Most platform biotechs don’t fail on science—they fail because investors don’t believe the team can turn that science into a real, defensible engine. This post breaks down what VCs are actually trying to de‑risk in a platform biotech, how your first five hires map to those concerns, and the concrete artifacts (org map, hiring plan, scorecards, RA/QA and BD thinking) you can bring to a pitch to show you’re building a fundable team, not just a cool idea.

For decades, families affected by rare diseases have heard the same heartbreaking message: ‘There is no approved treatment yet.’ In 2026, that story is finally changing. From the first-ever approval for Menkes disease to a landmark FDA policy shift for gene therapies, the rare disease landscape is transforming at a pace never seen before. Here’s what you need to know.

If you read recent scientific reviews on artificial intelligence (AI) in the pharmaceutical industry, you get a clear message: AI is transforming drug discovery, clinical development, manufacturing, and safety.¹⁻⁵ However, if you talk to bench scientists, clinical teams, or data scientists over coffee, you often hear a more complicated story: pockets of impressive success, a lot of incremental improvements, and quite a few stalled pilots. Both perspectives are true. They’re j

On 23rd July, I’m officially launching Sharon Shields Consulting — a specialist consultancy focused on executive research, market mapping and talent intelligence for life sciences organisations across the UK, Europe and the US. I also partner with executive search consultancies who need deep, reliable research support for complex senior mandates.