PharmaSource Podcast

“Biotechs need flexibility and have limited budgets, while big pharma looks for long-term partnerships, reliability, scalability, and new technologies.”Luis Berrade, Senior Director of Global Biologics Testing Sales at Charles River Laboratories, has spent his career helping pharmaceutical and biotech companies bring therapies to market faster and safer. With a PhD in medicinal chemistry and experience spanning both contract manufacturing and testing services, Luis now leads Charles River’s global biologics testing commercial strategy, working with companies of all sizes to navigate the complex regulatory landscape.In an episode of the PharmaSource podcast, Luis shares his insights on when sponsors should start thinking about testing strategy, common mistakes that create bottlenecks, and how emerging technologies like next-generation sequencing are reshaping the biologics testing landscape.Read more.

PharmaSource analysis of 732 industry announcements reveals massive investment in U.S. capacity, with partnerships dominating the news cycle and advanced therapy manufacturing reaching industrial scaleThe pharmaceutical contract manufacturing landscape underwent a fundamental readjustment in 2025, marked by record investment flows, accelerated U.S. reshoring, and a decisive shift toward integrated technology platforms.In this episode, PharmaSource's very own Tamnna Thakur sits down with Editor Dora Wells to break down the year's most significant trends. From the $18.48 billion that poured into U.S. facilities to WuXi Biologics' 20 announcements despite regulatory headwinds. They analyze what the 732 tracked announcements reveal about where the industry is heading. Read more.

“Twenty years ago, who knew that ADCs and next-generation bioconjugates were going to be so exciting, so successful?”Campbell Bunce, Chief Scientific Officer at Abzena, reflects on the strategic positioning that has placed his company at the forefront of one of pharma’s fastest-growing segments.Campbell leads a global team spanning discovery, development, and GMP manufacturing at Abzena, where he has spent nearly a decade building the company’s capabilities in complex modalities. His background as an immunologist, combined with 18 years in biotech before joining Abzena, gives him a unique perspective on translating scientific innovation into commercial manufacturing reality.In this conversation on the PharmaSource podcast, Campbell discusses Abzena’s strategic focus on antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and bioconjugates, the company’s approach to proprietary platform development, and how the CDMO is responding to increased demand driven by geopolitical manufacturing shifts and clinical successes in the space.Read more.

“When I walked into the tech transfer, we were a million dollars over budget, six months behind schedule, and struggling to make a single successful batch,” says Amy Gamber.Amy Gamber, Executive Director, Lifecycle Lead at Kyverna Therapeutics, specializes in crisis recovery for late-stage biotech and cell and gene therapy programs. With 20+ years of CMC leadership experience at Atara Biotherapeutics, CSL Seqirus, and Amgen, she’s built a career fixing what others couldn’t.In this PharmaSource podcast interview, Amy shares how to identify warning signs before minor issues become million-dollar problems, strategies for rescuing failing tech transfers, and what it takes to restart a manufacturing facility dormant for two years.Full article

“We have to be transparent down to the last person in the organization, what the organization is doing, and where the issues are. We have to celebrate wins. We have to talk about the good things people do.”Markus Sieger serves as CEO of Polpharma Group, one of Central and Eastern Europe’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturers. With 25 years at the company, and 10  years as CEO, he has transformed the Polish generic and OTC medicines manufacturer into a regional powerhouse producing 400 million packages annually across Poland, Kazakhstan, and Western European markets. Markus will step down as CEO of Polpharma Group in January 2026, transitioning to the company’s supervisory board.In this conversation, Markus reflects on building Polpharma’s market leadership through culture transformation and digital-first operations, the challenges that shaped his leadership journey, and the evolution of Europe’s generic medicines industry.Read more.