Media Profile

Biopharma Beats Bulletin: Spotlight on Dylan Kissane, Director of Editorial, Labiotech

Background

Name: Dylan Kissane
Email: [email protected]
Home Base: France, but originally from Australia
Role: Director of Editorial at Labiotech, leading content strategy for the European-focused digital biotech publication approaching its 10-year milestone. Oversees a team of journalists, manages all editorial content including journalistic pieces and sponsored content, and hosts their well-established podcast with 165+ episodes.
Expertise: Took an unconventional path from academia to biotech journalism. Earned his PhD in international relations, was a former university professor and Dean in France, then transitioned through startup marketing as a VP at a scaling French company. He worked as an independent consultant before joining Labiotech’s parent company Inpart three years ago. His academic background in breaking down complex concepts translates directly to science communication: “We take really complex things and we make it intelligible for smart people. And that’s what teaching at a university is, pretty much, in that you take something really complex and you break it down.”

Publication: Labiotech is a completely digital outlet with strong European focus, though they cover North America and Asia selectively. The publication targets biotech professionals seeking deeper analysis rather than breaking news coverage.
Coverage Areas: Three primary focus areas guide their editorial strategy:
- Geography: “We have a pretty broad European focus, so anywhere in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, UK plus Israel as well.”
- Biopharma for human therapeutics, with occasional veterinary science coverage.
- Partnering stories, whether that’s “fundraising and partnering with VC or partnering with top pharma.”
Angles of Interest: Labiotech distinguishes itself through depth over speed. Kissane explains their approach: “We publish usually one, sometimes, two articles a day, and they’re long. They’re a few thousand words. They dive deep into a single topic for the most part.” They’re particularly interested in AI applications with proven results, emerging biotech hubs beyond traditional centers, and thought leaders who influence industry direction even without clinical data.

Proof Points Required: For AI-related stories, concrete evidence is essential. “I’m getting somewhere around 30-45 pitches every week about somebody who’s doing something in AI. The ones that we’re interested in are the ones who have actual proof points. They’ve made a sale, they’ve done something.” Avoid pitches promising future AI applications without demonstrated success.
Timing and Access: They’ll consider embargoed content but require more than press releases. “We still run embargoed stories if our journalists can get access and quotes. We don’t just want the press release, we want a little bit more.” For major news events, they prefer the deeper analysis angle a week later rather than immediate breaking news coverage.
Geographic Sweet Spot: While they cover beyond Europe, their strength lies in European biotech stories, particularly from less obvious hubs. They’re actively seeking stories from regions like Denmark, Finland, and Israel that showcase innovation outside traditional centers.
Company Stage: Target companies beyond first clinical trials. “If it’s too early, it’s usually too early for our audience. So, anyone who’s got some nice data, anyone who’s got an interesting story” works best for their readership.

Press Release Regurgitation: Simply repackaging press releases without additional insight doesn’t meet their editorial standards.
Service Provider Overemphasis: CROs, CDMOs, and other service providers rarely fit their editorial focus. “So CROs CDMOs are not really interesting for our audience. Much more likely to find them advertising on our site than being the feature of content.”

BIO Europe: Major focus event where they sponsor the startup panel. “We’re at BIO Europe, we’re sponsoring the startup panel there in a couple of months.” They’re planning special coverage around partnering journeys and first-time attendees.
European Circuit: Regular attendance at BIO Spain, CPHI, and other European events where accessibility allows comprehensive coverage with their small journalistic team.
Remote Coverage Strategy: For events they can’t attend physically, they arrange backgrounders with key speakers. “We look to get backgrounded in by their keynote speakers and we’ll follow up and write about the event on the last day.”

On Interesting Podcast Guests: “Anyone who’s got some nice data, anyone who’s got an interesting story. Anything that we haven’t covered in the previous couple of months is usually pretty interesting.”
On Labiotech’s Coverage Philosophy: “Here’s what’s actually at play. Here are a couple of the bigger angles. Now that the fire has gone down, what should we be talking about?”