When Brian McMillan started his new company, Bravado, he was full of optimism. “it was kind of my dream come true.. with this company, I have authority to make decisions on my own in an educated, calculated manner. It has provided me with a real sense of freedom to pursue my dreams”.
At Bravado’s grand opening in Lutz, the new lab space was packed with nearly 100 people. The trouble was that the grand opening was March 2, 2020. The world was about to change dramatically, and that would be the last big gathering anyone with the company would have for months.
Bravado Pharmaceuticals specializes in creating new drugs and determining the best way to deliver them, in tablets, capsules, creams, lotions, injectables, or nasal sprays. Often, a researcher or university will come to a company like Bravado with an idea for a new drug or a new way to administer a drug. They hire Bravado scientists to work on getting the chemistry and logistics right and to test their formula and the application.
It might seem like a pharmaceutical company would be especially well-suited to weather the economic storm brought by the pandemic. After all, we all still have healthcare needs, and some needs have been especially acute during the pandemic. But Bravado relies on outside investors being willing to spend money on development of new products, and during an economic downturn, investors were holding back. With a brand-new building, new equipment, and new employees, McMillan wasn’t sure what would happen.
“It did affect us adversely, but we got very, very lucky,” McMillan said. “There was just enough business to keep paying everyone’s paychecks and to keep the lights on.”
On LinkedIn, McMillan offered up his new lab space to folks working on COVID-related projects. He offered to work pro bono with a global group including Stanford University to develop a nasal spray that would protect the user against COVID-19. “We did it in three months,” he said. “It works beautifully. I truly believe there’s no other company that could have done what we did in three months.”
As he’s worked to keep his new business thriving, McMillan has relied on Spoor Bunch Franz for business advice. “They’ve really taken care of me,” he said. “When I sold my last company, they legally saved me money that you can’t imagine. And any time of day, when I contact them, they’re right back to me. It’s a partnership, it’s not just an accountant that you email and maybe they get back to you in a few days.”
Having that kind of advice helps McMillan keep his focus on what he does best — developing the science behind pharmaceuticals that help people live longer and better lives. He wants to focus next on anti-cancer drugs and deriving new cures from marine life and ocean plants.
“I believe all great future drug discoveries are going to come from the ocean,” he said. “I feel that’s what I was put on this planet to do.”