In this episode of the Vital Health Podcast, host Duane Schulthess speaks with Tim Scott, President & CEO of Biocom California, a biopharma executive with more than two decades of experience, including spinning out companies from UC San Diego and leading firms acquired by BioMarin and Novartis, to discuss how California’s life sciences ecosystem became a global innovation engine, why the state’s research and venture networks matter, and how policy headwinds such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Most Favored Nation (MFN) reference pricing reshape investment, rare disease development, and competition with Europe and China.

Key Topics:

• Biocom Origins: Municipal policy roots, industry advocacy, ecosystem evolution across California.

• Innovation Network: University and research density, regional clusters, talent, and collaboration effects.

• Capital Pathway: NIH and NSF support, SBIR and STTR bridges, venture appetite, and liquidity.

• MFN and IRA: Pill penalty incentives, orphan exemption stakes, Medicare exposure, and VC pullback.

• Next-Gen Development: AI-enabled discovery, faster trial enrollment, digital twins, and regulator openness.

Opinions expressed are those of the speakers.