Advancing Biotech/Pharma Pipelines by Outsourcing Science:
Working with CROs, CDMOs, and Other Vendors to Advance Your R&D and Manufacturing
Thursday, June 5, 2025
4:30–7:30 p.m.
Community Conference Room
Suite 221E
100 Cummings Center
Beverly, MA 01915
Developing a drug candidate and pipeline at life science companies is a challenge that requires resources, knowledge, and extensive expertise to successfully drive programs forward. Working with CDMOs, CROs, and vendors can often help companies achieve their goals with better efficiency. Gain perspectives on the benefits and considerations when working with CDMOs and external service vendors.
Join us for a panel discussion on the benefits and considerations when biotech and/or pharmaceutical companies leverage an outsource partner for their research, development, or manufacturing.
Panel Details
Moderator
Naomi Vishnupad, Ph.D.
Founder/Consultant, NV Life Sciences
Naomi Vishnupad, Ph.D., is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in the life sciences. As the CSO at Romeg Therapeutics, a specialty pharma company, she was responsible for executing the company’s pipeline programs. As an executive at Imaginative Research Associates, a private company focused on dermatology, she successfully developed novel pharmaceutical and consumer products for the market. She recently launched an independent consulting business focused on helping small life science companies advance their therapeutic programs. Prior to her entrepreneurial business experience, she worked extensively in pharma and biotech in multiple therapeutic areas, focusing on research and other drug development activities. Naomi is the inventor on several patents, resulting in over fifteen marketed products in dermatology and inflammation, and has a doctorate in immunology from Drexel University. She lives and works in the greater Boston area and is a recreational distance runner and fitness enthusiast.
Panelists
Kristin Dangelo VP of Business Development and Marketing, BA Sciences
Kristin Dangelo has been at BA Sciences for 14 years, currently as the VP of Business Development and Marketing. She has extensive experience working directly with internal and external stakeholders to progress drug development programs nationally and globally. Prior to that, she was with Alpha Analytical for 10 years in Business Development and Organic Chemistry Roles. Collectively, Kristin has over 20 years of experience working for contract services organizations and volunteering for professional trade organizations in the life sciences industry. She is currently working on the Board of Directors for the ISPE Boston Area Chapter. Kristin has a BS from Westfield State University and an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University.
Alyssa Hogan, J.D.
Partner, Arnold & Porter
Alyssa Hogan advises pharmaceutical, biotech, digital health, and other life sciences companies with their transactional, operational, and general corporate needs. Alyssa provides legal and business perspectives when counseling clients, and she assists with structuring strategic alliances, joint ventures, collaborations (including co-promotions and co-commercialization), and licensing arrangements; drafting and negotiating industry-specific agreements (such as manufacturing and supply, distribution, research, and clinical trial agreements); and complex M&A transactions involving single product, product line, business divisions, facilities, and corporate entities.
Prior to being a life sciences corporate attorney, Alyssa's practice focused on regulatory and transactional matters for various healthcare providers, such as physician and dental groups, hospitals, group purchasing organizations, and specialty, retail, and long-term care pharmacies.
Jennifer Schmitke, Ph.D.
Chief Development Officer and Head of R&D, Consano Bio
Jen is an accomplished biopharma executive with experience leading R&D teams from early start-ups to large biotechs. Jen was previously Senior Vice President, Technical Operations, Quality, and Portfolio Management at Epizyme, a commercial-stage biopharma oncology company, where she led the prioritization of the corporate R&D portfolio. Before that, she was Vice President for program management at Magenta Therapeutics and drove the build-out of the portfolio and program management functions and supporting governance. Before her tenure at Magenta Therapeutics, Dr. Schmitke was at Omega Therapeutics, where she helped build the company and research pipeline from the ground up. Additionally, Jen was a Senior Director at Biogen in early pipeline leadership and spent many years at Alkermes where she held a series of roles of increasing responsibility in technical development and CMC leadership. Through all these experiences, Jen has developed deep expertise in CMC, non-clinical development, clinical development, and portfolio strategy. Jen holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with honors from Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, and a PhD in Biological Chemistry from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Lindsay Andrews, CPIA, ALAT
Founder/Consultant, Invivosights Consulting
Lindsay began her vivarium career in 2007 and moved into IACUC and program management in 2013, holding roles at Mass Eye & Ear, Boston University, and the Broad Institute before transitioning to the vendor side in 2020. Since 2016, she has consulted for research institutions, collaborated with vendors, and supported operational and digital transformation and preclinical compliance. In addition to running a successful consulting business, she also holds a full time position as a Preclinical Optical Imaging Specialist with Bruker. Holding CPIA and ALAT certifications, she is actively involved in industry organizations holding key positions with the New England Branch of AALAS, Massachusetts Society for Medical Research and the Vivarium Operational Excellence Network. In her free time, she enjoys time with her Boston Terriers, skiing, baking, live music working on her family farm in NH.
Thank you to our generous sponsors:
Cummings Properties, 100 Cummings Center, Suite 221-F Community Conference Room, Beverly, MA 01915