Christopher Davis
Biotech operator.Builder. Strategist.
I screened compounds at Novartis, launched a drug commercially at Shire, directed product strategy for a $1.2B franchise, built an ML biotech from scratch, and evaluated 50+ seed-stage deals. Twenty-five years shipping in regulated environments.
25
Years in biotech
$1.2B
Portfolio in scope
50+
Deals evaluated
Track record
Results that trace to receipts
Every number here is verified. No invented metrics, no inflated claims.
$1.2B
Portfolio in scope
Product strategy for Shire GI/IM franchise. Corp Dev liaison, $32B Baxalta integration.
1 shift
Sterility testing
vs. 14-day reference method — built and shipped at Mango Inc
1
Drug launched
Mydayis (ADHD) — promotional compliance, cross-functional launch coordination at Shire
5
Regulatory regimes
CLIA/CAP lab certification. FDA promotional compliance. USP sterility validation. International drug registration. TPP development and clinical trial strategy.
~50
Team built
Grew Mango Inc from zero — scientists, engineers, operations, advisors, consultants
50+
Deals evaluated
Seed-stage life sciences deals — due diligence, landscape analysis, investment recommendations
6M
Compounds screened
5 HTS programs at Novartis NIBR — 4 compound classes advanced
1
Patent invented
Sole inventor. Filed in 5 jurisdictions (US, EP, JP, CN). Cited by subsequent patents.
Case Studies
Execution in high-stakes environments
From zero-to-one hardware engineering to Fortune 100 franchise operations. Context and outcomes for key career milestones.
90-Minute Sterility Testing
Challenge
Standard cell therapy sterility testing takes 14 days, creating a massive bottleneck in manufacturing and lot release.
Action
Engineered a machine-vision AI platform using Fourier Ptychographic Microscopy (FPM) and Nvidia Orin edge computing.
Result
Cut testing time from 14 days to a single shift (200x improvement). Raised $4.24M total capital, secured J&J as corporate partner.
High-Volume Promotional Compliance
Challenge
Cross-functional coordination and launch compliance bottlenecked the Mydayis commercial launch and existing asset pipeline.
Action
Deployed a centralized milestone tracking platform across 50+ matrixed stakeholders with zero direct reports.
Result
Processed 7,000+ Form 2253 assets/week with a 100% first-pass approval rate. Successfully launched Mydayis.
High-Throughput Screen Optimization
Challenge
Hit triaging in a massive 1.2M compound screen yielded excessive artifact activity due to assay interference.
Action
Designed and deployed orthogonal assay counterscreens across AlphaScreen, AlphaLISA, FP, and TR-FRET modalities.
Result
Filtered 60,000 false positives rapidly. Advanced 4 structurally verified compound classes to med chem.
Autonomous Discovery Platform
Challenge
Need for a 24/7 autonomous drug discovery platform integrating automated siRNA screening and chemical biology.
Action
Managed vendor procurement, protocol optimization, and integration of robotics for a high-intensity research team.
Result
Delivered the complete functional platform 10 months ahead of schedule and 35% under budget.
Career
Scientist to founder to strategist — building at every stage of the biotech value chain.
BigBio AI
Founder & Principal2023–presentAdvises biotech and pharma on AI strategy, regulatory navigation, and corporate development. AI regulatory strategy aligned with FDA credibility framework and EMA-FDA joint principles.
Mango Inc
Founder & CEO2017–2023Built and shipped commercial ML product — sterility testing in a single shift vs 14 days. Sold to Fortune 100 customers. Company still operating on founder technology. Johnson & Johnson partnership. Sole inventor (PCT patent). Team of ~50.
Shire Pharmaceuticals
Director, PSPM2015–2017Product strategy for $1.2B GI/IM franchise (Lialda, Pentasa, Gattex). Corp Dev liaison, $32B Baxalta integration. Mydayis commercial launch — promotional compliance, cross-functional coordination. 7,000+ Form 2253 assets/week, 100% first-pass approval.
Metamark Genetics
EIR → Product Manager2014–2015Precision oncology (ProMark). NCCN guidelines inclusion. Initial CLIA/CAP certification. Built MSL team from zero.
Novartis NIBR
Scientist2009–20146M compounds screened across 5 HTS programs. 60K false positives filtered. 4 compound classes advanced to med chem. Published.
University of Calgary / IBI
Co-Founder2004–2008Autonomous drug discovery platform under a MacArthur Fellow. Delivered 10 months early, 35% under budget.
Mass Medical Angels
Member & Due Diligence2015–present50+ seed-stage deals evaluated over ~10 years. Due diligence and investment recommendations.
About
BigBio is Chris Davis — a biotech operator who has spent 25 years in drug discovery, AI/ML product development, and corporate strategy.
As founder and CEO of Mango Inc, Chris built an ML biotech from scratch — a computational microscopy platform that cut sterility testing from 14 days to a single shift. He raised institutional financing, licensed exclusive Caltech IP, secured non-dilutive federal funding with Johnson & Johnson as corporate partner, and grew the team from zero to 50.
Before Mango, Chris screened 6M compounds at Novartis NIBR, directed product strategy for the $1.2B GI franchise at Shire as Corp Dev liaison through the $32B Baxalta integration, and co-founded a computational biology institute under a MacArthur Fellow at the University of Calgary — delivering an autonomous discovery platform 10 months early and 35% under budget.
MS Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins. BS Molecular Biology from UNM. Executive programs at Harvard Law School (Negotiation) and Thunderbird (Alliance Management).
Today, Chris advises biotech and pharma companies on AI strategy, FDA AI regulatory navigation, and corporate development through BigBio AI — while exploring executive leadership roles where his operator background and AI/ML expertise drive the next stage of growth.
Experience
25 years in biotech
Education
MS Johns Hopkins, BS UNM
Executive
Harvard Law, Thunderbird
Founded
Mango Inc (ML biotech)
Currently
Advisory + leadership search
Let's connect.
Whether you're exploring AI strategy for your organization or looking for an operator who's built and shipped in regulated biotech — I'd like to hear from you.