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10 Most Admirable Women Leaders in Biotech for 2021

we came up with our new edition of Insights Care, 10 Most Admirable Women Leaders in Biotech for 2021. Read through this interesting issue and discover the exciting journey of women leaders in the biotech space.

we came up with our new edition of Insights Care, 10 Most Admirable Women Leaders in Biotech for 2021. Read through this interesting issue and discover the exciting journey of women leaders in the biotech space.

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VOL 10

ISSUE 02

2021

MOST

ADMIRABLE

Women

Leaders in

Biotech for

2021

Dr. Cornelia

Haag-Molkenteller

Execu ve Vice President

and Chief Medical Officer

Urovant Sciences, Inc.

Know Your Leader

Corporate Leadership

Styles: What kind of

a leader are you?

Inside Details

Understanding the

Importance of a CRO in

Drug Development

Dr. Cornelia

Haag-Molkenteller

Leing Innovation Lead the Way




The Era of Women Leaders

in the Biotech Space

hat biotechnology plays a vital role in the well-

Tbeing of humankind is known to all. Researches

conducted worldwide have time and again proven

the importance of biotechnology.

The COVID-19 pandemic has only highlighted the

importance of life sciences. Realizing its importance,

companies are eager to fund biotech research and the sector

as a whole. Recent times have also thrown the spotlight on

women who have assumed prominence in the biotech

space. It is no surprise that the child-bearer is making giant

strides in the field. They are revolutionizing the biotech

space with their discoveries for treating diseases or

enhancing the present ways of treatment for efficiency.

Biotechnologists form an integral part of the healthcare

space, from finding cures for diseases, drug development,

plant biotechnology, improving the food that we eat, and

enhancing the quality of human life. Women are

increasingly distinguishing themselves with their pathbreaking

contributions in the field.

They are establishing themselves as leaders in biotech

companies and researchers and are even starting their

companies. Navigating companies for better research,

market expansion, and gathering funding, these women also

have leveraged technology to increase efficiency in the

biotech vertical. They have amalgamated science and

technology, proving that women no longer can be

stereotyped as technologically-handicapped.

Their contributions in the biotech field cannot be

overlooked. To celebrate the achievements of such

distinguished women leaders, their journey, and

contributions in the biotech sector, we came up with our

new edition of Insights Care, 10 Most Admirable Women

Leaders in Biotech for 2021.

Read through this interesting issue and discover the exciting

journey of women leaders in the biotech space.

Have an enlightening read!

And of course, who can forget the contribution of Rosalind

Franklin towards the discovery of the double-helix structure

of the DNA! She set the trend for many women to follow

and lead the biotech space.

Women have proven themselves as great leaders with their

excellent management skills, multi-tasking, and empathy –

the qualities that are natural in them. These leadership

qualities in the biotech space are an added advantage.

Women have set themselves apart through their professional

achievements and contributions to the well-being of

humankind.

Sumita Sarkar


Editor’s Note


20

Know Your Leader

Corporate Leadership

Styles: What kind of

a leader are you?

08

Dr. Cornelia

Haag-Molkenteller

Leing Innovation Lead the Way

Cover Story

Articles

28

Inside Details

Understanding the

Importance of a CRO in

Drug Development


Dr Elin Haf

Davies

Transforming the

Healthcare Space Through

Decentralised Clinical Trials

16

32

Lyndsey

Harper, MD

Changing the Landscapes

of Women’s Health

and Sexual Wellness

Natalie

Bartlett

Chauffeur of Modern

Change in the Biotech

Industry

36

CxO

24

Jeeva Senthilnathan

Education after the Pandemic


Editor-in-Chief

Senior Editor

Managing Editor

Assisting Editors

Visualiser

Art & Picture Editor

Co-designer

Art & Design Assistant

Sumita Sarkar

Anish Miller

Trishika

Abhishek, Ashlesh

David King

Rohil Shinganapurkar

Paul Belin

Mrunalinee Deshmukh

Business Development Manager

Marketing Manager

Amy Jones

John Smith

Business Development Executives Sarah Wilson, John Smith, Alex Vincent

Sales Executives Kelli, Bill, Anna

Technical Head

Assistant Technical Head

Technical Consultants

Digital Marketing Manager

Assistant Digital Marketing Manager

SME-SMO Executives

Research Analyst

Circulation Manager

Jacob Smile

Pratiksha Patil

David, Robert

Alina Sege

Amol Wadekar

Atul, Gemson

Eric Smith

Tanaji

sales@insightscare.com

April, 2021

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Featuring

Company Name

MOST

ADMIRABLE W omen Leader in

2021

Biotech for

Description

Christine Placet

CEO

HORAMA S.A

horama.fr

Horama is a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on

developing life changing gene therapies in rare ocular and

CNS (Central Nervous System) diseases.

Daphne Koller

Founder and CEO

Insitro

insitro.com

insitro is a data-driven drug discovery and development

company that leverages machine learning and high-throughput

biology to transform the way medicines are created to help

patients.

Darlene Higbee Clarkin

CEO and Founder

Dr. Cornelia

Haag-Molkenteller

Executive Vice President

and Chief Medical Officer

KORE Digital

Health Therapeutics

koredigitalhealth.com

UROVANT SCIENCE

urovant.com

KORE Digital Health Therapeutics is optimizing digestive

health outcomes through behaviour change, progressive

nutritional education and evidence-based digital

therapeutics.

Urovant Sciences aims to advance urologic patient care

through bold innovation, based on diversity of thought,

openness to new ideas, adaptation to change, integrity and

compassion.

Dr. Elin Haf Davies

CEO

Aparito

aparito.com

Aparito streamlines the drug development process by

integrating specialist clinical and regulatory knowledge with

technology for gathering patient-generated data outside of

hospital.

Houda Hachad

Vice President of

Clinical Operations

AccessDx Laboratory

accessdxlab.com

AccessDx Laboratory is a CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited, and

NYCQ diagnostic laboratory dedicated to providing clinical

insights that improve patient outcomes.

