Global Trial Accelerators™: Fast-Tracking First-in-Human Trials, Anywhere

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Jason Hurt, a clinician-scientist and entrepreneur with extensive experience in radiopharmaceutical development, clinical trial strategy, and oncology drug development. 

In March 2025, Dr. Hurt founded Theragnostic Insights, a consulting and strategic advisory firm focused on advancing theranostic solutions and radioligand therapies—pioneering approaches that are shaping the future of cancer treatment. 

 In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Martin R. Schiller, Prabhu Endowed Professor at UNLV, Founding Director of the Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine, and founder of Heligenics Inc. Dr. Schiller shares his journey from academia to entrepreneurship, the breakthroughs behind the GigaAssay technology, and how personalized medicine is shaping the future of healthcare. 

Tune in to learn how cutting-edge research in genomics and biotechnology is being translated into real-world therapies and diagnostics. 

Today’s guest is Ross O. Youngs, Founder and CEO, with over 35 years of experience inventing products, technologies, and processes across multiple industries. He holds more than 75 patents worldwide and is driven by a passion for creating innovations that are better, faster, and more cost-effective. 

His recent accomplishments include winning an R&D 100 Award for his work in biopolymer technologies. In 2009, his company Biosortia was awarded a $6 million ARPA-E grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for its algal harvesting technology—work that paved the way for Biosortia’s cutting-edge drug discovery platform. 

Throughout his career, Ross has been widely recognized for his entrepreneurial leadership, including being named Ernst & Young Ohio Entrepreneur of the Year and receiving the U.S. Small Business Administration’s “Business Person of the Year” award, presented to him by then-Vice President Al Gore. 

Today we’re joined by Gianluca Fontana, CEO and Co-Founder of Prova Health—the London-based advisory firm helping digital health and life sciences innovators prove their value with rock-solid clinical and economic evidence. With a background as a McKinsey consultant and Deputy Director at Imperial College London’s Institute of Global Health Innovation, Gianluca has led billion-pound research programs like the NHS Digital Academy and the REACT COVID-19 study. His published work on digital health evaluation has been cited hundreds of times, and through Prova Health he now works with global pharma and AI-medtech scale-ups to accelerate evidence generation and build lasting capabilities. Fluent in four languages and trained in both economics and marketing at Bocconi University, Gianluca brings a rare mix of scientific rigor and commercial insight—making him an invaluable voice in the race to deliver safer, smarter healthcare at scale. 

Could opioids be silently undermining cancer immunotherapy?

This week, Justin Chickles — CEO and co-founder of Glycyx Therapeutics — explains how his team is tackling this overlooked challenge with axelopran, a breakthrough therapy now advancing to Phase 2 trials.

From his early career at Johnson & Johnson to leading multiple startups, Justin offers a rare, insider’s perspective on driving biotech innovation from concept to clinic. If you’re interested in cutting-edge oncology, translational science, and biotech entrepreneurship, you won’t want to miss this episode.

Today’s guest is Dr. Sarfaraz K. Niazi, a globally recognized biopharmaceutical scientist, regulatory advisor, prolific author, and inventor. Dr. Niazi works closely with regulatory authorities to streamline guidelines and help companies comply in bringing biotherapeutic products to market—including biosimilars, gene therapies, mRNA vaccines, and advanced protein delivery systems. 

He has published hundreds of books and scientific papers, sharing both the science and the art of making life-saving treatments accessible to patients. With over 100 U.S. biotechnology patents—all offered royalty-free—Dr. Niazi is a true advocate for innovation and global health equity. 

 In this episode, we sit down with Steve Duddy, a powerhouse executive with over 20 years of experience leading high-impact transformations across startups and Fortune 500 companies like 3M and Johnson & Johnson. Steve shares his unique approach to uncovering hidden opportunities, turning ambiguity into actionable strategy, and executing bold roadmaps that drive outsized results. 

We dive into how he’s helped scale companies from near-zero to over $35M in ARR in under two years, his success accelerating growth through global distributor networks, and his role as an embedded executive and board director across early- to mid-stage ventures. 

With a fiercely competitive mindset, deep strategic insight, and hands-on operational expertise, Steve walks us through how he tackles complex challenges in global supply chains, commercialization in highly regulated markets, and successful exits via M&A and IPO. 

This episode is a must-listen for founders, operators, and investors in the HealthTech space who want to understand what it takes to turn overlooked opportunities into industry-defining success stories. 

Andrés Herrero is a dynamic entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in the healthcare and medical device industries. Andrés has founded his company “i 2 medi” ten years ago with the purpose to gain market access for innovative medical device companies in Latin America. Today the company has evolved from consultancy company to a full fledge medical device and health IT-distributor with its in house hard- and software service teams and regulatory services. i2medi is focused on cardiology as well as health IT solutions for hospitals and the group operates with affiliated companies in Brazil Colombia and Mexico, as well as in Germany to maintain close contact to its European clients. Andrés and i2medi
have a proven track record in achieving guideline acceptance with national clinical societies in LATAM for new technological innovations. By this means they are paving the way for  innovations to private and public health insurance reimbursements.
Andres has also proven track record as Senior Executive in Biotronik, Abbot and caresyntax (former St. Jude Medical) driving business growth, managing key accounts, and overseeing global operations. He is an expert in sales, market access, marketing, and strategic planning with deep knowledge of the European and Latin American markets. His analytical skills and business acumen are supported by a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and an MBA.

Javier Handal is a Medical Doctor with expertise in clinical research and pharmaceutical industry operations. As the leader of MRx Solution, a Site Management Organization (SMO), he is driving the development of a robust network of research sites across Central America. Javier excels in building strategic partnerships, optimizing operations, and ensuring adherence to international research standards. His proactive mindset, attention to detail, and commitment to excellence enable him to deliver impactful outcomes. Dedicated to advancing healthcare innovation in the region, he leverages leadership, expertise, and collaboration to make significant contributions to clinical research.

Today, we have the privilege of speaking with Andrew, a distinguished leader with over 15 years of international experience in marketing, commercial excellence, and business strategy. Throughout his career, he has led large teams at top pharmaceutical and medical device companies, including Novartis, Terumo, and Penumbra Inc. Andrew is a proud graduate of the IGNITE Program at Stanford Graduate School of Business and has also studied at several other prestigious international business schools. His expertise and journey in medical innovation make him a key voice in understanding the challenges and opportunities within the industry.