On this episode of Biotalk, Locust Walk’s Andy Meyerson welcomes Dr. Lindsay Rosenwald, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fortress Biotech, a company focused on licensing and developing high-potential marketed and development-stage drugs.

Lindsay shares his journey from physician to biotech entrepreneur and outlines Fortress Biotech’s strategy of licensing high-potential marketed and development-stage drug candidates, avoiding early-stage technologies. They discuss how Fortress capitalizes on inefficiencies in the drug development market, such as acquiring drugs approved abroad but not in the US, and the role of AI in improving drug search and evaluation efficiency.

Despite concerns about macroeconomic risks and changes in healthcare spending, Lindsay believes Fortress can navigate these challenges by being a low-cost producer of drug candidates. Subscribe or follow Biotalk on Apple Podcasts | Spotify.

Timestamps:

1:26 Lindsay, you have had an interesting and varied career across finance in life sciences. I always find successful people’s career arc fascinating – How did your career develop, and what lead you to your current role at Fortress Biotech?

3:58 What spurred your interest in life sciences?

5:26 What we hear over and over in our current discussions with investors is an interest in identifying high-quality assets from within pharma or biotechs that can be spun out into new companies. This has been gaining in attractiveness over the last 3 years as investor focus increases on clinical-stage assets. What I find interesting about this shift is that Fortress’ strategy has been to do this since its founding. This leads me to a couple of questions: What do you think about this current investor trend?

10:15  How did you arrive on the Fortress business model?

14:11 What do you see as the overall implications for everyone now that so many people are hunting for the same opportunities?

17:12 What potential do you see for AI in revolutionizing drug discovery and development at Fortress Biotech?

19:52 What is your current view on the biotech market, and what trends do you foresee shaping the industry in the coming years?

22:09 Given the dynamic nature of biotech, how is Fortress Biotech positioning itself to navigate future challenges and opportunities?