A CCO’s Brutally Honest Advice if You Want to Succeed in Pharma Commercialization

Life Sciences 360

Early Commercialization Strategies That Actually Work (Especially for Startups!) In this episode, John Harlow, Chief Commercial Officer at Melinta Therapeutics, shares real-world strategies for how lean pharma startups can win the commercialization game—without Big Pharma budgets.
Discover how small companies can pivot fast, creatively optimize distribution, and make strategic decisions without endless red tape. John breaks down the critical mindset shift from R&D to commercial readiness, how to build high-performing teams in resource-constrained environments, and why smaller organizations often out-execute the giants.
We also discuss how to prioritize spend, what leaders should know before leaving Big Pharma, and the overlooked advantages of smaller teams.
🎙️ Guest: John Harlow | CCO of Melinta Therapeutics
🔗 Connect with John Harlow: LinkedIn
📌 Chapters:
00:00 The Challenges of Small Pharma
02:31 Understanding Melinta Therapeutics
04:44 Resource Constraints in Small Companies
08:30 The Speed of Decision-Making in Startups
10:15 Building a Cross-Functional Team
11:34 The Benefits of Small Team Dynamics
16:51 Case Study: Distribution Strategy Pivot
19:52 Creative Problem Solving in Resource Constraints
23:40 Staying Updated in the Pharma Space
27:34 Trends in Biotech and Pharma Startups
29:49 Building vs. Buying in Pharma
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For transcripts, check out the podcast website - www.lifesciencespod.com

Chapters

1. The Challenges of Small Pharma (00:00:00)

2. Understanding Melinta Therapeutics (00:02:31)

3. Resource Constraints in Small Companies (00:04:44)

4. The Speed of Decision-Making in Startups (00:08:30)

5. Building a Cross-Functional Team (00:10:15)

6. The Benefits of Small Team Dynamics (00:11:34)

7. Case Study: Distribution Strategy Pivot (00:16:51)

8. Creative Problem Solving in Resource Constraints (00:19:52)

9. Staying Updated in the Pharma Space (00:23:40)

10. Trends in Biotech and Pharma Startups (00:27:34)

11. Building vs. Buying in Pharma (00:29:49)