Katie Drasser

CEO

Lyndsey Harpere

MD, Founder, and CEO

Rock Health

rockhealth.com

Rosy Wellness

meetrosy.com

Rock Health is making healthcare massively better by

investing in the next generation of entrepreneurs, advising

major corporations on what matters in digital health, and

working to scale health equity for all humanity.

Designed by doctors and psychologists for the 43% of

women who have sexual problems and questions. Rosy is

the first-of-its-kind platform offering women a holistic

approach to sexual health and wellness.

Natalie Bartlett

Chief of Staff

ZAGENO Inc

zageno.com

ZAGENO is on a mission to accelerate scientific innovation

by streamlining biotech purchasing processes with its

award-winning, first-of-its-kind e-commerce platform.

Sophia Wang

Co-founder and Chief

of Culture

MycoWorks, Inc

mycoworks.com

MycpWorks creates materials at the intersection of art,

nature and biotechnology using mycelium, one of the earth’s

most regenerative resources.


Dr. Cornelia

Haag-Molkenteller

Leing Innovation Lead the Way

Many may not think of overactive

bladder (OAB) as an area of unmet

need; however, even with more products

being available to address this

condition, the stigma remains.


Dr. Cornelia

Haag-Molkenteller

Execu ve Vice President

and Chief Medical Officer

Urovant Sciences, Inc.


For professionals and leaders within the healthcare

and associated sectors, the term ‘changing lives’

elicits a profound emotion. Every day their passion

and commitment is channeled into finding solutions for

patients’ needs.

Through the 10 Most Admirable Women Leaders in Biotech

for 2021, the team at Insights Care is seeking these leaders

from across the globe and bringing them into the spotlight

that they rightfully deserve. In that journey, we crossed

paths with Dr. Cornelia Haag-Molkenteller, a seasoned

biotechnology professional.

As Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at

Urovant Sciences, Inc., Cornelia Haag-Molkenteller, MD,

Ph.D., has found a home where she can advance her passion

for helping address unmet needs through, as she describes

it, “innovation with truly novel approaches.”

Many may not think of overactive bladder (OAB) as an area

of unmet need; however, Dr. Haag-Molkenteller, a

clinically trained urologist originally from Germany,

understands that, even with more products being available

to address this condition, the stigma remains. And many

patients—both women and men—are reluctant to talk with

their healthcare providers about their challenges with

bladder issues and OAB.

Therefore, many patients do not seek out effective medical

treatments that are available today to help manage many of

the bothersome symptoms that have a limiting effect on

their daily lives. “People are reluctant to mention OAB to

their doctors; it’s embarrassing for them to discuss the

topic,” she added. “And it’s not a subject the doctor will

always ask about, either.”

Dr. Haag-Molkenteller joined Urovant in April 2018

following stints at both large and mid-size pharmaceutical

companies, including 10 years at Allergan where she led the

clinical development of OnabotulinumtoxinA (BOTOX)

for OAB and neurogenic detrusor overactivity along with

other development programs. Her last position at Allergan

was as Therapeutic Area Head of Women’s Health,

Urology, and Internal Medicine in Clinical Development.

“Experience in a variety of different company structures is

extremely important,” she pointed out. “For me, as a young

physician entering a large company, it was about learning

processes. By working first for larger companies, I learned

how the process of developing and obtaining approvals of

new drugs happens,” she said.

Urovant offers a very

collaborative and

trusting environment.

We also share a

commitment to doing

the right thing for

patients and healthcare

providers, as well as for

our employees.

“I also learned how to work internationally with the

company offices and study sites in the different countries

and with all levels of company management. As a

physician, I continue to be very passionate about urology,

the specialty I trained in. For me, urology was a great

choice among the surgical specialties because it combines

the practice of diagnosis, medical and surgical treatment,

and follow up for patients.”

Dr. Haag-Molkenteller describes her previous experience as

‘a good training ground’ for her current work and how it

helped her realize why Urovant is the right fit for her

professional goals.

“At Urovant, there are fewer management layers, allowing

for faster decision making and higher agility and

innovation.” From working at larger companies, Dr. Haag-

Molkenteller also believes she learned how to work within

a complex organization and how to adapt to a variety of

leadership styles. She attributes these experiences to why

she appreciates being part of Urovant’s dedicated leadership

team.

“Urovant offers a very collaborative and trusting

environment. We have a strong leadership team, headed by

President and CEO Jim Robinson. Importantly, however,

everyone on the team is approachable and open to new

ideas,” she added. “We also share a commitment to doing

the right thing for patients and healthcare providers, as well

as for our employees.”


10 Most Admirable Women Leader in Biotech for 2021

Successful FDA Approval During a Pandemic

The pandemic could not have struck at a more challenging

time for the Irvine, California-based company. The New

Drug Application for Urovant’s first commercial offering,

vibegron, was in the final stages of review by the U.S. Food

& Drug Administration (FDA) for approval of the first new

oral branded medication in nearly 10 years for the treatment

of OAB. The Urovant team responded to all FDA requests

in a timely manner, despite the challenges with the

pandemic and the demands of completing most of the work

and meetings virtually.

“It is a testament to the dedication of the entire Urovant

team, our investigative and development partners and the

FDA that we were able to obtain approval during the

pandemic,” Dr. Haag-Molkenteller stated. The new drug

approved under the brand name GEMTESA (vibegron),

was approved by the FDA on December 23, 2020.

“For our ongoing clinical studies, the pandemic caused us

to implement a temporary pause in new patient

enrolments,” Dr. Haag-Molkenteller recalled. “Then,

reopening of those study sites was done on a one-by-one

basis depending on regional COVID-19 infection rates and

making sure each center had appropriate COVID protection

Focus on innovation and

innovative products and

technologies to serve

patient needs. Really think

about what can be done,

then keep on pushing

forward on how to best

achieve it.

measures in place. We followed the FDA’s and other

regulatory authority’s guidance on the conduct of clinical

studies during the pandemic.”

With patient and staff safety paramount, “the Urovant team

engaged with the clinical study sites and development

partners to add remote visits to the protocols and other

measures to reduce the potential risk to patients and site

staff.”


