The rising cost of drugs in 2025 was driven by several factors, including inflation, supply chain issues, and the demand for specialty drugs – straining already overburdened health systems.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Jeff Harper, head of product at IntelliGuard, about these pressing issues and what hospitals can expect as we progress further into 2026.

The conversation also explores the role digital health technologies like RFID and predictive analytics could play in addressing drug waste and ensuring access, as well as why hospital CFOs and pharmacy leaders are reframing medication management as a strategic priority, not just an operational one

You can listen to episode 244 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

The term "omnichannel engagement" has become embedded in today’s healthcare conversations. Yet the biopharmaceutical industry often approaches it superficially – treating it as a trendy buzzword instead of a meaningful strategy for connecting with the sector's two most vital audiences: patients and healthcare providers (HCPs).

In this episode of the pharmaphorum podcast, developed in partnership with Reverba Global, editor-in-chief Jonah Comstock sits down with Cheryl Lubbert, co-founder and CEO of Reverba Global, and Carolyn Whiting, SVP of clinical and medical client services, to discuss how a thoughtfully executed omnichannel strategy can empower scientific experts to become effective communicators.

Today's patients actively seek scientifically robust, yet accessible, information about their health conditions, and a well-integrated medical affairs strategy can help deliver that knowledge through the HCPs they trust most.

However, bringing this vision to life requires forward-thinking strategies that build authentic connections, challenge conventional approaches, and dismantle the communication silos that frequently exist in healthcare organisations.

Throughout the episode, Lubbert and Whiting share Reverba Global's methodology for authentic omnichannel engagement with patients and physicians, offering real-world examples and practical perspectives on navigating obstacles and establishing this evolved model.

You can listen to this episode of the pharmaphorum podcast using the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Outdated training and behaviours impact patient outcomes and can lead to patient risk.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Lisa Sims, executive director of learning strategy & operations at Novartis, for a conversation on modern training for pharma and how AI and data – quality data – can help personalise learning at scale.

You can listen to episode 243 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

At the JP Morgan Healthcare conference this year, a lot of the discourse around AI drug discovery focused on making the leap from purely in silico drug discovery operations to real-world operations that are able to incorporate wet lab data in an iterative way.

This is easily said, but to do it requires innovating new processes and infrastructures. On the sidelines of the show, pharmaphorum’s Jonah Comstock caught up with Yann Gaston-Mathe, founder and CEO of Iktos, an AI drug discovery company that just signed a billion euro deal with Servier to put this technology into action.

In this quick dispatch from JPM (and we apologise for the shaky audio), Gaston-Mathe describes this shift in AI drug discovery, why it needs to happen, and what it takes, as well as giving some insights on why Servier and Iktos are a good fit as partners.

“You need to think about how effective you are in the transition between the in vitro world and the in silico world,” Gaston-Mathe says. “Building on the data which is available is not enough.”

You can listen to episode 242 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

The global impact of digital transformation in the last few decades cannot be understated. And now, of course, artificial intelligence (or AI) is making headlines for its potential to transform lives.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, Deep Dive editor Eloise McLennan speaks with Mohit Manrao, SVP, head of US oncology at AstraZeneca, and president of the AstraZeneca Foundation.

The conversation explores the application of AI in cancer care, some of the most promising potential applications of AI in the life sciences setting generally, as well as AZ’s multi-year partnership with Pangaea Data, focused on advancing precision healthcare with multimodal AI.

Additionally, Manrao discusses how equity gaps in oncology can be minimized, but also the importance of maintaining the human touch when it comes to applying AI in the cancer setting.

You can listen to episode 241 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

On-site on the sidelines of JP Morgan Healthcare conference in San Francisco this year, pharmaphorum editor-in-chief Jonah Comstock sat down with Andrew Beck, co-founder and CEO at PathAI.

The conversation covers what PathAI has been up to lately in AI within diagnostics in pathology, explores what’s been discussed on the ground at the conference, and also touches upon equality and access to precision diagnostics. Additionally, Beck notes the company’s work in prospective clinical trials in life sciences, as well as co-partnering with pharma.

Having seen an over 10 x growth of adoption of their technology in 2025, Beck also discusses advances in the MASH field.

Listen to this and other conversations from JPM2026 here.

