“I did everything I believed I could give, and still people didn’t see the value I brought to the project.”
In this episode, I talked with Christian Mueller, Chief Development Officer at Immutep. Christian’s path into biotech wasn’t exactly planned—from summarizing VC business plans during his studies to becoming a driving force behind the world’s first Claudin 18.2-directed antibody.
We talked about the wins and the setbacks: from finally securing Pembrolizumab supply after years of rejections, to those painful moments when you give your all to a project, and still feel unseen. Christian also opened up about hiring, leadership, and what makes a biotech team truly work (or fall apart). He shared why Immutep has gone all-in on LAG-3, what makes their international culture different from most, and why knowing your weaknesses might just be the most underrated leadership skill.
And to wrap things up, we threw in a few quickfire questions, from the book he’s reading (featuring octopuses!) to what he tries to do every single day to stay sharp.
Here’s what you’re in for:
- What happens when regulators threaten to shut down your trial
- How to know when you’re no longer valued at work
- Why getting Pembrolizumab supply took years of rejections
- The red flag that made Christian walk away from a company
- Why great hiring is about cultural fit, not just perfect CVs
- What small biotechs misunderstand most about recruitment
- Why clinical teams still fail despite good science
- The danger of letting misaligned C-level hires erode your team
- The problem with “me-too” drug development and wasted resources
- What makes Immutep’s global, low-ego culture stand out
Timestamps:
01:54 – From Economics to Biotech: How VC Summaries Led to Drug Development
07:41 – Career Lows: Feeling Undervalued and Facing a Regulatory Near-Shutdown
13:48 – Why LAG-3? The Science and Conviction Behind Immutep’s Strategy
14:34 – Inside Immutep: Low-Ego Culture, Fast Decisions, and Argument-Driven Thinking
17:00 – Hiring With Humility: The Culture Fit That Matters Most
22:47 – Cultural Fit Over Credentials: What Hiring Managers Really Want
33:44 – Quickfire Questions: Books, Octopuses, and Trying New Things
About Christian
- Christian Mueller currently serves as the Chief Development Officer at Immutep, where he has been instrumental in advancing the company's lead compound, Efti, from Phase I through to Phase III clinical trials.
- Prior to his tenure at Immutep, Christian led the clinical development of Zolbetuximab, the first-ever CLDN18.2-directed antibody.
- Christian brings a unique multidisciplinary mindset to his work, describing himself as a “translator” between different scientific and operational domains.
- Outside of work, he is a lifelong basketball fan and enjoys spending time in nature
Connect with Christian
About Immutep
- Immutep is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing novel LAG-3 immunotherapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases.
- The company's lead product candidate, eftilagimod alfa (efti), is a soluble LAG-3 protein and MHC Class II agonist, currently in Phase III clinical trials for first-line non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
- Efti is Immutep's proprietary soluble LAG-3 protein and MHC Class II agonist, designed to boost the immune system's response against tumors.
- Immutep: https://www.immutep.com/
- Pipeline: https://www.immutep.com/pipeline/clinical-pipeline.html
About me
My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.
In 2023, I decided to launch my firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.
Connect with me:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/
- Website: https://www.discera-search.com/
Opinions and comments expressed by the guest do not represent the company and are fully their own.