Think ‘outside of the box’

when partnering with

regulatory authorities,

keeping in mind they are

also interested in

bringing efcacious and

safe new medicines to

patients.

insurance coverage of our medicines. That allows our R&D

team the ability to focus on novel therapies and

technologies,” she adds.

“We keep an open mind to opportunities that make sense

for Urovant and the company’s capabilities and structure.

It’s always foremost that any new product we pursue be

right for the patients and healthcare providers we already

serve.”

Encouragement for Aspiring Innovators

Dr. Haag-Molkenteller advises budding biotech

entrepreneurs to, “Keep on moving with an eye toward the

path forward and be prepared to adjust as needed. The path

Additionally, Dr. Haag-Molkenteller credits current newer

technologies with helping to support the ‘human element’

of teamwork, so that the team could collaborate virtually

during the COVID-19 shutdown. “Because of the new

virtual conferencing technologies, we were able to see each

other, and this offered a huge advantage over what we could

have done over the phone,” she expressed.

After working virtually for a few months and as the

pandemic continued, the senior management team, led by

CEO Jim Robinson, established the parameters for Urovant

employees coming back into the offices in alignment with

CDC and state guidelines.

Putting Patients First

When asked about how biotech companies can address the

ever-changing landscape of patient needs, Dr. Haag-

Molkenteller sees tenacity as key. “Focus on innovation and

innovative products and technologies to serve patient needs.

Really think about what can be done, then keep on pushing

forward on how to best achieve it,” she advised.

“The mRNA vaccines are an excellent example. At

Urovant, we are focused on new and differentiated

medicines for patients, their families and healthcare

providers. We are always looking for new solutions and

new compounds. We are looking for truly innovative new

compounds to address unmet patient needs.”

Dr. Haag-Molkenteller also appreciates that even the most

innovative medicines cannot benefit patients unless they

have access to it. “We have a dedicated and very

experienced market access team for the U.S. to enable


The Urovant team engaged

with the clinical study

sites and development

partners to add remote

visits to the protocols and

other measures to reduce

the potential risk to

patients and site staff.

will not always be straight forward – you need to keep this

in mind. It’s important for those of us in the medical

development community to remember that the path is not

straight most of the time.”

Her advice regarding the design of clinical development

programs focuses on the importance of people. “Work

collaboratively with the clinicians, always remembering to

consider the desired outcome in a clinical trial program

from the patient and healthcare providers’ perspective. A

‘cool new thing’ has no relevance if it doesn’t meet patient

needs,” she stressed.

“Think ‘outside of the box’ when partnering with regulatory

authorities, keeping in mind they are also interested in

bringing efficacious and safe new medicines to patients.”

She also charges the industry to “find better ways to

manufacture drugs cost effectively while making the best

quality medicines for all.”

Some final guidance for women aspiring for positions of

leadership in the biotech world: “Lead by example,” Dr.

Haag-Molkenteller advised. “Learn from your role models,

both men and women. Keep an open mind and don’t be

limited to only one role model. Follow all those you

admire.”

A Vision for the Future and Future Generations

footprint in urology and possibly other specialties with new,

novel products coming into our pipeline.”

“We are indeed fortunate to have a medical professional of

Cornelia’s caliber on our leadership team at Urovant,” said

Urovant President and CEO, Jim Robinson. “She is an

immensely capable leader and has assembled a world-class

team of research and development experts at Urovant. Her

experience in developing new drugs and concern for people

dealing with urologic challenges has been a critical factor in

bringing GEMTESA to healthcare providers and their

patients, and I am grateful for her many contributions to

help drive the success of our company into the future.”

Up next for Urovant and Dr. Haag-Molkenteller are

advancing the Urovant clinical pipeline, including the

investigation of vibegron in OAB in men with benign

prostatic hyperplasia, as well as URO-902, which is

currently in early clinical development and has the potential

to be the first gene therapy for OAB.

When asked about her blueprint for scaling Urovant’s

operations and offerings, Dr. Haag-Molkenteller says,

“Over the next five years, I see Urovant expanding its


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Dr Elin Haf Davies

Transforming the Healthcare Space Through

Decentralised Clinical Trials

People living in remote areas are less likely to get

medical treatment timely. They have physical

limitations to reach out to doctors every time.

Especially, people suffering from chronic diseases need

more healthcare attention. Here comes remote patient

monitoring (RPM) in the picture. RPM allows patients to

take the necessary treatment as per their need. It provides a

way to keep track of patients outside of the clinic.

Technological advancement has triggered the process of

digitalisation. This digitalisation is widely spreading in

every sector. It is driving the wagons in the healthcare space

Our approach

is very much to develop

digital biomarkers via

video-based assessments

and wearables for

monitoring and prognostic

purposes.

too. The COVID-19 pandemic was a decisive situation

where the whole world swiftly adopted remote working.

Resultantly, many people came forward to serve the

patients and to provide them with essentials regarding their

treatment.

Dr Elin Haf Davies is one of the leading names on that list.

Dr Davies is the CEO of Aparito – a tech company which

provides remote patient monitoring services by means of

wearable devices to monitor rare diseases.

In an interview with Insights Care, Elin shares her journey

in the healthcare sector, her company Aparito, and the key

aspects of the global biotechnology space. Below are the

highlights of the interview:

Dr Davies, please give us a brief overview of your

journey as the CEO of Aparito.

Dr Elin Haf Davies

CEO

Aparito might only be seven years old, but the background

is 22+ years based on my clinical experience at Great

Ormond St Children’s Hospital, my academic experience at

University College London, and regulatory experience at

the European Medicine Agency – all pivotal chapters of my

career that contributes significantly to the creation of

Aparito.

16| October 2021|www.insightscare.com


10 Most Admirable Women Leader in Biotech for 2021

Tell us more about Aparito, its vision, and the key

aspects of its stronghold in the global Biotechnology

space.

The vision for Aparito is to completely change the experience

of clinical trials for patients and their families. Patient

centricity has been a bit of a tokenistic gesture, but now we

do finally see the opportunity that we can take clinical trials

to patients with high unmet needs rather than bring the

patient to the clinical trials.