You can listen to episode 240 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

An increasing prevalence of immunodeficiency and autoimmune disorders has led to increasing demand for plasma-derived immunoglobulin therapies and a need for scalable and sustainable treatment solutions.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Dr Jörg Schüttrumpf, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Innovation Officer of Grifols and Chief Executive Officer at Biotest, a Grifols company. The conversation explores advancing immunoglobulin (or IG) treatment for immune disorders, looking broadly at the field and current innovation that is working towards redefining how these therapies are delivered, accessed, and optimised for a growing and diverse patient population.

Dr Schüttrumpf also discusses emerging platforms such as recombinant polyclonal therapeutics, as well as the integration of Real World Evidence (RWE) and artificial intelligence (AI) in shaping the future of immunodeficiency care.

You can listen to episode 239 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

A liquid biopsy is a blood test that detects signs of cancerous tumors, including tumour cells and cancer cell DNA.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Andrew Newland, CEO of ANGLE, about why live cell liquid biopsies should become standard in oncology.

Newland explains how current US FDA-approved tests can detect some types of advanced cancers, predict prognosis, and help healthcare providers make treatment decisions. And importantly, Newland describes how live cell liquid biopsies are a UK-developed technology that aligns with national efforts to modernise cancer diagnostics, as well as potentially reduce healthcare costs by minimising ineffective treatments.

You can listen to episode 238 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

It goes without saying that drug pricing and accessibility in the United States are complex indeed.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Vinay Patel, an innovative pharmacist who's set out to transform the healthcare industry, about these intricacies.

Patel discusses some intriguing stories about crafting innovative solutions for employers, revitalising struggling independent pharmacies, and implementing hybrid care models that can make healthcare more attainable for everyone. The conversation touches upon how biosimilars driving pharmaceutical innovation and reducing health costs, the role of telemedicine, also.

You can listen to episode 237 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Gefion is Denmark’s first AI supercomputer, named after a goddess in Danish mythology. It is operated by the Danish Centre for AI Innovation (DCAI), a company established with funding from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the world’s wealthiest charitable foundation, as well as the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Tarek Samad, Lundbeck’s senior vice president and head of research, for a conversation on AI – specifically, Lundbeck’s agreement with the DCAI to run and operate Gefion – and accelerating drug discovery and development within the neurological and psychiatric field.

You can listen to episode 236 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Illumina innovative sequencing and array technologies are fuelling groundbreaking advancements in life sciences research, translational and consumer genomics, and molecular diagnostics.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Markus Vossman, Germany general manager at Illumina, about innovative genomic applications and projects in the region.

Vossman discusses the genomics landscape, as well as next-generation sequencing (or NGS), and the Model Project, a large-scale national pilot project aiming to evaluate the utility of genomic sequencing for patients with advanced cancer and rare diseases.

You can listen to episode 235 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

The FDA recently announced that it will begin offering faster drug reviews to certain medicines, reducing the drug review process from approximately ten months to one or two months. This news follows a series of rapid changes from the FDA since the Trump administration took office.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Dr Amy Bucher, chief behavioural officer at Lirio, a healthcare personalization platform helping insurers, health systems, and pharmacies deliver precision nudges to move patients into action.

Bucher discusses the risks of the declining trust in healthcare institutions from a behavioural science perspective, as well as how regulatory changes, such as fast-tracking drug approvals as seen with the FDA lately, can impact patient perception.

You can listen to episode 234 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, guest Patrick Leung – chief technology officer at Faro Health – discusses how AI can transform clinical trials.

The conversation touches upon how large language models (or LLMs) can be gotten into production in regulated spaces – and why generic models won’t cut it in this domain – as well as the role of real-world data in quantifying and reducing patient burden.

You can listen to episode 233 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

The Women in AI Healthcare event series - hosted by Real Chemistry in collaboration with Pharma Brands – brings together dynamic female leaders to discuss the transformative role of artificial intelligence in life sciences. It is also a call to action: to ensure women are not only present, but pivotal in shaping the future of AI in healthcare.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast focused on the important and timely subject of women in AI, web editor Nicole Raleigh spoke with: Kate Eversole, event director at Pharma Brands; Celine Parmentier, EVP, head of global med comms at Real Chemistry; and Emma Slade, head of applied AI at Tangram Therapeutics.

