Katogen is an operator-led biopharma firm founded in 2016 and headquartered in Boston, MA. We were built on a single premise: the best help in biopharma comes from people who have actually run biopharma companies — not studied them from the outside. That premise now runs across three pillars. Intelligence: proprietary, operator-augmented AI. Strategy: founder-led advisory on the decisions that define a company. Operations: embedded teams that execute. Every engagement is led directly by Founder and Principal Doug Drysdale, a biopharma executive with 35+ years of hands-on operating experience.
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com M on Unsplash
What Katogen Does
Katogen delivers through three reinforcing pillars. Every one is led by an operator, not a framework.
Intelligence — proprietary, operator-augmented AI
Decision tools built for biopharma leadership: board-ready analysis (BoardMemos™), scenario and strategy modeling (Katogen Engine™), and ongoing signal monitoring (Katogen Sentinel™). Intelligence that works between the meetings, not just inside them.
Strategy — operator-led advisory
The decisions that define the company: strategic planning and growth; M&A, integration and capital raises (17 transactions, $4B+ raised); novel therapeutics and drug delivery; supply chain and operational scale; turnaround and crisis management; and fractional executive and board leadership. Founder-led, never delegated to a junior team.
Operations — embedded execution teams
Strategy without execution is a document. Seasoned operators across procurement and vendor management, regulatory affairs, project management, and communications and brand — deployed as one accountable unit, scoped to your stage, stood down when the work is done.
The Katogen Engine
Each pillar makes the next one sharper.
Intelligence surfaces the signal. Strategy turns it into the right decision. Operations executes — and what we learn in execution feeds straight back into the intelligence layer. It's a loop most firms can't offer, because they only do one part of it. We built all three under one roof, run by the same operators.
Intelligence
See it first.
Strategy
Decide right.
Operations
Get it done.
Operator signal & live execution data feed back into Intelligence
Intelligence
See it first.
Strategy
Decide right.
Operations
Get it done.
Operator signal & live execution data feed back into Intelligence
What typical consultants lack: operator experience · intelligence tools · operational functions
FOUNDER & PRINCIPAL
Doug Drysdale
Doug Drysdale is a biopharma operator, strategic advisor, and Founder of Katogen, where he partners with biotech leaders, investors, and founders to translate scientific innovation into real-world business outcomes. With over 35 years in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, Doug is known for bridging the gap between rigorous science and practical execution - bringing an “operator mindset” grounded in P&L accountability, capital strategy, and company building. His work today focuses on advancing mental, metabolic, and neurological health while helping organizations scale, navigate complexity, and unlock long-term value.
Over nearly two decades as a CEO, Doug built and turned around four companies - two public and two private - leading 17 acquisitions across three continents and raising over $4.5 billion in capital. As CEO of Cybin, he took the company from molecule inception to Phase 3 trials in just three years, advancing breakthrough therapies in mental health. Previously, as Founding CEO of Alvogen, he scaled the company to $500 million in revenue across 35 countries in under six years. At Pernix Therapeutics, he led a successful turnaround, growing enterprise value from $80 million to $800 million, and earlier in his career, he drove global M&A at Actavis, leading 15 acquisitions and raising $3 billion.
In addition to his advisory work at Katogen, Doug serves as a board member and corporate advisor across the biopharma landscape, working closely with companies advancing next-generation therapeutics and drug delivery platforms. He is a recognized voice in mental health innovation, neuro-metabolic science, and longevity, frequently contributing insights through speaking engagements, media, and his monthly newsletter, Katogen Insights.
Known for his thoughtful and optimistic perspective, Doug emphasizes evidence-based progress, scientific rigor, and long-term impact over short-term hype. Doug holds a degree in Microbial and Molecular Biology from the University of East Anglia and was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Having worked across more than 70 countries, he brings a global perspective to leadership, innovation, and the future of healthcare.
Who Katogen Works With
Katogen works with CEOs, founders, and executive teams at growth-stage biopharma and mid-sized life sciences companies - typically those navigating one or more of the following
- A capital raise or financing event requiring a credible strategic narrative and investor-ready materials
- An M&A transaction - as acquirer, target, or post-close integration
- A regulatory or reimbursement inflection point requiring experienced operator guidance
- A commercial launch in a complex therapeutic category - specialty pharma, biosimilars, or novel therapeutics
- A turnaround situation requiring decisive external support
- A strategic planning process where operator experience adds more value than consulting frameworks
- A company that needs not just a recommendation but a team to execute it.
“Katogen does not work with every company that reaches out. Engagements are selective and intensive - designed to deliver real, measurable value rather than recommendations that sit in a slide deck.”
Why Operator Experience Matters
Most biopharma advisors have studied the industry. Katogen has run it. The difference between operator-led advisory and traditional consulting shows up in three specific ways
Quality of Judgment
Decisions in biopharma strategy involve trade-offs that cannot be resolved by frameworks or benchmarks alone. They require the kind of judgment that comes from having made those same decisions - under real pressure, with real consequences - across multiple companies and cycles.
Credibility with Clients
CEOs and founders at growth-stage biopharma companies do not need to be told what the textbook answer is. They need an advisor who has been in their seat - who understands the organizational dynamics, the investor pressures, and the operational realities that determine whether a strategy actually gets executed.
Speed to Insight
Operator experience compresses the time it takes to diagnose a situation accurately. When you have built and turned around multiple biopharma companies, you recognize the patterns faster - and you know which levers actually move the needle.
Why the model matters
Operator experience is the foundation, but it's not the whole story. Most advisors can only sell judgment, because judgment is all they have. Katogen wraps that judgment in tools that surface the move earlier and a team that executes it — Intelligence, Strategy, and Operations under one roof. That's the difference between being advised and being equipped.
Company facts & board roles
2016
Founded · Boston, MA
17
Acquisitions completed
35+
Markets operated in
USD 4B+
Capital raised
Board & Advisory Roles
In addition to project-based consulting engagements, Katogen's founder, Doug Drysdale, serves in a limited number of ongoing board director and corporate advisory capacities for biopharma and life sciences companies. Current and recent roles span independent board directorships, advisory board participation, and fractional executive engagements across novel therapeutics, drug delivery, and manufacturing.
- Role types
- Independent board director · Advisory board · Fractional executive
- Sectors
- Novel therapeutics · Drug delivery · Manufacturing
- Availability
- Limited number of ongoing capacities - selective
- Focus areas
- Strategic planning, M&A advisory, capital raises, novel therapeutics, drug delivery, supply chain, turnaround management
WORK WITH KATOGEN
If you are navigating a strategic inflection point - a capital raise, an acquisition, a turnaround, a regulatory challenge, or simply a moment where you need an experienced operator in your corner - we would welcome the conversation. Engagements are selective. The first step is a direct conversation to understand your situation and determine where Katogen can add the most value.
