Blue Matter Blog
September 16, 2021
On September 9, 2021 at the MedInvest Neurological Diseases & Mental Health Disorders Conference, our own Varun Renjen moderated a panel discussion entitled, The Renaissance of Psychedelics in CNS Medicine. This video includes the full panel discussion and the Q&A session following it. Thanks very much to all of our panelists for their expertise and …
August 18, 2021
The Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) treatment landscape offers a compelling case study of how very different therapeutic approaches can be successful in alleviating a devastating rare disease, leading to a complex treatment landscape with continued opportunity for both improved patient outcomes and biopharma market success. Here in Part 1, we introduce the disease and its …
July 14, 2021
Varun Renjen, M.D. describes how the recent decision to restrict Aduhelm’s label to earlier-stage patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) could be a good thing for Biogen’s new Alzheimer’s therapy. He also outlines three lessons for other pharma companies entering the Alzheimer’s market. Link here
June 28, 2021
Biogen’s Aduhelm® (aducanumab) is the fist potentially disease-modifying therapy approved for Alzheimer’s disease. However, it could face some significant challenges as it goes to market. Varun Renjen, M.D., describes the three main ones in this short video. Link here.
June 24, 2021
On June 7, 2021, the FDA approved Biogen’s Aduhelm® (aducanumab) for Alzheimer’s disease. As the first potentially disease-modifying therapy for Alzheimer’s, it could have some significant impacts on the market for Alzheimer’s therapies. Varun Renjen, M.D., outlines those potential impacts in this short video. Link here
June 21, 2021
Don’t miss this informative webinar on Tuesday, July 20 at 11:00 am EDT. Register here. Psychedelics and other traditionally taboo substances are undergoing a bit of a “renaissance” in central nervous system (CNS) therapeutics. These types of substances have a long and storied history around the world. Now, research into their potential therapeutic benefits is …
June 8, 2021
There is no shortage of disabling and deadly diseases in the world. However, few match Alzheimer’s disease (AD) when it comes to sheer ability to cause fear and dread. It’s not a rare disease. In fact, it’s on the rise. There is no cure (nor effective treatment yet) and it’s ultimately fatal. And, most frightening, …
May 25, 2021
Introduction Members of Blue Matter’s CNS team attended the Psychedelic Therapeutics & Drug Development Conference, a virtual event that took place May 4-6, 2021. This event was particularly interesting to our team because we had just completed a white paper entitled “Taboo” Substances are Getting Another Look in CNS that explored the substances and companies …
May 24, 2021
Introduction Members of our CNS team attended the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) virtual annual meeting, which took place April 17-22. As expected, it was an interesting and useful event, full of industry therapeutics updates, clinical research data, scientific sessions, and educational courses presented in a series of virtual panels, posters, and fireside chats. It …
March 22, 2021
Psychedelics and other traditionally taboo substances appear to be undergoing a bit of a “renaissance” in central nervous system (CNS) therapeutics these days. These types of substances have a long and storied history all around the world. Now, science is getting serious about exploring ways to use them to treat a range of diseases and …
January 5, 2021
So far in this series, we’ve spent a great deal of time looking backward. In part 1, we discussed the “quiet revolution” that has been taking place in CNS over the past several years. Interesting advances are being made in a range of CNS therapies while other areas, such as oncology, tend to get more …
December 15, 2020
In Part 1 of this series, we said that a “quiet revolution” has been taking place in central nervous system (CNS) therapies. While much attention has been focused on the dramatic advancements in oncology, companies large and small have been focusing more resources on CNS research, and the pace of advancement is accelerating. In that …
November 16, 2020
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Some readers might recognize that as a memorable line from the ‘80’s classic movie, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Those same readers might also ask what it has to do with central nervous system (CNS) therapies. In …
As a founder and managing partner, Ashwin brings 18+ years of life science consulting experience to Blue Matter. Prior to starting Blue Matter, he was Senior VP, Head of Brand Management / Business Development at Campbell Alliance. He is a physician and MBA by training and his specialties include product and portfolio strategy.