The guests discuss their own work with AI, the risk of training AI models predominantly on male data, and how, within life sciences, women are already shaping, challenging, and advocating for AI. The conversation also touches upon the possible next greatest impacts of AI in the sector, and the need to keep the ‘human in the loop’, as well as the possible negative impacts if AI is relied upon too much.

You can listen to episode 232 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Resources mentioned within the conversation are as below:

Kotek, H., Dockum, R., & Sun, C. (2023). Gender Bias and Stereotypes in Large Language Models. arXiv:2304.02485.

UN Women & UNESCO (2020). I'd Blush If I Could: Closing Gender Divides in Digital Skills Through Education.

Tatman, R. (2017). Gender and dialect bias in YouTube’s automatic captions.

Criado-Perez, C. (2019). Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men.

King, M. (2020). The Fix: Overcome the Invisible Barriers That Are Holding Women Back at Work.

You can register to be a part of the women in AI community here: https://www.pharmabrands.ca/womeninai

Information on the survey being run by Dr Michelle Penelope King, on AI and workplace motivation, can be found here: https://lnkd.in/eCg87_7w

AI’s growing influence in pharma is transforming traditional drug discovery timelines.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Dr Alan Roth, CEO of Oxford Drug Design, about the use of AI to accelerate discovery of new treatments for cancer, infectious diseases, and cystic fibrosis.

Roth discusses combining deep enzyme biology expertise with GenAI and targeting leucyl-tRNA synthetase.

You can listen to episode 231 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

AI and computational small molecule drug discovery approaches are helping to realise the potential of targeted protein degradation (TPD) in molecular glue development.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Benedict Cross, Chief Technology Officer at PhoreMost, a company that’s specialises in next-gen TPD and which is progressing a pipeline of degrader therapeutics within oncology and inflammation.

Cross discusses TPD market growth, PhoreMost’s high-throughput GlueSEEKER platform, and the future horizon of TPD, of molecular glues going forward.

You can listen to episode 230 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Blood is a rich source for biomarker development, and CTCs are increasingly proving themselves to be valuable in cancer prognosis and treatment prediction.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Craig Eagle, Chief Medical Officer of Guardant Health, a precision medicine company that offers blood tests to inform cancer treatment decisions.

Eagle discusses Guardant’s participation in the National Cancer Institute’s Vanguard Study, as well as screening, recurrence monitoring, and therapy selection focused on conquering cancer with data, with examples especially in the colorectal cancer space.

You can listen to episode 229 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

There is a world of difference between the NHS from its beginnings in 1948 and the NHS as it is now.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Dr Ruth Chambers OBE, co-director of Raparu Consult CIC and a visiting professor at Staffordshire University, for a conversation on her book, “Our NHS for better or worse?”.

Chambers discusses her personal experience as a GP in the NHS, including the discrimination she faced as a woman, and analyses the notion of ‘burden’ in respect of the National Health Service, as well as differences in mental health care now and her proposed ‘Prescription for Change’.

You can listen to episode 228 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

CB1 inhibition is an approach that taps into the body’s natural metabolism to burn fat while preserving muscle for more sustainable weight loss. Unlike GLP-1s, which suppress appetite, CB1 inhibition activates fat-burning processes.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh spoke with Punit Dhillon, CEO of Skye Bioscience, for a conversation on CB1 inhibitor antibodies in the obesity space.

Dhillon discusses GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like semaglutide having taken the world by storm, despite the concerns over side effects, as well as what CB1s could mean for the obesity and weight-loss field.

You can listen to episode 227 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Technology and AI can help healthcare systems tackle the affordability challenge while ensuring patients still benefit from cutting-edge treatments.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Alfred Olivares, global managing partner, healthcare & medtech, at HTEC, in a conversation addressing how innovation can reach patients in a financially sustainable way.

Olivares discusses digital transformation that makes care delivery smarter, faster, and more sustainable, as well as how data-driven platforms can support pharma in negotiating outcomes-based agreements with payers like the NHS.

You can listen to episode 226 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

There are many efforts at the moment to transform the expensive, labour intensive, and high failure rate processes of drug discovery into automated drug design.

