The Life Science Rundown

• How to Build (and Sustain) a Quality-Centric Culture with Chris Masterson

  The FDA Group’s Nick Capman sits down with Chris Masterson, Senior Vice President of Quality and Chief Quality Officer at Tolmar, for a wide-ranging conversation about how to create and sustain a quality-centric culture that drives compliance, operational excellence, and long-term resilience in the biopharmaceutical industry. A microbiologist by training with more than 35 years of BioPharma leadership experience, Chris has led global quality organizations at Ipsen, Cubist (Merck), and now Tolmar, as well as his own consultancy. Across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, he has managed large CMO networks, established inspection-readiness programs, and led cultural change within complex, matrixed organizations.Nick and Chris explore what truly defines a quality-centric culture, how leadership and accountability shape it, and the practical, long-term steps required to sustain it.In this conversation, Chris shares insights on:What “quality culture” really means—and how to make it visible at every level of an organization.The leadership behaviors that create alignment and consistency across global teams.How to embed compliance and continuous improvement into daily operations.Managing uncertainty, pressure, and change without losing focus on the patient.Practical methods for measuring and improving quality culture over time.Why humility and transparency are non-negotiable for sustainable performance.About The FDA GroupThe FDA Group helps life science organizations rapidly access the industry’s best consultants, contractors, and candidates. Our resources assist in every stage of the product lifecycle—from clinical development to commercialization—with a focus on staff augmentation, auditing, remediation, QMS, and other specialized project work in Quality Assurance, Regulatory Affairs, and Clinical Operations. Learn more: https://www.thefdagroup.com/

  --------  

  43:27

  --------

  43:27
• From Molecule to Market: A Commercial-Readiness Playbook for Biotechs with Carlos Carrillo

  The FDA Group’s Nick Capman sits down with Carlos Carrillo, PhD, MSc, Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs & Quality Assurance at SAB Biotherapeutics. With nearly 30 years of experience across Operations, R&D, Regulatory Affairs, Quality Assurance, and Project Management, Carlos has led global regulatory strategy for small- and large-molecule programs from Phase 1 through launch. He has prepared IND/IMPD/CTA/CTR/BLA/MAA submissions across multiple regions, secured expedited designations, managed FDA and ex-US health authority meetings, and built RA/QA systems for growing biotech organizations.Carlos shares practical, experience-tested guidance on how small and mid-size biotech companies can build regulatory resilience: strengthening governance, preparing for FDA interactions, improving documentation discipline, and integrating external partners without losing control. He also breaks down how to evaluate vendors, structure joint governance, embed QA into outsourced workflows, and design audit-ready data flows that prevent institutional knowledge loss.Topics discussed include:Why early regulatory infrastructure prevents costly reworkLeadership behaviors that shape regulatory cultureHow to prepare for high-stakes FDA and ex-US health authority meetingsThe risks of “tribal knowledge” in fast-moving organizationsA structured model for evaluating and managing external partnersHow small companies can stay inspection-ready with lean teamsOne takeaway: External partners can be force multipliers or liabilities—the sponsor’s structure and oversight determine which.About The FDA Group:The FDA Group helps life science organizations rapidly access the industry's best consultants, contractors, and candidates. Our resources assist in every stage of the product lifecycle—from clinical development to commercialization—with a focus on staff augmentation, auditing, remediation, QMS, and specialized project work in Quality Assurance, Regulatory Affairs, and Clinical Operations.https://www.thefdagroup.com/

  --------  

  48:45

  --------

  48:45
• How Regulators Are Bringing AI Into Review (Without Losing Trust) with Maria Vassileva

