Fractals:

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[Colin Miller] 

Hello, you're tuned in to SNiPS, a recurring special segment from our ongoing series, Fractals: Life Science Conversations. Bracken is the professional services firm for life sciences and digital health organizations. Our intelligence ecosystem fulfils consulting, regulatory, marketing and analytics, an integrated and strategic approach. 

I think in clinical development, I mean, we see it on a consulting side. I think sometimes that gets missed. I don't know what your thoughts are on that. 

I think if we redirected, sometimes that would be a key facet. I know something Liz Bloss, our head of regulatory, always says, it's the same thing, be patient focused. 

[David Krause] 

It's funny, in drug development, we have many leaders, many masters to serve, let's say. So obviously there are the patients, who at the end of the day will be utilizing our products. There are the providers, who will be utilizing our products. 

There's the food and drug administration. And of course, there's always marketing, who are looking over our shoulders. So, there's many masters to serve, but I think that aphorism about doing what's best for the patient has served me well over the years. 

That is amazing. 

[Colin Miller] 

And did you find any difference in the thought processes there when you compare the size of the company that you're working for, GSK versus a small start-up like Genomind? 

[David Krause] 

When I started at SmithKlineBeecham, my title was Director Clinical Development and Medical Affairs. So that was interesting, because we had the medical affairs hat in the same bucket. Later on, in most pharma companies, I think that changed, so that there are separate medical affairs groups and separate development groups. 

But I liked, when we had it, that development and medical affairs were under the same umbrella. And then, of course, when we went to smaller companies like Vicuron, Tarsa, where we worked together and so forth, of course you wear those hats at the same time. So I think in the long run, for my career, that served me well. 

[Colin Miller] 

I won't ask you which you preferred, large or small. It's a tough one, unless you have a particular answer. 

[David Krause] 

I liked both. I think my path of cutting my teeth in large pharma, rather than going to a mid-size company, working in a large-scale company, was really instructive for me. There were so many people to lean on. 

Yes, I integrated a lot of things. But for any particular issue, there was always somebody who knew more about it than me. You got to work with so many different kinds of people, marketing people, lawyers, regulators, scientists, bench scientists, veterinarians, preclinical. 

It was great. It was just a really great way to cut my teeth. It was a little more than cutting my teeth. 

I spent 12 years there before moving on to smaller companies. 

[Colin Miller] 

Yes, the big pharma internal ecosystem is phenomenal from what you've experienced. Whereas, I guess, the smaller biotechs have to rely much more on the consulting groups and academic groups to be able to understand and pick up where the holes are in their knowledge. I assume that's how you operated or are there other ways? 

[David Krause] 

Yes, it's back to the old thought about you don't know what you don't know. And so in the smaller companies, of course, you have to find the people who know what you don't know. And sometimes part of the job as chief medical officer is ferreting that out, hiring great consultants. 

[Colin Miller] 

Yes, that makes sense. And going back to one of your earlier statements, I think you commented a lot of your work was integrating the pieces that you were getting information. And by the sounds of things, in smaller companies, it was the same thing, ferreting out the lack of knowledge, the people to bring in. 

And by the sounds of things, it was pulling all this together and integrating things to be able to drive the process forward.  

Fractals: SNiPs is brought to you by Bracken and available wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at thebrackengroup.com or reach out directly on LinkedIn. We'll be delighted to speak with you. 

I'm Colin Miller, wishing you sound business and good health. Thanks for listening.