Finding talent for women’s health

For years, women's health has been underfinanced and neglected, in pretty much every step from pre-clinical R&D to commercial applications, although the market for products addressing diseases and conditions affecting the female biology should be huge. In addition to that market being under-exploited, the existing drugs and therapies targeting diseases such as Alzheimer's, heart conditions or cancer are largely developed for a male biology, with the entire drug development processes being set up for males (male lab rats being one example, as apparently their biology is less complex and thus cheaper). But the times they are a' changing and the interest from investors in women's health is finally growing, following a greater market demand and more awareness of both efficacy and side effects differentiating between men and women. Slowly, we are becoming more clever. One of the companies that is at the forefront of women's health is Gesynta Pharma, now entering a clinical phase II trial of their lead candidate vipoglanstat as a treatment for endometriosis – a severely life-limiting disease affecting millions of women. In fact, 190 million of women worldwide live with this painful, chronic disease. To raise awareness of the condition, March is named 'endometriosis awareness month' so it is very timely that they are now recruiting a key competence for their team.

Did you plan this or did the need to grow your team just coincide with a global initiative that draws attention to your area of research?

The timing certainly is fortunate, but in fact we have evaluated endometriosis for several years as a condition where inhibition of the enzyme mPGES-1 may play a key role.

When we decided to establish Gesynta Pharma in 2017, we had a lot of experience from the scientific area that we realized can be applied to address the huge unmet medical need in endometriosis.

We have spoken with scientific experts as well as with leading clinicians, we have talked with patients about intense pain and other symptoms and how their lives are impacted, and we are keen to contribute to better treatments. Fortunately, this desire is also seen in several larger pharmaceutical companies and investors which is important in creating the financial, business and commercial opportunities needed to drive drug development in the area.

Others have been active, too, in raising awareness of the huge need for better therapies for endometriosis and across the women’s health area. Just recently, McKinsey & Company presented a report at the World Economic Forum in Davos highlighting the vast benefits of closing the women’s health gap – endometriosis was a case in point. And we can see lots of action. In late February, for example, the Biden administration pledged to invest $100 million over the next year for women’s health research as part of the federal ARPA-H program to close gender gaps in research. More and more countries are developing national strategies for women’s health and for endometriosis – and patients, health care providers, investors and the industry are taking notice.

What is the role that you are looking to fill and what importance will it have going forward?

This is a key role in our journey ahead. We are looking for an MD with clinical experience and a background in R&D in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry.

The person who joins our team will be uniquely positioned to impact the continued success of Gesynta Pharma both through internal leadership, and through extensive work with international experts at the forefront of endometriosis therapeutic R&D. To be successful in this dynamic environment, a strong mix of strategy, leadership and hands-on proficiencies will be required, and in the end, this is even more important than checking all the boxes when it comes to the formal qualifications.

While the plans for vipoglanstat, in particular the Phase II study in endometriosis, are clearly our focus right now, we are also excited about the potential we see for other compounds in our portfolio. GS-073, for example, is ready to enter a Phase I study for the treatment of chronic inflammatory pain. So, the person who comes on board as VP Clinical Development will have a wide field to explore with the Gesynta team.

You are a small team with big ambitions. How does this translate into your company culture?

Gesynta Pharma is a small company with a large footprint! We operate with a highly experienced core team which also benefits from a large network across academia as well as industry – this is a way to achieve great things. But we have also spent a lot of time internally to agree on core values that shape our company culture. We aim to be genuine, professional, generous, and passionate. With these principles in place, a small company can move mountains!

Searching for talents for this role has brought us to experts all over the globe, all very impressed by the path you have chosen to take, with the non-hormonal treatment. Tell us why this is unique!

Endometriosis patients face tough choices, as the hormone-based treatments used today may have limited efficacy and affect the body in fundamental ways. Many patients undergo laparoscopic procedures or major surgery, but there is a high relapse rate. And this has been the situation for years. However, the disease understanding is changing, and endometriosis is no longer seen as a hormonal condition only, but also as a chronic, inflammatory, systemic disease. Of course, the new perspectives also drive increased attention, adding to the trend in the wider women’s health area that we talked about before.