Sven Van den Berghe, CEO of Pantera on Overpromises in Isotope Marketing, Why Culture is the Company, and Discussions in RLT Development

About this episode

Sven Van den Berghe discusses his transition from government research to leading a startup in the radiopharmaceuticals industry.

In this episode, I talked with Sven Van den Berghe, CEO of Pantera, about his 25+ years in nuclear physics, from his early days at the Belgian Nuclear Research Center to stepping into the high-stakes world of radioisotope production. Sven speaks openly about the toughest move of his career: leaving the safety of a government research institute to run a startup where pressure, governance disputes, and fundraising could make or break the company. He explains why independent boards are essential, how culture must be defined from day one, and why money and trust suddenly matter a lot more when you’re no longer in a state-funded environment. He also shared the fine line between science and marketing in radiopharmaceuticals—the misleading claims, the half-truths about isotope supply, and how exaggeration risks turning investors and the public away from the whole field. Sven also gives a clear picture of Pantera’s mission to expand actinium-225 production, what real diversity in a team looks like, and why letting people go quickly can be the fairest option for everyone. We also spoke about Sven’s view on recruiters—the practices that cross the line and what still makes collaborations…

People in this episode

Host: Charles Spence

Guest: Sven Van den Berghe

Topics covered

• nuclear physics
• startup culture
• radiopharmaceuticals
• governance
• recruitment practices

Keywords

• nuclear physics
• startup
• radiopharmaceuticals
• governance
• recruitment

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Pantera, Belgian Nuclear Research Center

Products: actinium-225

More episodes of A Dose of Reality with Charles Spence

• Sofia Heigis, CEO of OncoPeptides, From Sales Rep to CEO, Being "Present", and Hiring for Self-Insight · May 31, 2026 · 38 min
• Jens Lindberg, CEO at Medivir, on The Biotech Rollercoaster - Medivir´s Previous Four Months (and Biotech Today in 2026) · May 18, 2026 · 34 min
• Hubert Truebel, Managing Director at DEBRA Research, on Creating Own Career Opportunities...and a Practical Approach to Longevity · May 4, 2026 · 28 min
• Sampreet Ramachandra, Head of Hematology Business Unit at Novartis Germany, on Launching Without a Playbook, Hiring Mistakes, and Leading with Equity · March 30, 2026 · 42 min
• Volker Wacheck, SVP at Taiho Oncology in Speaking Up, Asking vs. Accusing and Why Culture is So Important · March 9, 2026 · 30 min
• Dena Grayson, MD, PhD, SVP Clinical Development & Medical Affairs at Kyverna Therapeutics on Media Training, Communication within Biotech, and Dealing with Fake CVs · February 24, 2026 · 32 min