From a business leadership perspective, what is your

opinion on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on

the Biotechnology industry?

From our side, supporting remote patient monitoring and

decentralised clinical trials has opened doors of opportunity

which were previously shut, specifically turning what we do

from being a nicety into a necessity.

What efforts did you take during the pandemic to

sustain operations and ensure the safety of your team at

the same time?

Being a tech company, we were ideally set up for working

remotely, and the team has been immense, not just in

adjusting to working remotely but accelerating through it.

17| October 2021|www.insightscare.com


What is your opinion on the necessity for biotech

companies to align their offerings with technologies like

AI and ML, especially when catering to the everevolving

healthcare needs?

Our approach is very much to develop digital biomarkers

via video-based assessments and wearables for monitoring

and prognostic purposes. ML and AI will be key enablers to

that, but I loathe the hype surrounding AI in healthcare

which is yet to live up to expectations and assure us that it

won’t lead to harm for many if left unregulated and without

an ethical framework of the application.

As an established industry leader, what would be your

advice to the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts

aspiring to venture into the healthcare services

industry?

Find your north star and stay true to it. Being a founder is

an extremely lonely and exhausting place, so you need to

have a strong vision to keep you going through the tough

times.

How do you envision further strengthening Aparito’s

stronghold in 2022?

We want to expand the impact and the value that we bring

to patients by delivering high-quality technology and

solutions.

18| October 2021|www.insightscare.com



Corporate

Styles

What kind of a

Since the industrial revolution, the world has seen

several leaders that have transformed the corporate

world. The need to manage a huge number of people

requires skills and courage at the same time. The corporate

world, after every few years, has given rise to a new leader,

who has changed the working and has turned a small

venture into a global empire.

There are different styles of leadership that have defined the

success of the company. There has never been a specific

style of leadership that will define success. However, the

leadership style may differ from person to person and from

the type of work that needs to get done in the industry. Over

the years, many leaders have adapted to different styles to

achieve the company goals and bring the best out of their

employees.

The leadership style is often regarded as the method,

direction, and motivation the leader chooses to lead the

team members. Though most of the leaders with time tend

to develop their unique leadership styles, there are some of

the leadership styles that are already established in the

corporate world. In this article, we have listed some of the

major corporate leadership styles, read on to know what

kind of a leader are you.

1. Coach Style Leadership

The coach-style leadership is one of the most effective and

innovative styles of leadership. Just like a coach and player

relationship in a sports team, this style is seen in many

corporates today. The leader is the coach who instructs and

trains the employees to achieve the end goal.

20| October 2021|www.insightscare.com


21| October 2021|www.insightscare.com

Know Your Leader


In this style of leadership, the leader often sets goals for the

teammates, assisting them with their target completion and

providing them with regular feedback. Leaders help in

setting clear expectations while creating an environment

with positivity and motivation, the period required for all

this is quite high. Being a time taking process, this is the

only drawback that this leadership style has.

2. Democratic Leadership

In a democratic leadership, the decision is not taken unless

the whole board approves of it. Though the ‘decision to

take’ power is completely in the hands of the leader, the

leader takes into account the insights of everyone regarding

that project before finalizing the decision.

Over the years, it has been a leadership style that has been

widely accepted and adopted by leaders across the world.

As this leadership style allows every employee of the

company to express their views, it also gives the employees

a wide spectrum on how the decisions are made at a higher

level or in a board meeting.

3. Autocratic or Authoritarian Leadership

Autocratic or authoritarian leadership is the opposite of

democratic leadership. The leadership decides the future of

the company by consulting anyone. It gives the leader the

freedom to define expectations and outcomes from the

employees. This type of leadership is often seen at

workplaces where the leader is the most knowledgeable

individual in the group. This type of leadership saves an

ample amount of time, but sometimes creativity has to be

sacrificed to meet the required needs. Apart from that, to

give the peers clear and specific guidelines, such leadership

style of leading the team is required.

Often times the legendary entrepreneur Steve Jobs has

adopted this style of leadership to meet the company goals.

This type of leadership is often seen in startups where the

employees handle the work pressure, and the leader focuses

on the growth of the company. This style of leadership

sounds appealing, but when it comes to implementing it on

a larger number of people, it might raise any major issues.

As long as the number of people under this style is

controlled, this leadership style will not possess any major

threats.

5. Strategic Leadership

There are many leaderships that the world has come across.

Strategic leadership has been one of such leaderships that

has evolved with time and is integrated today into the

corporate world. As the name suggests, it is a strategic

approach to achieving the company’s objective. A leader

often lays down a plan keeping all the strong points in mind

and guides the team to achieve the objective of the

company. Over the years, it has become an effective way of

managing different types of employees and bringing out

quality work.

Different leaders have even mixed two or more types of

leadership qualities to achieve the company’s goals. A good

leadership style is not just achieving the objectives but also

maintaining the employee’s happiness. Transformational

leadership style, transactional leadership style,

bureaucratical leadership style, etc., are some of the styles

that have made their way into the list of corporate

leadership styles.

Though leaders have always been known for making their

way out of the crowd, the aforementioned are some of the

best leadership styles that are present in the industry that

can help you assess the leader inside you. On the other

hand, you can always break the stereotype and define your

own leadership style!

- Ashlesh Khadse

4. Laissez-Faire Leadership

With the rise of startup culture all around the world,

Laissez-Faire leadership has become more and more

popular. In this type of leadership, the leader gives the

employees complete freedom to finish the task. There are

often no specific working hours, deadlines, etc., but the

need for getting the work done is what is prioritized in this

style of leadership.

22| October 2021|www.insightscare.com



Education after the

Pandemic:

Things

Educators

Must Consider

I

th

t was April 7 , 2020, when I remember my Physics

Professor emailing students not to come to class for the

following week because the COVID-19 pandemic had

become a serious threat to public health. I had been burning

the midnight oil for four months of sending in college

applications, and I couldn’t believe my eyes that my life

was being shifted to completing my high school education

at home.

At first, I was relieved. I was very tired during my senior

year from completing seemingly endless assignments.

