David Craig's The New Rules of Biotech: A Founder's Guide to Building Great Companies is now available in hardcover and audiobook formats, joining the previously released paperback and Kindle editions. The book, published by D. Craig Consulting LLC, is aimed at founders, investors, board members, and operators in the biotechnology industry who need to adapt to a changed landscape.
The book addresses the premise that the biotech playbook from 2021 is no longer effective. According to Craig, capital is more expensive, the FDA bar has shifted, and the Inflation Reduction Act has altered the economics of drug development before approval. Investors now demand capital efficiency and a clear path to value, rather than funding speculative slide decks. The New Rules of Biotech serves as an operating manual for building a company under these new conditions.
Craig draws on his experience founding and running Sarcomatrix Therapeutics Corp., a preclinical biotech company. He provides guidance on choosing between a platform and an asset, selecting an affordable modality, raising seed rounds based on milestones, and using non-dilutive capital strategically. The book covers IND-enabling work, CMC, clinical decisions, term sheets, board dynamics, business development, and exits such as acquisitions and IPOs.
Each chapter concludes with takeaways for operators and separate insights for investors and advisors, making the content useful for both sides of the table. The new audiobook, available on Google Play, offers an alternative for those who prefer to listen on the go.
The book's origins are personal: Craig founded his company partly due to a family connection to RYR-1 related congenital muscular dystrophy, a rare genetic muscle disease. This connection underscores the book's argument that biotech company building carries responsibilities beyond financial returns.
The hardcover edition is priced at $29.99, while the paperback and Kindle editions are $21.99 and $11.99, respectively. The audiobook is also available on Google Play. All editions can be found on Amazon via the following links: hardcover, paperback, and Kindle. The audiobook is available at Google Play.
