A Dose of Reality with Charles Spence Charles Spence

In this episode, Ben Pais, Senior Vice President at Ariceum Therapeutics, discusses innovative cancer treatments. His company develops drugs that use radiation to combat cancer.
He explains their strategies and adjustments in medical technology, focusing on radiotherapy. 

He talks about the challenges of producing and distributing these drugs and the importance of having capable leaders.

Ben also explores future developments in this field and how large pharmaceutical companies acquiring smaller ones can impact the industry.

Here's what you are in for:
00:22 Moving from Clinical Medicine to Pharma
02:00 Starting Out from Surgery to Pharma
04:33 Discovering New Areas in Pharma
08:50 Getting into Radiopharmaceuticals
16:02 Growing in a Radiopharmaceutical Career
19:25 Understanding Radiopharmaceuticals: Simple to Complex
24:34 Finding Your Way in the Radiopharmaceutical Field
33:57 What's Next for Radiopharmaceuticals and Career Tips

About Ben Pais
Ben is a doctor with 25 years in the life science field. He knows about urology, cardiology, and radiation oncology. He has handled clinical trials (phase I-IV), medical affairs, drug safety, getting products to market, launching products, and early sales steps. Since 2019, he's been a certified Pharmaceutical Physician NVFG. In 2020, he started at Ipsen as the Global Development Lead for Radiopharmaceuticals. Later, he moved to Ariceum.

About Charles
Charles Spence leads Discera, a leading recruitment firm specializing in the biopharma industry.
He graduated with a biomedical degree, has worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent years doing diabetes research. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.
In 2023, Charles decided to launch his 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 Charles:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/
Website: https://discera-search.circle.so/

In this episode, Charles talks about how to craft authentic and genuine stories that can sell yourself and stand out from the rest. He points out that many resumes lack persuasive pitches and unique stories, so he offers 5 tips on creating these narratives. He stresses the need for authenticity and alignment with one's CV and interview responses.
He also discusses typical mistakes, like not showing the hidden benefits or linking past experiences to what future employers are looking for.

Here's what you are in for:
01:03 A Sneak Peek at Making Your CV
01:36 How to Make Sales Stories That Stick
04:18 Knowing Your Audience is Your First Step to Win
05:14 Being Specific on How to Make Stories Catchy
10:42 Using Lessons for Future Wins
11:26 The Secret to Job Applications
12:45 Building a Strong Professional Image
13:09 More Than Crafting a CV But Growing Your Career Chances

About Charles
Charles Spence leads Discera, a leading recruitment firm specializing in the biopharma industry.

He graduated with a biomedical degree, has worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent years doing diabetes research. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.

In 2023, Charles decided to launch his 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 Charles:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/
Website: https://discera-search.circle.so/

In this episode, Charles talks with Riccardo Canevari, the managing director and CEO of Radiopharm Theranostics, a company that is innovating the way we see cancer. They talked about his leadership journey in transitioning from leading 110k employees to a 3-man startup team. He also discusses launching innovative cancer treatments such as Luziterra and BluVicto and the challenges of selling them. He also highlights the importance of mission-driven work in biotech and the promise of radiopharmaceuticals in cancer treatment.
Here's what you are in for:
00:00 Ricardo's Journey From Milan to Pharma Leader
00:19 Family's Influence in Early Life
03:25 Ricardo's Career Path from Chemistry to Pharma
05:38 Highs and Lows in Pharma Industry
05:51 Leadership Lessons
10:27 Taking the new role as the head of Radio Pharm
17:59 Building a 3-man start up team
30:24 Reflecting on Leadership and Advancement
35:41 The Future of Radiotherapy

About Riccardo Canevari
Riccardo is an experienced leader in specialty pharma, cancer care, and radiopharmaceuticals. He served as the Chief Commercial Officer at Advanced Accelerator Applications, a leading company owned by Novartis. There, he led commercial strategies in around 20 countries. His main focus was on expanding the market for Lutathera and preparing for the launch of Lu-PSMA 617 to treat advanced prostate cancer. Before this, Riccardo held top positions at Novartis Oncology. He oversaw the successful introduction of breast cancer drugs like KISQALI and PIQRAY. He also gained extensive experience from different roles at Novartis Pharma and Ethicon/Johnson & Johnson.