Moreover, taking exams in person was exhausting after the

burnout from writing college applications. Fast forward

eight months: my mental health took a hit during my first

semester of college.

I had never really attended the high school homecomings or

prom because I never really liked them; I was so

academic-focused, I knew that I would receive my moment

at graduation… until I didn’t. I was in the graduating class

of 2020, where I had my laptop open, sat on my bed, wore

my graduation cap over Zoom, and threw it up in the air as

it hit the ceiling and came back down. That’s how I’ll

remember my allegedly “most memorable” high school

moment.

Even though I didn’t have the greatest high school

graduation experience, I knew it was important for me to

stay at home through the pandemic to help reduce

COVID-19 cases and make the lives of frontline healthcare

workers easier. I felt like I could catch up on sleep that I

had missed out on in those four years of high school. The

summer was somewhat joyful because that was the most

amount of rest I have had in my life, but it was equally, if

not more, disheartening to see families lose their loved ones

from the virus.

As I was heading into my first year of college,

administrators removed the “first-year dorm policy”, so I

ended up taking my engineering classes virtually while

living from home. In the process of doing so, it was the first

th

day of school – August 24 , 2020. I was exploring the new

portal my university used for students to look up their

24| October 2021|www.insightscare.com


Subtitle

About The Author

Jeeva Senthilnathan is a 19-year-old undergraduate student currently pursuing

Mechanical Engineering at Colorado School of Mines. She pursued a dual enrollment

option, now holding an associate degree from Arapahoe Community College and her high

school diploma from Colorado Early Colleges Parker.

During the 2020 presidential election, she was chosen to be a DNC Delegate for Senator

th

Bernie Sanders from Colorado’s 4 Congressional District and had the opportunity to work

on policies surrounding Medicare For All with the national committee.

Jeeva has also received multiple recognitions, from becoming a 2021 Global Teen Leader

from Nile Rodger’s We Are Family Foundation, a 2021 Diana Awardee from Princess Diana in

the UK, and a 2020 Presidential Volunteer Service Awardee.

She was also a former candidate for the Parker Town Council in Douglas County, Colorado,

and has been thus far one of the youngest Indian-American women to have run for office in

the United States.

25| October 2021|www.insightscare.com


assignments and schedule. I had clicked the Zoom link for

chemistry class only to see the face of my professor. No

students.

My professor then proceeded to explain that class would be

conducted as a webinar “to fit the class size” and that we

wouldn’t be receiving access to recorded lectures because

we had “to imagine what class would be like in person, that

we would need to absorb the knowledge in one go.” On top

of this, we couldn’t ask questions in class directly, and we

would have to email our questions to the professor.

Right off the bat, I was concerned about how I was going to

pass this college class with so many restrictions in place.

We had to “imagine normality” when life wasn’t normal at

the time. From this experience onwards, many other college

classes I had taken were a lot more lenient than this one, but

if one thing became clear to me at this time, it was that

teachers needed to be better about prioritizing mental

health, and as it currently stands, the

administrators/professors appear to be making no effort to

do so.

Educators need to teach the basic foundation for students.

We were exhausted by “tricky methods” from our teachers

trying to catch attendance over the screen through iclickers

and also from sitting in one room for hours, completing our

assignments.

After the pandemic, there are many lessons to take away

from the education space. When school was to be attended

in person, students always discussed how they should just

“pass” the class instead of actually learning the content.

Educators need to understand that giving us 20+ hours of

homework each week only causes mental strain and anxiety

for us to rush and complete the assignments rather than

learning the material with depth.

least incorporate free time for students to rest or work on

their own passion projects.

Providing students time for self-care will bring them to be

more engaged within the course material if they are relaxed.

I can remember the countless times where I was drawn

away from the course and the professor because I had lost

sleep and felt more irritated, spent numerous hours on

assignments, or simply was not given any time for self-care.

Another learning moment for teachers: checking in weekly

or monthly will help you understand the current difficulties

of what your students are undergoing, and it will also help

you tweak your curriculum for the success of your next

class.

Year after year, professors lecture students to learn time

management. While students have been time-managing

their course workload, education is reformed each year,

especially as the technology gets more advanced, and in

turn, coursework and knowledge required to succeed only

get harder.

This is all supposed to set students to the standards of

current technological advancements and modernized life

routines, but what is life if we spend 100% of our time on

work? What about the college experience – going to

football games, falling in love, hanging out with friends?

This seems to be nonexistent in my engineering degree as it

currently stands in a post-COVID era.

On top of this, students who typically had faced bullying

and anxiety in person had immensely decreased over the

pandemic. Students had the option to turn their cameras

on/off and also had limited chatting abilities. Moving

forward, educators must also consider how they will

recognize this bullying and anxiety for a healthy and safe

space for all students in the classroom.

Students need to explore the subject to gain a passion for

the subject and while investing their own time into

understanding the content, completing the homework, and

taking the exams. Keep in mind the general college student

takes five courses in a semester. That will be 100 hours of

coursework weekly if the teachers follow the 20-hour rule,

which, unfortunately, most college professors do.

Honestly speaking, many students skipped classes over the

pandemic to take out time for themselves and watched

recorded lectures at their leisure. If educators continue to

assign students homework with long hours, they should at

26| October 2021|www.insightscare.com




Inside Details

Understanding

the Importance

of a CRO

in

Drug

Development

In recent years, the enhancements in medical technologies and the

growing success of the drug development industry have resulted in

changing the scenario of utilizing the Contract Research

Organizations (CROs) and biotech.

With consolidations and acquisitions, CROs continue to grow and

expand their scope in drug development services by:

Augmenting the Drug Development Industry

The COVID-19 pandemic has put the medical and pharmaceutical

industry into the spotlight, and it is highlighting the increasing level of

public interest in the clinical development process. It is now globally

recognized that the latest advancements and developments in the

medical industry and the clinical successes during the pandemic would

not have been possible without the assistance of CROs.

29| October 2021|www.insightscare.com


Efficient, prompt, and precise medical expertise is the

crucial fundamental that is required for clinical trials. This

fundamental is more important in tackling the current

pandemic situation.