And Simon Kohl, founder and CEO of Latent Labs, knows this intimately. In a new episode of the pharmaphorum podcast, Kohl discusses Latent Labs’ emergence from stealth, as well as protein design and drug discovery acceleration in more detail, as well as the importance of democratizing research.

You can listen to episode 225 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

A CDMO plays a crucial role in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries by providing comprehensive drug development and manufacturing services, enabling companies to efficiently bring new medicines to market.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Sigma Mostafa, CSO at KBI BioPharma, about the role of CDMOs and the important factors companies should consider when selecting one.

Mostafa sets out what a CDMO does, how they help to advance medicine into clinical and then commercial trials, and the critical role of partnership in drug development.

You can listen to episode 224 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Drug shortages are a critical issue in the US, leaving patients and healthcare providers struggling. Compounding pharmacies, however, can curb drug shortages and help lessen this growing threat to the public's health. 

In a  new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Shawn Hodges, CEO of Revelation Pharma, a nationwide network of 503A and 503B compounding pharmacies, spanning across various locations.

Hodges discusses the true state of drug shortages in the US at the moment, the essential role compounding played during COVID-19, and opportunities for policy reform.

You can listen to episode 223 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Intra-tumourally injected therapeutics represent a novel approach to cancer cell death, with high tumour dispersion and cell penetration properties.

To discuss the potential of these therapeutics to kill tumours and elicit an adaptive immune response within mere days of injection, pharmaphorum spoke with Lew Bender, CEO of Intensity Therapeutics Inc.

Bender discusses the possibility of shifting the oncological treatment paradigm with intra-tumourally injected therapeutics, even for cancers that do not respond to immunotherapy, as well as how a business-trained mindset has led to outside-the-box – perhaps zigzagging – learnings.

You can listen to episode 222 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

There is a growing body of evidence on the role of inflammation in predicting heart health.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh spoke with Sandeep Kulkarni, CEO of Tourmaline Bio, about addressing inflammation, and also the impact of AI and GLP-1s on cardiology clinical trials and drug development.

Kulkarni also discusses Tourmaline’s IL-6 inhibitor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and his hopes for the future of this field of research.

You can listen to episode 221 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

With over 7,000 rare diseases affecting an estimated 30 million people in the US alone, these conditions have long been underfunded and under-researched, leaving patients with limited options. However, virtual trials are emerging as a breakthrough. 

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh is joined by Piet van der Graaf, Senior VP at Certara – a company providing predictive simulation, data-driven modelling, and AI tailored for drug development – for a conversation on the potential of digital twins in rare disease research and drug development.

You can listen to episode 220 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Graphite Digital’s study of 100 senior pharma leaders across Europe and North America earlier this year investigated organisations’ attitudes towards hot industry topics, including – of course – AI, omnichannel, and globalisation.

So it was pharmaphorum web editor Nicole Raleigh welcomed Graphite Digital’s CEO, Rob Verheul, to the podcast as guest, in order to discuss digital strategy and the Salesforce-Veeva split.

Verheul also comments on customer journey optimization and the role of personalisation in circumventing  the risks of legacy systems, siloed teams, and inconsistent data.

You can listen to episode 219 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Last week in Berlin the Frontiers Health Conference celebrated its 10th Anniversary with a whirlwind two days of panels and presentations from founders, executives, and patients across the healthcare ecosystem.

Whilst there, pharmaphorum editor-in-chief Jonah Comstock and web editor Nicole Raleigh, together with Frontiers Health co-host Jessica DaMassa, met up on-site immediately after the event came to a close in order to discuss their key takeaways. There was also some reminiscence from across the decade that Frontiers Health has been running.

In this 30-minute reaction podcast, hear about just a few of the many interesting threads discussed at the conference:

• How patients are finding new ways to lead in the search for cures
• How pharma companies and start-ups alike are responding to global policy forces
• The past, present, and future of what we once called digital health
• And the question of who will own healthcare in our rapidly emerging AI future

Listen now to the whole conversation, and stay tuned to our Frontiers Health 2025 landing page for further videos and articles yet to come from the event.

Process innovation in the pharmaceutical industry is never easy, but its best chance of success comes when companies come together to work on big problems – especially when they bring in regulators and other stakeholders.

