Building a Successful Relationship with your Development Partner

While the idea that trust between sponsors and development partners is integral to success is well known, actually building that relationship requires real effort and empathy from both groups. Today, Dr Skip Sands, Senior Vice President and Senior Medical Officer of Parexel Biotech, discusses practical examples of how to build and maintain that relationship of trust and navigate challenges that arise based on his experience on both sides of the sponsor and CRO partnership.

Key takeaways:

• How to choose the right development partner
• Building the relationship infrastructure from the bid process through clinical development
• Communicating and managing expectations between sponsors and CROs

Guest: Earl “Skip” Sands, MD, MBA, Senior Medical Officer, Parexel Biotech

Prior to joining Parexel Biotech as Senior Medical Officer in 2019, Dr Sands served as the Chief Medical Officer for Selecta Biosciences (2015-2019), Targacept (2014-2015) and Plasma Surgical (2013-2014). From 2011 to 2013, he was a consultant to biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and health care companies, leading protocol development and execution for Phase 1-4 studies in areas including women’s and men’s health, oncology, neuroscience and gastroenterology. From 2003 to 2011, Dr Sands was with Solvay Pharmaceuticals/Abbott Laboratories (following its acquisition of Solvay) in a series of roles of increasing responsibility culminating as Executive Vice President, Market Access and Senior Vice President of Research and Development. Earlier in his career, he worked with Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals,

founded a medical education company, and was a managing partner in a medical practice. He earned his Medical Doctor Degree from Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA, and has completed courses in the Executive MBA program at Emory University in Atlanta, GA.