In an industry where time and medical expertise are

necessary, CROs are being essential resources that are

playing a pivotal role in the success of many studies, also

developing vital drugs and treatments for the patients.

On the other hand, there was immense pressure on the

medical industry to deliver a vaccine in the shortest time

possible. While medical companies played an important

role in these procedures, the delivery would not have been

possible without the expertise, and vast resources brought

forward by CROs in the medical industry.

With the increase in personalized medical assistance and

medicine consumption, the one-size-fits-all model is

becoming obsolete. However, coupled with the medical

industry’s drive to make trials more accessible and efficient

for the patients, technology has become a vital element in

clinical procedures and trials.

On the brighter side, CROs are at the forefront by

implementing the latest technologies and tools that are

available to maintain a competitive advantage. They are

ensuring that they are offering a full spectrum of available

solutions for their partnering medical companies and their

patients. Given that these CROs work with hundreds of

global partners and sponsors, their working environment

and background provide them with an ample amount of

data to provide reliable solutions to the medical industry.

Additionally, CROs provide cost-effective solutions.

CROs have come a long way in very little time, considering

that these organizations hardly existed a decade ago. As

medical companies and pharmaceutical houses face the

pressure of increasing drug costs, these research

organizations provide them with great cost-effective

alternatives.

These alternatives reduce the cost of overhead operations

and ensure that they do not lose out on the profit due to

lower costs of prescription drugs. CROs have also

presented a more affordable outlet for the companies and

medical institutions pursuing and working on new

medications.

Providing Cost-Effective Solutions

Earlier, the approval to pursue a drug test was expensive

and required a lot of effort, and the approvals were possible

when the situation was backed up by a guaranteed strong

demand and a large market base.

The cost-effective operations of CROs allow the

pharmaceutical companies to develop rare and smaller

drugs with treatment methods as per the requirements of the

healthcare suppliers. With these strong aspects, there is now

an increased presence and demand for CROs in the drug

development industry. Companies are significantly gearing

up to utilize this opportunity.

CROs, on the brighter side, are also evolving to meet the

demands of a new, global economy. They are keeping the

best interests of both the patients and the shareholders by

fulfilling diversified demands. CROs continue to enhance

excellence in adhering to GLPs and regulations in the

medical and drug development sector.

As large CROs have acquired regional capacity, and they

are also serving as specialist service providers, the number

of smaller and independent CROs is significantly reduced.

On the other hand, smaller CROs are enhancing the specific

areas of drug development by providing quality-assured

clinical trial supplies and equipment.

Enabling Convenience

CROs are playing a crucial role in the drug development

industry over the past few decades, and they have expanded

their services to become more than just a simple

outsourcing resource. They are the experts in this sector,

with active partnerships in clinical research, and they are

contributing dejectedly in driving the success rate of the

medical and drug development industry.

The drug development industry is embracing these

partnerships and collaborations with CROs, and by doing

so, companies are experiencing clear performance

indicators. They are setting up new standards with a clear

governance structure. CROs and the drug development

industry together are on the way to their fruitful and stable

relationship, enabling convenient, cost-effective, and

reliable solutions.

- Abhishek Joshi

30| October 2021|www.insightscare.com



Lyndsey Harper, MD

Changing the Landscapes of Women’s Health

and Sexual Wellness

The stigma around female

sexuality and wellness has

long been persistent in society.

It is omnipresent and impacts the

everyday life of women. Women suffer

from many health issues, yet they feel

uncomfortable expressing their

problems. There has been a lot of

awkward silence when it comes to

women’s sexual wellness. This harsh

reality is not limited to the developing

economies but is a concern for people

in the developed nations as

well – despite having all the medical

facilities.

We are becoming a more

health-conscious society than ever. We

literally have become educated

consumers of our bodies, but we are

still far behind in overcoming

potentially lethal stigmas in society.

Hence to get rid of the awkwardness

around women’s sexual health, some

aware individuals started providing

women’s sexual wellness services. One

prominent name in that list is Lyndsey

Harper, MD who created waves in

women’s healthcare through her

company – Rosy Wellness, Inc.

In an interview with Insights Care, Dr.

Harper shares her experience in the

women's healthcare space, its

importance, and the necessity of

creating awareness about female sexual

wellness. Below are the highlights of

the interview:

Give us a brief overview of your

journey as the Founder and CEO of

Rosy Wellness, Inc., and tell us what

inspired you to venture into the

healthcare sector.

As an OB-GYN in private practice,

women would ask me to help them

with sexual problems every day. Sadly,

even as a women's health expert, I had

not been trained to treat these

conditions that 43% of women have.

Instead, doctors are trained to tell their

patients to 'drink a glass of wine' or 'go

on a vacation’.

We would never say these things to

men with sexual problems. Out of this

need came my desire to create an

evidence-based resource where

patients could find legitimate solutions

to their problems and connect with one

another in order to erase the shame and

isolation that so many women are

feeling.

Tell us more about Rosy Wellness, its

vision, and the key aspects of its

stronghold in women's sexual health

and wellness niche.

Rosy’s mission is to create solutions

that empower women on their journey

toward sexual health. We want to meet

the 1.9 billion women in the world who

have a sexual problem exactly where

they are in their busy lives with

solutions that make sense. Rosy's

platform is convenient, private, and

accessible.

In addition, our users have been shown

to find sexual health benefits after use

of the platform, as outlined in an

abstract in the Journal of Sexual

Medicine in 2020. We exist to support

women and their healthcare providers

who now have a trusted resource to

which they can refer their patients who

need help. Currently, more than 6% of

OB-GYN in the US are recommending

Rosy to their patients.

From a leadership perspective, what

is your opinion on the impact of the

pandemic on the global healthcare

sector, and how did you aid your

organization to overcome the

challenges rooting from the

pandemic?

The pandemic had many effects on

healthcare, and in my opinion, most of

them have been for the best. We have

moved forward what would have likely

taken more than a decade in under a

year. The need for more convenient,

less centralized options for care was

mandatory.

