COVID-19 has offered the biotech industry many lessons. Among the lessons that stands out to Lorna Meldrum is the importance of being prepared for both seasonal flu and the potential for a pandemic outbreak. Meldrum is Vice President of Commercial Operations, International Markets and Pandemic at Seqirus, one of the world’s leading influenza vaccine producers, and she’s the latest guest on the World of Promise podcast. During her conversation with host Anthony Farina, Meldrum discusses the challenges businesses have faced during the pandemic and how Seqirus is continuing to expand its seasonal and pandemic preparedness efforts in influenza.

World of Promise

The Importance of Pandemic Preparedness

Amidst the development and rollout of COVID-19 vaccines around the globe, conversations around vaccine safety are at an all-time high. On a new episode of the World of Promise podcast, Gregg Sylvester, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Medical Affairs for leading vaccine producer Seqirus, sits down with host Anthony Farina to discuss how Seqirus ensures that its vaccines are safe – the processes that are implemented and why this topic is so important to an organization on the front lines to protect public health.

The Safety of Vaccines

Innovation was key to creating effective vaccines in the fight against COVID-19. Now, those innovations are being studied for the creation of leading edge influenza vaccines, explains Ethan Settembre, VP, R&D for Seqirus. He talks about how Seqirus is leveraging existing cell and adjuvant technology to deliver effective vaccines and exploring the combination of the two in aQIVc, the company’s next pipeline vaccine. Ethan also speaks to self-amplifying mRNA, the next-generation mRNA platform Seqirus is evaluating for influenza.

How Technology is Changing Vaccines

The theme for this year’s World Hemophilia Day on April 17 is “Adapting to Change.” The day raises awareness for hemophilia and other bleeding disorders. This episode features Dr. Glenn Pierce, Vice President, Medical, for the World Federation of Hemophilia and Dr. Roshni Kulkarni, professor and former Director of Michigan State University’s Center for Bleeding and Clotting Disorders. They talk about changes in hemophilia and bleeding disorder treatments and how this past year has changed everything.

Adapting to Change: World Hemophilia Day 2021

In honor of Women's History Month, this episode features two CSL Behring leaders. Karen Neave, Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer, and Antje Michel, General Counsel, share their career journeys, the obstacles they've overcome and offer advice for other women working in biotechnology. During the 20-minute conversation, they also offer insights into how they achieved success and work/life balance, particularly in today’s COVID-19 remote working environment.

Taking Risks, Overcoming Doubts: Two Top Biotech Leaders Share Their Experiences and Offer Career Advice in Honor of Women's History Month

To thrive in the fast-moving field of biotechnology, embrace learning and career development, Elizabeth Walker, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for CSL, says on a this episode. As head of human resources for one of the world’s largest biotechnology companies, Walker said employee development remains a priority. “It benefits – not only the individual – but CSL as well,” she says. “Over time we have seen other organizations pull back on investments in this area and shift the burden of development entirely to employees. We think that's a mistake. We think development has many benefits. It helps to improve innovation. It increases engagement and retention over time and enhances overall productivity.”  

The Case for Career Development: CSL's Chief Human Resources Officer Explains Why the Biotechnology Company Wants Employees to Invest in Themselves

In 2020, COVID-19 dominated the headlines and much of the focus for people who work in biotechnology. While the global pandemic continues, there is hope in the vaccines currently being distributed throughout the world. At the same time, seasonal influenza remains a concern. On a new episode of the World of Promise podcast, Dave Ross, Vice President, Commercial Operations North America, for Seqirus, discusses how his organization’s expertise in influenza vaccines could help with the distribution and immunization practices necessary to combat COVID-19. He also shares additional insights from his team’s work with influenza and how it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Connection Between Influenza and COVID-19

For more than 30 years, Mark Hill has worked in the digital technology space for large, global biotech and pharmaceutical companies. Now, he is Chief Digital Information Officer for CSL, the world’s third largest biotechnology company. On a new episode of the “World of Promise” podcast, Mark sits down with host Anthony Farina to chat about his experiences, what he’s learned and where he sees digital transformation taking biotechnology in the near and not-so-near future. As an Army veteran, Mark also talks about what military veterans can offer the biotech space, as well as how being the middle child of seven kids has helped him and others succeed in the workforce. Finally, Mark addresses how digital technology will help to transform experiences for patients and plasma donors and why he believes it’s critical that companies like CSL embrace digital transformation.

What Does Digital Transformation Mean for Rare Disease Patients?

On this episode of "World of Promise," host Anthony Farina interviews Steve Marlow, General Manager of Seqirus, one of the world's leading flu vaccine businesses. Steve also has 20 years of experience in biotech and he talks about the increased demand for flu vaccines during this year's Northern Hemisphere flu campaign. 