  The FDA Group’s Nick Capman sits down with Maria Vassileva, PhD—Chief Science & Regulatory Officer at the Drug Information Association (DIA)—for a grounded, forward-looking discussion on how regulators are actually using AI today, where the technology is going, and what life science organizations should be preparing for now.Maria draws on two decades of leadership across nonprofit, government-funded clinical research, and biomedical science programs—spanning patient registries, clinical trials, multi-stakeholder consortia, DEI initiatives, and regulatory strategy. As the head of DIA’s global science and regulatory portfolio, she works closely with regulators, industry sponsors, academia, and technology developers to advance responsible, evidence-driven innovation.In this conversation, Maria breaks down the reality behind AI in the regulatory ecosystem: what’s currently in use, how agencies are evaluating and validating tools, why risk-based tiers matter, and how the field is moving toward lifecycle oversight rather than one-time checks. She also highlights the ethical and equity considerations that must be embedded from the start and shares insights from global regulatory trends and DIA’s convening role.Key topics discussed include:How regulatory agencies are already using AI internally for document-heavy workflows, safety surveillance, and information retrievalWhy validation must focus on end-to-end workflow integrity, not just the modelThe emerging role of risk-based tiers for AI-enabled toolsThe importance of lifecycle control frameworks such as TPLC and PCCPsGlobal convergence themes around transparency, bias mitigation, and human accountabilityHow agencies are preparing for increasing AI adoption—and what industry teams should be doing nowDIA’s role as a neutral convener helping harmonize expectations and accelerate responsible innovationAbout The FDA GroupThe FDA Group helps life science organizations rapidly access the industry's best consultants, contractors, and candidates. Our resources assist in every stage of the product lifecycle, from clinical development to commercialization, with a focus on staff augmentation, auditing, remediation, QMS, and other specialized project work in Quality Assurance, Regulatory Affairs, and Clinical Operations: https://www.thefdagroup.com/

  --------  

  51:29

  --------

  51:29
• A Playbook for FDA Inspections and Remediation with Jeff Hines

  Coruna Medical’s Vice President of Quality, Jeff Hines, joins host Nick Capman to share a leadership-driven playbook for navigating FDA remediation—without overwhelming teams or losing focus on long-term improvement.Drawing from nearly four decades in pharmaceutical quality, including more than 30 years at Eli Lilly, Jeff offers practical guidance for building calm, effective inspection environments and keeping people confident under pressure. He outlines the four-room model for inspection management, strategies for responding to observations, and proven methods for closing data-integrity gaps while daily operations continue.Jeff and Nick also explore the leadership mindset that sustains progress beyond the initial response—fostering transparency, prioritization, and a culture of accountability that prevents repeat findings.Topics discussed include:The leadership posture that steadies teams during inspections and remediationHow to stand up the four-room inspection model (Front, Back, Doc-QC, SME-Prep)Responding to 483s: when to push, when to accept, and how to align internallyData-integrity vulnerabilities and effective interim controlsBalancing remediation with production demandsBuilding transparency and accountability into quality cultureKeeping systems current to avoid backsliding into repeat observationsAbout The FDA GroupThe FDA Group helps life science organizations rapidly access the industry's best consultants, contractors, and candidates. Our resources assist in every stage of the product lifecycle, from clinical development to commercialization, with a focus on staff augmentation, auditing, remediation, QMS, and other specialized project work in Quality Assurance, Regulatory Affairs, and Clinical Operations: ⁠https://www.thefdagroup.com/

  --------  

  52:24

  --------

  52:24
• Leading Cross-Functional Teams from Concept to Commercialization with Marwan Fathallah

  The FDA Group’s Nick Capman speaks with Marwan Fathallah, President and CEO of DIA Global, for a wide-ranging discussion on what it takes to lead effectively across the life science product development cycle—from concept to commercialization.With nearly 30 years of leadership experience spanning pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and diagnostics, Marwan has held senior roles in R&D, regulatory, clinical, scientific affairs, and operations. He brings a rare, holistic view of how leadership, culture, and systems thinking come together to drive successful outcomes in complex, regulated environments.Their conversation explores how to balance innovation and compliance, structure cross-functional teams for consistent execution, and foster cultures that prioritize transparency, collaboration, and patient focus.About The FDA GroupThe FDA Group helps life science organizations rapidly access the industry's best consultants, contractors, and candidates. Our resources assist in every stage of the product lifecycle—from clinical development to commercialization—with a focus on staff augmentation, auditing, remediation, QMS, and other specialized project work in Quality Assurance, Regulatory Affairs, and Clinical Operations: https://www.thefdagroup.com/

  --------  

  46:19

  --------

  46:19

Więcej Nauka podcastów

Trendy w podcaście Nauka

O The Life Science Rundown

The Life Science Rundown: Podcasty w grupie