The options for remote and digital care

that so many of us were already

focused on were welcomed to center

stage and forced both provider and

patient adoption overnight. These

changes have their challenges, but they

32| October 2021|www.insightscare.com


10 Most Admirable Women Leader in Biotech for 2021

Lyndsey Harper, MD

– Founder and CEO

We exist not only

to support women

but also their

healthcare providers

who now have a

trusted resource to

which they can refer

their patients who

need help.

33| October 2021|www.insightscare.com


also have many gifts that the healthcare

system now realizes much earlier than

we would have without the pandemic.

Rosy offered support to our users

during the pandemic by offering them a

safe, digital space to access

evidence-based information during a

time when they needed it the most.

Many of us spent more time with our

partners than ever before, often

emphasizing potential relationship and

sexual issues. We are proud to support

women and their partners during this

new phase of life.

What is your opinion on the

necessity for healthcare companies

to align their offerings with newer

technological developments,

especially when it comes to catering

to the ever-evolving needs of the

industry?

A healthcare company that ignores

technology will definitely lose the long

game in this current climate.

Healthcare consumers expect easy

transitions and access along the entire

healthcare journey. Unfortunately, this

is much easier said than done given

current regulatory and technological

challenges, but healthcare companies

and systems must prioritize to

compete.

What efforts did you and your team

at Rosy Wellness take during the

pandemic to sustain operations and

ensure the safety of your employees

at the same time?

During the pandemic and still,

currently, our team went to a

completely remote environment. We

had to make adjustments in terms of

communication and team building, but

we knew that this was the safest thing

for our employees.

Since that time, many people on our

team have now taken advantage of that

flexibility and have moved to other

places in order to explore their dreams.

At Rosy, we are completely invested in

the personal and professional growth

of each of our team members. We are

proud to be able to show this in our

new circumstances.

In your opinion, what could be the

future of the healthcare sector post

the pandemic? And how are you

strategizing Rosy Wellness'

operations for that future?

The future of healthcare treats patients

with the respect and independence that

they deserve. With increased options

for consumers, healthcare systems will

be forced to rethink the entire patient

experience. Every aspect of healthcare

must evolve from the education of each

individual, incentivizing wellness over

pathology, pricing transparency, and

the patient-provider relationship.

Rosy is a model for the future of

healthcare because we focus on

changing the baseline understanding of

each of our members while also

meeting them where they are in their

busy lives. We have increased access to

high-quality resources while also

breaking down barriers such as high

cost and geographical constraints.

Rosy is changing the narrative by

offering women an individualized

experience in a community setting.

If given a chance, what is the one

thing that you would change about

the global healthcare industry?

Globally, access to healthcare is the

biggest challenge we face. So many of

us in resource-rich countries have no

idea what it would be like to be a

patient in a different setting. There are

countless opportunities to raise the bar

for people across the world through

new technologies and strategies that

have been developed in the last 18

months.

As an established leader, what would

be your advice to the budding

entrepreneurs aspiring to venture

into the healthcare sector?

My advice would be to know your

buyer. There are many healthcare

innovations to be made, but in order to

build a successful business, there must

be someone willing to buy your

solution. It is helpful to understand that

what is needed isn't always what is

successful. The best healthcare

companies figure out a way to

accomplish both.

Pertaining to your role as Rosy

Wellness’s CEO, how do you

envision scaling your company's

ambitions in 2022 and beyond?

Rosy will continue to change the

narrative about women's sexual health

amongst women, our partners,

healthcare providers, insurance

companies, and the media. We will not

rest until women across the globe

understand that they are not alone, and

evidence-based therapies exist to solve

their problems.

34| October 2021|www.insightscare.com



Natalie Bartlett

Chief of Staff

Natalie Bartlett

Chauffeur of Modern Change in the Biotech Industry

Pharma R&D is one of the most

booming industries that always

supported the world even when

the pandemic hit it; thanks to its

bloodline, the leaders of lab supply

chain companies have always kept it

running. In the last few years, the

biotechnology industry has witnessed

digitalization and enhancement of

technology in its every code of conduct

as people are looking for an advanced

way of coxswaining everything.

The demand for digitalization in the

biotechnology supply sector is very

36| October 2021|www.insightscare.com


10 Most Admirable Women Leader in Biotech for 2021

high as many are still following the

same outdated method of purchasing

lab supplies with catalogs, fax,

telephones, and so on, and buyers are

looking for a better alternative.

To fulfill this need of the

biotechnology industry, one of the

prominent leaders Natalie Bartlett, the

Chief at Staff of ZAGENO, has

worked very hard to solve many issues

through the company's in-depth

solutions. These include online

monthly spending data, comparison of

products, best alternatives, tracking

order status, etc., making the industry's

procedures extremely convenient.

Also, by eliminating various steps,

Natalie Bartlett has given her best to

save her client's time and money

potential by developing the company's

top services.

In the following interview, Natalie tells

us about the various challenges she

sailed through to provide ZAGENO's

clients with excellent services.

Following are the highlights of the

interview:

Give us a brief overview of your

journey through your role at

ZAGENO, and also tell us what

inspired you to venture into the

biotechnology sector.

I started working in venture capital and

focused on early-stage startups within

life sciences and software. Growing up

in a family of healthcare providers, this

was a good fit because I always had an

interest in the space. While at General

Catalyst, I sourced and invested in

ZAGENO, a startup reimagining life

sciences commerce with an initial

focus on R&D supplies.

I found myself intrigued by how

outdated purchasing products for lab

supplies was and how a team and

technology like ZAGENO's could help

At a high level,

ZAGENO is seeking

to democratize the

buyer-seller

relationship through

lab supplies - the very

lifeblood of scientific

discovery.

solve this. I decided to roll up my

sleeves and help make a direct impact

on myself. My first role was as Chief

of Staff, but eventually, I moved to the

customer-facing side of the business.

Today, I work on ZAGENO's

enterprise business development team,

focusing on helping large pharma

organizations improve their research

efficiency when ordering supplies.

Tell us more about ZAGENO, its

vision, and the key aspects of its

stronghold in the global

biotechnology space.

ZAGENO's vision is to accelerate the

time between scientific milestones.