Discussing the Increased Demand for Flu Vaccines in 2020

 This week is International Plasma Awareness Week, and in honor of the week, Willy Pardinas, General Manager and Vice President of CSL Plasma sits down with “World of Promise” podcast host Anthony Farina to discuss the importance of plasma donation to people around the world living with rare and serious diseases. The conversation also touches on what a donor can expect during their first visit to a plasma center and the steps CSL Plasma centers take to protect donors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marking International Plasma Awareness Week with CSL Plasma's Willy Pardinas

Around the globe, one of the biggest challenges rare disease patients face is getting a timely and accurate diagnosis of their condition.   A new report by the Economist Intelligence Unit – the research and analysis division of the Economist Group and the world leader in business intelligence – takes a look at the challenges facing patients living with rare diseases across five Asia Pacific economies. Titled “Suffering in Silence,” the findings of the report have been published in a 9,000-word white paper that explores health care professionals’ understanding and management of rare diseases in Australia, China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.  On a new episode of the World of Promise podcast, host Anthony Farina sits down with the report’s Editor, Jesse Quigley Jones. Jones talks about what surprised him in the findings and what he believes health care providers, government and industry can learn from the report.

Suffering in Silence: Assessing Rare Disease Awareness and Management in Asia-Pacific - A Conversation with Jesse Quigley Jones of the Economist Intelligence Unit

Santonio Holmes is remembered for many things by football fans, including his “perfect catch” in Super Bowl XLIII, which earned him that game’s MVP trophy. But after retirement from football, Holmes is still working on building his legacy. He’s doing so through the III & Long Foundation, an organization he established to help families affected by Sickle Cell Disease. Holmes and his family are one of those families, as his son, TJ, lives with Sickle Cell Disease. On a new episode of the World of Promise podcast, Holmes, TJ, and TJ’s mom, Nicole King, talk about TJ’s experiences with Sickle Cell Disease and how it affected their family. They talk about the disease from a caregivers’ perspective in honor of World Sickle Cell Day, which is on June 19.

Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes Discusses His Family's Battle Against Sickle Cell Disease

On May 20, people who work in biotechnology celebrated Clinical Trials Day, a day that highlights the important role clinical trials play in developing therapies for our patients. This year, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact people around the world, clinical trials are as important as ever. On a new episode of the World of Promise podcast, host Anthony Farina talks to Deirdre BeVard, CSL Behring’s Senior Vice President of R&D Strategic Operations, about clinical trials and how they benefit patients. Deirdre shares her perspective on why clinical trials are so critical to the advancement of biotechnology and how clinical trials are being impacted by COVID-19.

Why We Do Clinical Trials

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues around the world, rare disease patient groups continue to provide support and outreach to their communities. For the World Federation for Hemophilia (WFH), this year is an especially important one to mark World Hemophilia Day on April 17. “Particularly in light of what we’re all experiencing right now, I think the most important thing is that our global bleeding disorders community stays connected,” says Jennifer Laliberté, Director, Strategic and Community Partnerships for WFH on a new episode of the World of Promise podcast. She said celebrating World Hemophilia Day, which this year marks 30-plus years of raising awareness for hemophilia and other bleeding disorders, is a way to demonstrate the solidarity of the community. “We stand together (and) we continue to maintain those links that unite us, and those common goals that unite us,” she says during the interview, which also features Dr. Assad Haffar, Medical and Humanitarian Aid Director for WFH. The conversation with podcast host Anthony Farina also touches on what World Hemophilia Day has accomplished throughout its 30-plus years and why it is important to WFH that access to care for people with bleeding disorders is a priority, no matter where in the world patients are located.

Celebrating 30-Plus Years of World Hemophilia Day with the World Federation of Hemophilia

On this episode of World of Promise, host Anthony Farina talks to Tony Strickland, Head of Enterprise Security at biotech leader CSL Behring, about being on the front lines of company security during the COVID-19 pandemic. Strickland has been working to protect employees and patients from the Coronavirus since the outbreak in December. Strickland answers questions about what people can do to protect themselves and the lessons he has learned while working on the front lines to protect people from the global outbreak.  

Biotech Security Leader Shares Lessons Learned from COVID-19

A podcast focusing on biotechnology and its promise to transform the lives of people living around the world with rare and serious diseases. During each episode, we explore a topic related to biotechnology and rare disease by interviewing doctors, scientists, patients, family members of people with rare or serious diseases, and or other experts in biotechnology. The show both highlights the exciting world of biotechnology and the impact it is having on patients while also offering advice and insights for people who have rare or serious diseases as well as their family members or caregivers.

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