📰 Spotlight on Brian Buntz, Pharma Editor, Drug Discovery & Development

Background

-Name: Brian Buntz

-Home Base: SF Bay Area, California

-Role: Brian’s current focus is as pharma editor at Drug Discovery & Development, but he also oversees editorial content at parent company WTWH Media’s other publications (Pharmaceutical Processing World and Medical Design & Outsourcing). His other present priority is revamping the AI Meets Life Sci podcast, exploring the intersections between artificial intelligence and biopharma. With nearly two decades of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, Brian brings a deep understanding of trends, challenges, and opportunities in therapeutics discovery and development, with a particular interest in the cross-section of AI.

-Expertise: A self-described data-driven storyteller and cloud technology enthusiast, Brian leverages his technical skills to enhance his journalistic work. With certifications in data science and SEO, and programming proficiency, he employs these tools to visualize data, bringing a differentiated analytical perspective to his reporting. This approach allows him to produce content that is not only informative but enriched with actionable insights. “The availability of generative AI for me as a journalist gives me the ability to do things that I couldn’t [previously] do with my tech ability,” Brian says.

Beat Overview

-Publication: Drug Discovery & Development (DD&D) focuses on biopharma with coverage spanning early drug discovery, clinical trials, and manufacturing processes. The publication explores emerging technologies, such as AI, affecting development and regulatory practices. Serving industry professionals, from researchers to executives, DD&D’s digital content includes articles on scientific advancements, industry trends, and regulatory updates.

-Coverage Areas: Aims to “go beyond isolated stories” to “connect the dots” across emerging technologies with broader industry shifts. Brian is particularly interested in the application and implications of AI and cloud computing in R&D (for example, reducing clinical trial costs or enrollment timelines), as well as the evolving landscape of obesity, oncology, and inflammatory-based conditions.

-Angles of Interest: Looks for stories that offer data-driven insights, enabling a richer, more comprehensive understanding of the topic at hand. Brian incorporates charts, graphs, and visualizations to provide in-depth analysis. In terms of stages of development in which he’s interested, he says, “I’m pretty flexible, but I’m skewed towards more mature trials.”

What to Watch

-Industry Movers: Brian’s editorial vision includes a keen watch on the drivers of change within the biopharma industry, focusing on technological innovations and market dynamics that shape the future of R&D.

-Executive Focus: Strives to attract industry executives by exploring themes that resonate at the leadership level. He reflects, “I think [about] how do I get decision makers at big pharma companies or decision makers involved in the pharma food chain–how do I get their interest? How do I find content that’s especially relevant?”

-Traffic Insights: Articles featuring breakthroughs and executive interviews from bigger and more advanced companies typically perform very well. Brian surmises that “maybe it’s in part because they have big LinkedIn networks often, and they share [articles] and get a lot of reach.” Brian has ramped up his own LinkedIn presence to maximize reach and engagement, as well.💡Pro tip: Given Brian’s LinkedIn and data analytics savvy, you can bet that he’s going to check out a subject or company’s reach when assessing whether to cover it.

-Podcast Evolution: Following the monthly video podcast AI Meets Life Sci launch in November 2023, Brian is currently reworking the programming to diversify content specifically within biotech and pharma (excluding medtech, moving forward). He’s considering incorporating guest interviews, exploring practical applications of AI in R&D, and diving deeper into how these technologies can solve industry challenges. He says he may also experiment with embedding videos in online news stories, too.

Pitching Tips

-Make It “Captivating:” Subject lines that immediately grab attention and convey the significance of the story are crucial. Brian advises, “Not just saying [in the subject line] it was a trial that had results, but what happened? … Why does it matter? Who does it matter to?”

-Beyond the Press Release: Values pitches that offer unique insights and highlight broader industry trends and implications, backed up with data and specifics. Brian also appreciates follow-up with additional pertinent background material, research, articles, images, or potential neutral expert commentary sources.

-Importance of Timing: Checks email more often in the morning, around 8 a.m. PT, making it an optimal time for pitches. Prefers receiving embargoed news with adequate lead time, ideally a week in advance, to consider in-depth coverage and potential interviews.

Pet Peeves

-Buzzword Fatigue: Is wary of pitches laden with words like “revolutionize,” “state-of-the-art” and sometimes “AI” without solid evidence. Brian seeks concrete details and if possible, case studies.

-Lack of Context: Pitches that fail to explain the wider relevance or to stand out among similar stories miss the mark. Brian prefers multifaceted stories over isolated announcements.

-Embargo Formalities: The ritual of formally agreeing to embargoes feels unnecessary, though Brian acknowledges the importance of this standard practice. With that being said, he values trust and efficiency in his interactions with PR professionals.

Key Quote

“I feel a real potential to kind of change what I’m doing. So, I’m still doing traditional news. … I think there’s also the ability for journalists to start questioning what they’ve done and explore new possibilities.”

Lightning Round

–The Best Sources Are: Not just thoughtful, but playful.

–Favorite Kind of Question to Ask: Big, open-ended questions.

–One Word That Describes Your Approach: Storytelling

–Key Differentiator as a Reporter and Editor: My focus on data and visualization.

–Under-Appreciated Area of Current R&D Efforts: Ehlers Danlos syndrome, somewhat of a rare disease with few treatments.

–Dream Interview: Jensen Huang, for transforming NVIDIA into an AI powerhouse with growing life sci partnerships and applications.

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