlines of clinical trial and BLA filing delays while companies respond to CMC concerns. Behind these headlines are real consequences: Patients have had to cope with heartbreaking delays […]
Moonlighting proteins: A surprising finding in a clinical trial suggests new insights into gene therapy
Science is full of surprises – it’s one of the things I love about this work. I’ve been reminded of this recently in light of an initial observation from the Phase 1/2 clinical trial[1] of AVR-RD-04, our investigational lentiviral gene therapy for cystinosis. Sponsored by our academic collaborator Stephanie Cherqui, Ph.D. at the University of […]
Cruella’s at the door
That’s what I call her: Cruella, my inner critic, the woman who’s perched in my psyche just dying to point out how much I suck. She raised her mean head just this week after I flubbed a presentation at a critical meeting. I was mortified at my own mistake, seeing in my mind’s eye how […]
Why a fulfilling career in science requires more than just brainpower
Fun fact: I live in a jungle. Well, not exactly – but my 450 square foot condo is home to 55 indoor plants, which is as close to a jungle as you can get in the city. My fascination with plants extends far beyond the walls of my home – it fostered within me a […]
You want to be a CBO? Four tips to set you on your way
Most of the titles in a biotech C-suite are generally self-explanatory. The Chief Technical and Manufacturing Officer runs operations in CMC and analytics. The Chief Financial Officer handles financial strategy and investor relations. The Chief Commercial Officer prepares for bringing investigational therapies to market. Then there’s the title I hold: Chief Business Officer (CBO). This […]
Managing your manager –– and yourself
Brushing off a classic article to highlight strategies to improve this crucial working relationship during the age of COVID-19 We may have just irrevocably shifted into a world where we may no longer co-locate on a daily basis with the people we work with. Some of us may go into the office full-time out of […]
Treating the whole body: The case for lentiviral gene therapy’s head-to-toe reach
We hear it regularly from patients and caregivers: There’s an urgent need for therapies that can treat the whole body to address the full range of symptoms in diseases that manifest in both the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral tissues. Biologically, that’s a tall order. The brain is protected by an intricate blood-brain barrier […]
When can we co-locate once again?
Switching gears after the past few months expounding on leadership and management, I’ll turn to a question that many of us are asking (and being asked): When can we all return to the office? The answer here at AVROBIO: We don’t really know. The truth is, the answer depends on several factors. In part, it’s […]