In today’s episode of the pharmaphorum podcast, host Jonah Comstock speaks with Rob DiCicco, vice president of portfolio management at TransCelerate Biopharma, a membership organisation where big pharma companies work together to innovate around the discovery, development, and manufacturing of new drugs.

DiCicco gives an update on TransCelerate’s work with pragmatic trials and the group’s meetings last year with the FDA. He discusses what pragmatic trials are and how they can improve the efficiency of clinical research, as well as describing the work that was done at the meeting last year and the report that’s come out of it.

He also gets into next steps, how the new administration has and hasn’t affected the work TransCelerate is doing with the FDA, and the role TransCelerate plays in taking these recommendation and putting them into practice.

Tune in to learn how the pharma industry is working together to change the way clinical trials are done.

At the end of September, President Trump invited Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla to the Oval Office to announce that the company and the administration had reached a "deal" on most-favoured nations drug pricing. This was followed by similar announcements from AstraZeneca and Merck. But are these deals substantive policy or PR sleight of hand?

In today’s episode of the pharmaphorum podcast, host Jonah Comstock invites Hogan Lovells Partner Alice Valder Curran back to the show to help get to the bottom of that question, as well as to talk a little about TrumpRx. And this time she's brought along her colleague Elizabeth Jungman who gives us the skinny on the FDA's new priority voucher system and what exactly the government shutdown means for the pharma industry.

Despite the many press releases, oval office announcements, and guidance documents, there’s still a lot we don’t know about all these topics. But Curran and Jungman help clarify what we do know so far and provide context and analysis to fill in the gaps. For the rest, we’ll have to wait and see what US policymakers have in store.

Tune in for the whole illuminating conversation.

Amid historic advances in cell-based therapies and precision medicine, biotech’s biggest challenge isn’t scientific, it’s political.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, James Roosevelt Jr, a longtime healthcare leader, former associate commissioner of social security for retirement policy, and grandson of FDR, as well as Advisory Board Member for Pluri Inc, discusses regulatory bottlenecks and their stalling effect on cell-based therapies, as well as the real dynamics behind FDA reform, and why biotech CEOs must become more fluent in policymaking now.

You can listen to episode 215 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Radiation has for over a century been considered one of the most powerful methods of destroying cancer. But, even now, ways to deliver significant doses to a tumour without damaging normal surrounding tissue are few. And this is where targeted radiotherapeutics come in.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Dr Marc Hedrick, president and CEO of Plus Therapeutics, a clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing targeted radiotherapeutics with advanced platform technologies for central nervous system cancers, today and for the future.

You can listen to episode 214 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Ilya Burkov, global head of healthcare & life sciences at Nebius, a company building one of the world’s leading AI infrastructure companies.

Burkov discusses the deployment of AI and cloud-native infrastructure for improving the speed and indeed quality of drug development, as well as why access to compute not enough and how GenAI is helping pharma teams integrate real-world evidence into the pipeline.

You can listen to episode 213 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Bayer and Veeva have partnered for several years across commercial, R&D, and quality functions. But recently Bayer migrated to Veeva’s Vault CRM, taking that relationship, and Bayer’s connected platform journey, to the next level.

In order to discuss this migration further, pharmaphorum spoke with Alexander Alex, head of Veeva Platform at Bayer, and Florian Schnappauf, vice president of enterprise commercial strategy at Veeva.

Alex and Schnappauf explain how Vault CRM is a step-change for companies like Bayer, and discuss the benefits of being able to reflect the whole customer journey on a single platform, as well as the importance of collaboration.

You can listen to episode 212 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

As pharmaphorum reported during ESMO 2025, fresh from a return to oncology with the FDA approval of zongertinib as a treatment for HER2-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), tumour shrinkage observed by investigator review - Boehringer Ingelheim is racing to expand its label.

As the company reported new data at the Congress from the phase 1b Beamion LUNG-1 study, underpinning the approval of zongertinib (Hernexeos) as a second-line therapy, web editor Nicole Raleigh spoke with Lykke Hinsch Gylvin, chief medical officer of Boehringer Ingelheim, and Itziar Canamasas, Boehringer's head of oncology, offsite in Berlin.

