Dr. Marcelo Bigal, President and CEO of Ventus Therapeutics

‘’I can't guarantee 100% the thesis of what we do as CEOs will pan out but I will not consider myself a failure if it isn't right because, from the get-go, there is joy on the day-by-day of our business.’’

-Dr. Marcelo Bigal

Dr. Marcelo Bigal, President and CEO of Ventus Therapeutics, a company that expects to become the leader in the field of using precision medicine to identify subsets of patients with severe chronic neurological conditions.

Prior to Ventus, Dr. Marcelo held multiple positions in the industry, including CSO at Teva, leading a group of over 1,300 people, as well as CMO of Purdue. Prior to Teva, he was also the CMO at Labrys Biologics, Inc., leading the team responsible for the development of Fremanezumab (approved as Ajovy), a humanized monoclonal antibody against CGRP, an anti-migraine and pain target.

He has published over 322 peer-reviewed articles in indexed journals, edited six books, and authored / co-authored 35 book chapters in the field of neurology.

Key Takeaways:

1. The importance of company culture and treating employees well. Dr. Marcelo emphasizes the importance of creating a positive and joyful work culture to retain talent and attract the best scientists. He also stresses the importance of treating employees, board members, and investors with respect and fairness. Despite differing perspectives and priorities, the ultimate goal of all involved should be the development of life-saving medications.

2. Measuring success and creating a fulfilling business experience. Dr. Marelo emphasizes that success should not be solely defined by achieving the end goal, but also by the day-to-day joy and impact generated by the business. It is important to treat people with dignity, generate good ideas, develop talent, and create good jobs, in addition to striving for the ultimate prize. While success is never guaranteed, focusing on these aspects of the business can lead to a fulfilling and rewarding experience regardless of the outcome.

Topics Covered:

Treating Major Neurological Disorders: Dr. Marcelo Bigal, President and CEO of Ventus Therapeutics 0:00
Overview of Ventus Therapeutics and what the team is focusing on 1:10
Ventus Therapeutics interest in targeting neurological diseases and cancer 3:45
Current state and future plans of Ventus Therapeutics after raising big capital 7:08
Key in raising capital 11:31
Dr. Marcelo’s focus and priorities as the CEO 14:23
Targeting previously undruggable proteins with small molecules using quantum physics principles 18:50
How Dr. Marcelo adapted to the business mindset as a Biopharmaceutical CEO 23:19 How did Dr. Marcelo become a Ventus partner 26:02
The importance of independence and alignment in functional boards and the value of assuming good intent and learning from diverse perspectives 28:51
Importance of company culture and treating employees well 32:15
Book recommendation 34:14
Advice from Dr. Marcelo 38:28