As a founder and managing partner of Blue Matter, Emily brings 21 years of life science experience. Prior to Blue Matter, Emily was Senior VP and head of the San Francisco office for Campbell Alliance. Her specialties include product and portfolio strategy and oncology product launches.
As head of Blue Matter Europe, George brings extensive experience from 17+ years in life science consulting. Previously, George was GM / Head of Europe for Campbell Alliance. His specialties are commercial excellence, organizational design and customer engagement strategy.
Jeron brings 16+ years of life science experience, including more than 11 years in consulting. Previously, Jeron was Corporate Development and Commercial Excellence Lead at Campbell Alliance. His specialties include product, portfolio, and corporate strategy in oncology and diagnostics.
Thomas has 12+ years of experience in life science consulting (bio-pharma / diagnostic). He was formerly VP of Brand Management and Medical Affairs at Campbell Alliance. His specialties include product commercialization and Medical Affairs organization development in oncology and rare diseases.
Pankaj brings an impressive 26+ years of life science experience in industry and consulting to Blue Matter, having held increasingly senior positions at GSK, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Norgine. He was formerly Head of Consulting at IDEA, and he specializes in product, franchise and portfolio strategy, new product planning, and oncology launch readiness. He holds a BSc Pharm from UCL and an MBA from Imperial College London.
With over 11 years in research and consulting for the life sciences, Mary’s primary focus is on product strategy, franchise/portfolio strategy, launch planning, and commercial excellence in oncology and other TAs. She has a PhD in Biology from MIT and also hails from Campbell Alliance.
Kurt is a seasoned expert in market access, with over 23 years of experience. In addition to his extensive experience in life sciences consulting, his background includes several strategic roles across both payers and biopharmaceutical companies (large and small). He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and his JD from Pepperdine University.
Martin brings 20 years of Life Sciences Consulting experience to his work. Responsible for leading Blue Matter’s business in the eastern US, he is a specialist in commercial strategy and pharmaceutical launch. Prior to joining Blue Matter, Martin served clients at ZS Associates and Navigant (Guidehouse). He earned his MBA from the European Business School in Germany as well as the University of Pittsburgh.
Alex has more than 13 years of experience consulting to life science companies. He brings deep expertise in market research and analytics, particularly related to commercial strategy development. Before joining Blue Matter, Alex spent three years at Campbell Alliance and five years at ZS Associates. He earned an MS degree in Management Science from Lehigh University and a degree in Engineering from Lafayette College.
Shankar brings strong scientific and commercial expertise to his consulting work. In his 9+ years in life sciences consulting, he has delivered broadly, including product launch and portfolio strategy across oncology and other therapeutic areas. Shankar earned a BA in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of California at Berkeley and a PhD in Biochemistry from MIT.
Matt Durbin brings more than 13 years of life sciences experience to his role at Blue Matter, including 10 years in strategic consulting. Prior to joining Blue Matter, he worked as a consultant for IMS Health. In addition to his consulting experience, Matt spent 3 years performing research at the University of Oxford. He earned a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Bath.
Isabel has more than 10 years of experience in life science research and strategy consulting. Her work focuses on integrated product and diagnostic strategy, disease area strategy, and launch readiness in oncology. She brings a strong educational background in neuroscience, having earned a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from ETH Zurich. Isabel also has a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Design Thinking.
With more than 15 years in the life sciences, Theo's experience spans from bench to business strategy. For the past 10 years, Theo has provided consulting services to help biopharma companies achieve commercial success in Europe and North America. He leads Blue Matter’s “Pathfinder” business line, which specializes in helping biopharma companies enter and succeed in European markets. Theo earned a Dr. sc. In Physical Chemistry from ETH Zürich and an MBA from IMD Business School.