Molecule to Market: Inside the outsourcing space

In this episode of Molecule to Market, you’ll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector with Lisa Studnicki Hunt, Ph.D, Co-Founder and Board Member, GL CHEMTEC.

 

Your host, Raman Sehgal, discusses the pharmaceutical and biotechnology supply chain with Lisa, covering:

 

How her passion for problem solving led her to cofound a CDMO straight out of grad school

How, without an established industry network, she focused on developing her core skill set and immersing herself in a different culture

Figuring things out day by day, while pursuing opportunities aligned with the company’s long term vision

Positioning the business as “innovation experts” to differentiate in a competitive and fragmented CRO and CDMO market

How the pandemic accelerated demand and growth, ultimately leading to a well timed private equity deal

The “misbehaving of the market” over the last few years, and how a Canadian CDMO is positioned amid geopolitical shifts involving the US and China

 

Lisa co-founded GL CHEMTEC INTERNATIONAL in 2002 and has played a key role in growing the organization across both operations and commercial functions for more than two decades.  She also now serves on several boards and is passionate about philanthropy and supporting non-profit organizations.

 

Lisa began her academic journey with a degree in Natural Sciences from John Abbott College. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Science with Honours, with a minor in French, and a Master of Science in Chemistry from the University of Toronto. She later completed her Doctor of Philosophy in Organic Polymer Chemistry at Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany.

 

Lisa has authored several scientific publications and holds multiple patents. Alongside her scientific credentials, Lisa has continued to build her commercial and business expertise. She earned her Professional Sales Designation from the Canadian Professional Sales Association in 2008, completed the E2: Entrepreneur’s Edge course at Wilfrid Laurier University in 2009, attended Harvard Business School in 2015 under the guidance of renowned professor Clayton Christensen, and completed the Marketing Innovation course at MIT Sloan School of Management in 2017.

 

Molecule to Market is also sponsored by Bora Pharmaceuticals and supported by Lead Candidate. Please subscribe, tell your industry colleagues and join us in celebrating and promoting the value and importance of the global life science outsourcing space. We’d also appreciate a positive rating!

In this episode of Molecule to Market, you’ll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector with Rachel Sha, CEO at Terrestrial Bio.

 

Your host, Raman Sehgal, discusses the pharmaceutical and biotechnology ecosystem with Rachel, covering:

Navigating the Genzyme Sanofi acquisition and building a leadership career on the other side of the transaction

Being in the right place at the right time to pursue entrepreneurship, and the steep learning curve of stepping into a biotech CEO role

The decision to adopt a dual strategy, partnering with biopharma on a platform technology while also advancing internal programs

Leading a $50M Series C raise in a challenging funding environment and evolving the company’s identity

The real world trade offs between building manufacturing capabilities in house versus outsourcing to CDMOs

Rachel Sha is the CEO at Terrestrial, a company focused on transforming the delivery of next generation therapies with its microarray skin patch that provides a patient friendly experience that is injection free and without the hassle of cold chain.  Prior to Terrestrial, she was an Operating Partner at Engine Ventures, a venture fund spun-out of MIT that invests in Tough Tech companies primarily in the Boston area.  She advised companies and worked with the investment team in exploring investment themes, opportunities, and programming.  Before her time in venture, she spent seventeen years at Genzyme and Sanofi where she held leadership positions in business development, strategy, and commercial.  Her last role at the firm was the Global Vice President of Digital Strategy, Partnering and Governance at Sanofi where she led global strategy, business development, and governance of digital programs to transform Sanofi and healthcare.

 

She has long been a supporter of developing women entrepreneurs and has supported organizations like Mass Next Gen and Springboard Enterprises.  She was recognized by the Boston Business Journal in the 2025 class of Women Who Lead in Life Sciences.  Rachel holds a BS from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Chemistry and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

 

Please note: Vaxess Technologies is now Terrestrial (Terrestrial Bio, Inc.). This change reflects a brand evolution and is not part of a merger or acquisition. There has been no change in control or operations. All contracts, relationships and business activities continue uninterrupted under our new name.

 

Molecule to Market is also sponsored by Bora Pharmaceuticals, and supported by Lead Candidate. Please subscribe, tell your industry colleagues and join us in celebrating and promoting the value and importance of the global life science outsourcing space. We’d also appreciate a positive rating!

Your host, Raman Sehgal, discusses the pharmaceutical and biotechnology supply chain with René, covering:

 

How a lucky break brought him to Sartorius over 20 years ago, and what has changed and stayed the same over that time

His journey from scientist to senior leader, and the evolution of biologics he has witnessed along the way

The pace of innovation in bioprocessing, and how he thinks about speed, efficiency and flexibility

Why innovation continues regardless of market cycles, through both boom and correction periods

His perspective on the current biotech market reset and why it represents a healthy correction

Despite building a €3.5bn powerhouse, how Sartorius has maintained a relentless focus on customers

 

René Fáber, born in 1975, has been Head of Bioprocess Solutions Division and Member of the Executive Board of Sartorius AG since 2019. In the same year, he became a Member of the Board of Directors of Sartorius Stedim Biotech S.A.; in 2023 he was appointed as CEO of the company. René Fáber studied chemistry in Bratislava, Slovakia, and earned his Ph.D. in polymer chemistry from the Technical University of Munich in Germany. He joined Sartorius in 2002, where he initially worked as a scientist on membrane modification. As Vice President, he held various management positions in R&D, Marketing for Filtration and Fermentation Technologies, as well as in Key Account Management. In his most recent position, he was responsible for the Product Development unit of the Bioprocess Solutions Division.

 

 

Molecule to Market is also sponsored by Bora Pharmaceuticals, and supported by Lead Candidate. Please subscribe, tell your industry colleagues and join us in celebrating and promoting the value and importance of the global life science outsourcing space. We’d also appreciate a positive rating!

In this episode of Molecule to Market, you’ll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector with:

 

Kaan-Fabian Kekec, Partner Simon Kucher

Kurt Nielson, President, Longview Leader

Melanie Wamsler, External Network Strategy Lead, Takeda

Rocco Paracchini, Vice President, Morpho

 

Your host, Raman Sehgal, discusses the state of contract manufacturing with his guests live from CDMO Live Europe 2026. The event was hosted by PharmaSource and Molecule to Market,

 

Molecule to Market is also sponsored by Bora Pharmaceuticals and supported by Lead Candidate. Please subscribe, tell your industry colleagues and join us in celebrating and promoting the value and importance of the global life science outsourcing space. We’d also appreciate a positive rating!

In this episode of Molecule to Market, you’ll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector with:

 

Fred Fleitz, SVP, CMC and Development Chemistry, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals

Jason Costigan, Head of CMC, Corsera Health

Alison Moore, CEO and President, Codexis, Inc.

Muthu Kandasamy, VP of Medicinal Chemistry, Wave Life Sciences 

 

Your host, Raman Sehgal, discusses the pharmaceutical and biotechnology ecosystem with his guests live from TIDES 2026. The event was hosted by Codexis and Molecule to Market,

 

Molecule to Market is also sponsored by Bora Pharmaceuticals and supported by Lead Candidate. Please subscribe, tell your industry colleagues and join us in celebrating and promoting the value and importance of the global life science outsourcing space. We’d also appreciate a positive rating!