We are an agile team of science and business thought partners
All employees are subject-matter experts with advanced degrees
This means we curate intel as we collect it, and bring the tenacity to proactively ask the next question our clients need to find their competitive edge.
"It’s meaningful for me to work with the team at Brass Tacks to identify emerging trends and inequities of health currently inherent in clinical research and development, and to leverage these insights to advise drug developers on best practices for advancing more efficacious therapies for more patients."
-Brass Tacks Health Advisor, Aaron Lisberg MD
Dr. Lisberg is a hematologist and thoracic medical oncologist currently practicing at UCLA. He conducts clinical research on emerging therapies, such as the synergistic nature of radiation and immunotherapies, as well as on ways to facilitate greater equity and access in clinical trials for patients with lung cancer.
Dr. Lisberg received his medical degree from the University of Minnesota and completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Washington in Seattle, followed by a fellowship in hematology/oncology at UCLA. He is board certified in internal medicine, hematology and medical oncology.
Brass Tacks Health Founder, Eileen Faucher PhD
Our Mission at Brass Tacks is to widen the lens, from disease biology and market dynamics to inequities of health and diverse stakeholder perspectives, to guide our clients in developing the most game-changing, clinically meaningful therapies for all patients.
When the likelihood of any new therapy making it from phase 1 to approval is 7%, and clinical guidelines are updated 4 or 5 times a year, meaningful market insights paired with agile thinking lay the cornerstones for success.
When I was in grad school, I thought the smartest person in the room was the one with all the answers. I’ve since come to appreciate that it’s the people willing to ask questions that accelerate the field to real breakthroughs.
I first launched my career as a computational chemist, where I learned how much bias can impact the trajectory of an experiment. Later, I transitioned from postdoctoral research in cell biology to market planning in biotech, where again I observed how preconceived notions can impact the way data is interpreted and used. I have experience filing INDs and have co-authored multiple clinical protocols that were cleared to proceed.
I started Brass Tacks Health to give our biotech and pharma clients the insights and perspectives they need to move beyond pre-conceived notions, reframe their thinking and develop more clinically relevant therapies for more patients.
Outside of Brass Tacks, I serve on the American Cancer Society’s Board of Advisors in Washington State and co-chair a campaign in support of women leading cancer research, called ResearcHERs. As part of this work, I’ve had the privilege of hosting a variety of cancer researchers over the years, from academia to industry, who share my passion for disrupting the current paradigm and developing a more equitable approach to research and development.
In both leading Brass Tacks and joining forces with the ACS, I’m motivated by the opportunity to widen the lens, consider alternative perspectives and challenge the status quo. I love this work because it invariably translates into more wins for our clients, and more breakthroughs for patients.
Deliverables differentiated to align with how each member on your team learns best
By delivering insights that are comprehensive and meaningful but also easy to grasp for a diversity of learning styles, our approach cultivates connection and authentic contribution across multifunctional teams
Workers in science-focused organizations feel a greater sense of belonging, and better alignment with the purpose and mission of the organization, when they have a common understanding of the “Big Picture”. This can be a challenge in drug developement landscapes that are complex and dynamic. Even highly-capable, well-educated people can feel uncomfortable revealing knowledge gaps and asking questions in front of their team members.
At Brass Tacks, we triangulate information from multiple perspectives to distil relevant developments in your field into insights differentiated into formats that enable every stakeholder on your team to learn and contribute in the way that works best for them. Effective alignment to a shared understanding of the “Big Picture” and emerging trends increases the level of comfort, connection and contribution between team members in the context of competitive readiness planning.
We understand the drug development landscape
Need for greater diversity, equity, and inclusion within research and development organizations, clinical trial designs and commercialization strategies
Adaptive trial designs obscure competitor development timelines and target patient populations
Emerging therapies of increasing technical and logistical complexity
An exponential rise in the number of combinatorial approaches, with evidence gaps in clinical rationale and optimal sequencing
Evolving regulatory standards for CMC benchmarks, surrogate endpoints, and confirmatory trials
Our strengths
Multi-perspective market analyses
Customized stakeholder educational sessions, structured to foster inclusivity and cross-functional alignment
In-house database of hundreds of recent trial designs and corresponding timelines
Overviews and insights that are specific, comprehensive, relevant, and actionable
A trusted thought partner who is regularly informed by unbiased discussions with key stakeholders and able to shine a spotlight on mand-made blind spots
Expertise in product characterization assays and regulatory precedent