Bayer is paying $425m upfront to acquire KaNDy Therapeutics, whose CEO tells Scrip that the German group was always the preferred partner due to its long-standing commitment to women’s health.

Prospective partners will be impressed by data which shows that the UK company's once-daily oral treatment reduces hot flashes and night sweats and has also shown very rapid improvements in mood and sleep.

There is no single path toward becoming a CEO. The job requires many different skills, often concurrently: sharp analytical capabilities, strategic thinking, clear communication with multiple audiences, curiosity and perseverance. It demands strong leadership but also humility, and a willingness to acknowledge mistakes and knowledge gaps.

Armed with a fresh injection of £25m, the UK's KaNDy is about to begin Phase IIb trials of a dual mechanism therapy it believes will be a transformational treatment to tackle two key symptoms of the menopause, hot flashes and night time awakenings.