While simple to articulate, it is quite

complex in executing this vision. It

begins by completely rethinking the

industry's lifecycle, which begins with

identifying where other business

markets have successfully transformed,

modernized, and automated. We

sometimes take the kernel of other

innovations and customize them for

biotechnology.

Our interpretation of the wellestablished

subscriber model is

experienced through ZAGENO's

marketplace and services. Through it,

our subscribers benefit from various

unique advantages such as data on

historical spending, detailed product

comparisons, and alternatives to

products on backorder or with long

lead times.

At a high level, ZAGENO seeks to

democratize the buyer-seller

relationship through lab supplies - the

very lifeblood of scientific discovery.

Historically, this part of the industry

was dictated by manufacturers and

distributors. Without an alternative,

scientists had little choice but to accept

this status quo. But just as the

subscription economy has redefined the

buyer-seller relationship in consumer

markets, so is it changing these

relationships in biotechnology.

The future of the industry will be a

more harmonious one, equally dictated

by manufacturers and users. Because

ZAGENO provides a platform to

support this evolution, we are at the

epicenter of this change.

From the business development

perspective, what is your opinion on

the impact of the pandemic on the

biotech space? How did you aid your

organization to overcome the

challenges rooting from the

pandemic?

From ZAGENO's perspective, the

pandemic has divided the industry into

groups of haves and have nots. The

thing that is often overlooked is the

running cost of biotech, which can

range from $10,000-40,000 per day.

So, any downtime in productivity can

have profound business implications to

the bottom line.

COVID's impact on the supply chain

caused some labs to go dark and their

scientists to be furloughed. But

biotechs that subscribe to ZAGENO

benefit from access to a marketplace

37| October 2021|www.insightscare.com


where they are able to forecast

accurately and manage supply levels

and face challenges like backorders

and extended lead times with suitable

alternatives to ensure labs remain open

and productive.

What is your opinion on the

necessity for biotech companies to

align their offerings with newer

technological developments,

especially when catering to the everevolving

healthcare needs?

While focusing on investing in earlystage

startups at the intersection of life

sciences and software at General

Catalyst, I witnessed the burgeoning of

startups looking to accelerate the drug

discovery process from R&D through

clinical and beyond.

In my opinion, the software has not

impacted the life sciences field in the

same way it has in other industries, so

the opportunity to accelerate the drug

discovery process (which today

averages ten years) through the use of

the software is immense.

For R&D purchasing in particular

(ZAGENO's focus), a vast majority of

research scientists are still purchasing

supplies in the same way consumers

purchased goods in the 1970s! They

are still phoning and faxing in orders

via paper catalogs. While today's

consumers can buy groceries in one

click and have them arrive the same

day, scientists spend 4-8 hours just

finding and purchasing supplies. If

technology can reduce wait times from

weeks to days and even hours, imagine

the savings potential, both in time and

money, of the drug development

process at large!

Through your role as Chief of Staff,

what efforts did you and your team

at ZAGENO take during the

pandemic to sustain operations and

ensure the safety of your employees

at the same time?

As you may imagine, the demand for

R&D supplies during COVID has been

immense. As our team transitioned to a

work-from-home setup, our order

volume simultaneously skyrocketed.

Personally speaking, I cannot imagine

starting a new role or even a first job

completely remote! But with half of

ZAGENO based in Berlin, we were

already accustomed to remote

collaboration through video meetings,

slack, and other web-based tools. To

further support a work-from-home

environment, our team also focused on

several initiatives, such as new daily

and weekly stand-up meetings.

We also provided our leadership with

resources for remote management and

guidelines for remote work to all

employees. To provide additional

support for new employees, we

established a buddy system so that new

hires had a dedicated ZAGENO alum

as a resource. For all employees,

ZAGENO also sent care packages to

ensure everyone had proper at-home

office and technology setups.

Despite a majority of ZAGENO never

having met one another, as a company,

we have been quite productive, which

is evidenced by a doubling in revenue

over the past year.

In your opinion, what could be the

future of the biotech sector post the

pandemic? And how are you

strategizing your organization's

operations for that future?

38| October 2021|www.insightscare.com


We have witnessed a few trends during

the pandemic for remote lab work,

which I believe will continue in the

future.

After the initial closure of research

labs, we saw that research scientists

began to return for critical work only,

splitting into teams to reduce risk and

performing all operational

management remotely.

It became even more critical that

supplies were there for research

scientists when they did spend time in

the lab, especially amidst an increase

in product backorder rates. I believe

that remote lab management will be a

long-lasting effect of the pandemic,

even beyond just ordering supplies.

ZAGENO is strategizing its operations

to enhance these capabilities through

mobile optimization and integration

into inventory management solutions.

Meanwhile, our operations and

customer success teams are equipped

to support research scientists whether

they are at the bench or at home.

As an established leader, what would

be your advice to the entrepreneurs

aspiring to venture into the biotech

space?

For entrepreneurs looking to build

software companies in the life sciences

space, in particular, my biggest advice

would be to create a well-rounded team

with experience from both the life

sciences and software industries.

Given that startups in this space are

still emerging identifying and hiring

individuals with blended expertise is

quite challenging. However, there is

unique knowledge from both sides that

needs to be combined in order to build

a successful company, so instilling this

balance through your team from the

start as well as while you grow is

essential.

How do you envision contributing

towards the goal of sustaining your

company's stronghold in 2021?

I have recently taken on a role in

enterprise business development, with

a particular focus on enhancing their

purchasing experience for the

industry's largest pharmaceutical

companies.

In this time, I've witnessed the huge

trend happening across pharma R&D

to provide a superior user experience,

consolidate buying channels, and drive

digital adoption for both time savings

for research scientists and cost savings

for the research team at large.

Building supply and demand are

crucial to winning the market with any

new subscriber service (e.g., a

marketplace). I believe that working

with large pharma will not only drive

our stronghold within the market to

realize our company's full potential but

will also simultaneously bring

efficiency to the lengthy R&D drug

development process. It's a true winwin,

which aligns with ZAGENO's

greater mission to accelerate life

sciences.

39| October 2021|www.insightscare.com




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