Discussing also Boehringer’s novel T-cell engager obrixtamig in combination with standard of care chemoimmunotherapy for patients with extensive-stage small cell lung carcinoma, Gylvin and Canamasas make clear Boehringer’s oncology foothold and commitment to making an unprecedented impact on the lives of those affected by cancer through innovative research. Certainly, patient engagement, patient quality of life, and patient trial co-creation are core Boehringer Ingelheim concerns.

This and other reportage from ESMO 2025 can be found here.

You can listen to episode 211 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Back in June, pharmaphorum spoke with Entity Risk’s CEO and co-founder, Neal Masia, a leading health economist, about the unknowns unfolding in the US following the commencement of the second Trump administration this year.

Tune into today’s podcast for an exploration of the potential scenarios Masia mused might arise, as well as his insights on the 340B Program, PBMs, and risk-based contracts.

You can listen to episode 210 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

In the final episode of our special Frontiers Health limited series of the pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with the Chairman of Frontiers Health, Robert Ascione.

Ascione - a serial entrepreneur & thought leader in health innovation and digital health, global executive, CEO and founder of Healthware Group, and President of Health Innovation at EVERSANA – talks about his favourite memory from Frontiers Health, as well as how his work outside of the conference both informs and is informed by it. Finally, he contemplates what will define the future of health.

Listen to this and other episodes from the Frontiers Health limited series here.

As Gain Therapeutics announces positive Phase 1b results for its lead compound, GT-02287, pharmaphorum looks back to a conversation with the company’s CEO Gene Mack earlier in the year, discussing allosteric small molecule therapies in the Parkinson’s disease space.

Mack discusses the company’s progress in this field, and explores where next in terms of the unmet needs of Parkinson’s disease and the potential of this specific area of R&D in the future.

You can listen to episode 209a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

As one of Frontiers Health’s most recognisable faces (and voices), Jessica DaMassa, founder of WTF Health and long-time emcee of the conference, has had a front-row seat to the events evolution over the last decade.

In this episode of the pharmaphorum podcast’s special Frontiers Health anniversary series, DaMassa joins Deep Dive editor, Eloise McLennan, for a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to run the show – both on and off stage. She reflects on her very first visit to Frontiers Health, her evolution from conference-floor reporter to main-stage moderator, and why flexibility, curiosity, and a healthy sense of humour are essential tools for interviewing some of the biggest names in healthcare.

A self-described “health tech gossip,” DaMassa shares what she’s most looking forward to at this year’s event, how she prepares for interviews with top leaders across pharma and digital health, and why hype doesn’t always equal impact when it comes to innovation.

Healthcare organisations are facing the simultaneous pressures of demonstrating ROI on AI investments, addressing clinician burnout, and satisfying compliance requirements.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, Dr Jay Anders, chief medical officer for Medicomp Systems, and also host of the Tell Me Where IT Hurts podcast, discusses why he believes that the only way organisations can solve all three of those problems is by first solving data quality issues.

Anders talks about this data quality crisis, and the financial and operational impacts of the current situation, and explains why providers must ensure clinical data is validated, cleaned, and optimised.

You can listen to episode 208a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

The cell culture media industry is currently experiencing significant growth, driven by the increasing demand for biopharmaceuticals, advancements in tissue engineering, and the rising number of research activities in cell biology.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Brandon Pence, who was recently appointed President and COO of Fujifilm Biosciences, a company previously known as Fujifilm Irvine Scientific, about the cell culture media field.

Pence also discusses end-to-end life sciences capabilities to create an accelerated path toward greater patient access for advanced care, as well as the shift of late to the US for many large pharma, during Trump’s second administration.

You can listen to episode 207a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Frontiers Health.

In another episode of our limited Frontiers Health series of the pharmaphorum podcast, we speak with commercial strategy expert Pilar Fernández Hermida, founder of i-Expand, a commercial strategy firm focused on assisting Health Tech and Deeptech companies grow and monetise.

Fernández Hermida shares her favourite memory from the conference’s past decade, and discusses commercialisation of new technologies, such as advanced therapies and foundational tech like AI, and how CGTs can become more accessible, as well as much more.

