Building a Biotech Business That Changes Lives with Deborah O’Neill

In this episode of Scale Her Up, I’m joined by Deborah O’Neill, CEO and founder of Novabiotics.Deborah shares the story behind building a biotech company in Aberdeen, developing innovative healthcare products for both pharmaceutical and consumer health markets. From respiratory disease treatments to nail care products, everything Novabiotics creates is rooted in the same scientific foundation: understanding how the immune system protects and repairs the body.We talk about the reality of founding and growing a biotech business, the marathon of product development, how innovation is funded, and why tenacity matters so much in a sector where success can take years.This is a fascinating and inspiring conversation about science, business, resilience, leadership and the impact that women can have when they back themselves and build something meaningful.In this episode, we cover:What Novabiotics does and the problems it is solvingDeborah’s journey from immunology research to biotech founderThe difference between academic and commercial scienceWhy biotech is a marathon, not a sprintHow biotech companies are funded before products reach marketThe importance of building the right team around youSupporting early-stage life science businesses in the North EastWhy Aberdeen is becoming an exciting place for biotech innovationWhat Deborah has learned about herself as a founderWhy founders need tenacity, flexibility and sticking powerAdvice for women considering life sciences or starting a businessMemorable moments from this episode:Deborah’s reflections on spinning the business out rather than keeping it as a side projectHer honesty about the long and uncertain road to market in biotechWhy there is no such thing as a wrong answer in an experimentHer point that success is often not exactly the destination you first imagined“If there’s a little voice telling you to do it, listen to it.”“Throw the map away.”