Connect with Riccardo:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/riccardo-canevari-7239931/
Website: https://www.radiopharmtheranostics.com/

About Charles
Charles Spence leads Discera, a leading recruitment firm specializing in the biopharma industry.

He graduated with a biomedical degree, has worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent years doing diabetes research. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.

In 2023, Charles decided to launch his 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 Charles:
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/
Website:https://discera-search.circle.so/

In this episode, we're exploring the latest in radiotherapy, especially radioligand therapy for cancer treatment. Charles spotlights some promising trials coming up in 2024 that involve companies like Ymabs, Marianao Oncology, and many more fighting hard-to-treat cancers with new techniques and talks about big deals in the industry, like when Point Pharma and Ray's bio were bought. These deals show how important radiotherapy is in business and strategy. 
Looking ahead, Charles sees a bright future for radiotherapy, with better supply chains possibly making treatments cheaper and more accessible. 
Here's what you are in for:
00:00 Introduction to New Radiotherapy Methods
00:28 Understanding Radiotherapy Today
02:14 Early Trials in Radiotherapy
07:54 Key Trials and Their Effects on the Industry
12:17 The Future of Radiotherapy
13:21 Final Thoughts and What's Next
About Charles
Charles Spence leads Discera, a leading recruitment firm specializing in the biopharma industry.
He graduated with a biomedical degree, has worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent years doing diabetes research. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.
In 2023, Charles decided to launch his 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 Charles:
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/ Website:https://discera-search.circle.so/

In this episode, we talk about ADCs or antibody-drug conjugates with Ilaria Contis, a VP at ADC Therapeutics. This Swiss company is a commercial, global leader and pioneer in the field of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). It is known for being a one-stop-shop for ADC development, handling everything from research to selling their products.
Ilaria shares about how ADCs (antibody-drug conjugates) are transforming cancer treatment, opportunities and challenges in ADC tech, and why global experience matters in pharma careers.
Here's what you are in for:
01:14 – Getting Into Medicine
09:56 – Interest in ADCs
11:25 – ADC’s History and Recent Developments
21:13 – Business Development Perspective on ADCs
25:38 – Expanding Beyond Hematology
31:02 – US vs. Europe in Pharma and Biotech Careers
40:28 – Inspiring the Next Generation
About Ilaria
Ilaria Contis is a pharmaceutical developer from Tuscany, Italy, where she spent her childhood. With a background in medicine and a strong drive for research, Ilaria was inspired by the groundbreaking work of Nobel Prize laureate Rita Levi-Montalcini to pursue a career in the medical field. Her journey led her to the United States, where she immersed herself in clinical research and eventually found her niche in the pharmaceutical industry, particularly focusing on the development of Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs).

Connect with Ilaria:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilaria-conti-581bb06/Website: https://www.adctherapeutics.com/

About Charles
Charles Spence leads Discera, a leading recruitment firm specializing in the biopharma industry.
He graduated with a biomedical degree, has worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea) and also spent years doing research in diabetes. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.
In 2023, Charles decided to launch his 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 Charles:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/Website: https://discera-search.circle.so/

In this episode, Charles covers the steps before applying, the application process, and how to negotiate your salary. He also explores the reasons behind the discomforts that may arise during these conversations and provides practical tips and strategies to help you navigate salary negotiations confidently.
Here's what you are in for: 
00:00 - Introduction
01:49 - Salary Negotiation Topic Introduction
03:14 - Pre-Application Advice
08:11 - Research and Self-Value Assessment
10:45 - Application Form and Recruiter Interaction
13:05 - Interview Phase Strategy
15:15 - Salary Negotiation 
ABOUT CHARLES
Charles Spence leads Discera, a leading recruitment firm specializing in the biopharma industry.
He graduated with a biomedical degree, has worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea) and also spent years doing research in diabetes. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.
In 2023, Charles decided to launch his 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 Charles on:
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical Website: https://discera-search.circle.so/