Explore this Frontiers Health conversation and others - and find out how to attend the conference - here.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh spoke with Anthony Cilento, vice president, data science & customer insights, at Bayer, in a post-Axtria Ignite 2025 discussion on the conference and agentic AI more generally.

Cilento speaks to the advancement from GenAI to agentic AI, what’s changed for his own team in this regard and what’s required by way of a culture shift more generally, as well as speaking to the changes necessary in the advanced therapies space when it comes to commercialisation.

You can listen to episode 206a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Frontiers Health.

In another episode of our limited Frontiers Health series of the pharmaphorum podcast, we speak with founder, director, and global health advisor at D-Health Consulting, Roberta Sarno. Sarno is also director of the APAC Liver Disease Alliance, and consultant on digital health APAC policy at the American Telemedicine Association, as well as advisor to the Asia Pacific Medical Technology Association.

Sarno discusses her favourite memory from Frontiers Health, as well as the importance of equity and accessibility for patients, and how that needs to be from day one. The conversation also touches upon the rural community experience, and explores global health innovation more widely, Sarno explaining why multistakeholder involvement is key.

Explore this Frontiers Health conversation and others - and find out how to attend the conference - here.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Frontiers Health.

In another episode of our limited Frontiers Health series of the pharmaphorum podcast, we speak with healthcare innovation consultant Gary Monk.

Monk shares his favourite memory from the conference’s past decade, and discusses its ethos, as well as how his work at the moment aligns with that.

Explore this Frontiers Health conversation and others - and find out how to attend the conference - here.

In Donald Trump's first presidential term, he spoke a lot about "Most Favoured Nations" pricing for pharmaceuticals - that is, bringing the prices that Americans pay for drugs in line with prices paid around the world. In his first term, all that talk didn't amount to much. But this time around the pharma industry is taking the President much more seriously.  

In today's pharmaphorum podcast, host Jonah Comstock speaks with Alice Valder Curran, a partner at Hogan Lovells and our go-to expert on US policy in pharma, for an update on what's happening right now with Most Favoured Nations drug pricing. 

Curran brings us up to speed on what's happened with the President's Executive Order and the industry response so far, then she and Comstock break down what was in the recent letters sent by the administration to major pharma companies and subsequently posted on Truth Social by the President. 

They talk about the short-term and long-term impacts of the policy, to what extent it's likely to come to fruition, and to what extent the industry has already begun to change its behaviour in response. Check out the full episode below to learn more about what could be the most impactful US policy change for pharma's bottom line in decades. 

Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is a unique disorder in the rare disease sector because there are multiple approved therapies for patients and, in the US alone, the prevalence of CML is expected to triple by 2040.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Amy Burroughs, CEO of Terns Pharmaceuticals, about available treatments for CML, the potential of allosteric TKIs, and the wider oncological landscape today.

You can also listen to episode 205a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

When it comes to breaking down barriers, humour is vitally important, helping to do away with stigma when it comes – in particular – to pharma and health advertising.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Brian Coane, health partner at creative agency Leith, who talks sensitivity, maximum impact, and overcoming the fear of getting it wrong.

After all, dull ads can lead to the dreaded ‘beige tax’.

You can also listen to episode 204a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Biotech finance has encountered what can arguably be termed the worst perfect storm in its history, and private investment in biopharma is in the midst of the longest drought.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with former surgeon and investment banker Ali Pashazadeh, CEO of Treehill, a strategic and financial advisory firm for the life sciences sector, in a conversation focused on the current ‘perfect storm’ in biotech and why the skies might not be quite as grey and foreboding as at first feared.

Pashazadeh discusses how developers, CDMOs, CROs, and all other companies involved in therapeutic development might have to adjust to this new world.

You can also listen to episode 203a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Frontiers Health.

In this episode of our Frontiers Health limited series of the pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Unity Stoakes, president and co-founder of Startup Health and Advisory Board Member at The NeuroTech Collider Lab, University of California, Berkeley.

Stoakes has spent 30+ years at the intersection of tech, science, and design, operating with the focal goal of transforming global health. And Frontiers Health provides a buzz, a magic, and a vibe to attain that.

For Stoakes, Frontiers Health is all about the people, and the space; spaces selected especially to promote meaningful networking. Thereby leveraging network effects, exploring and progressing the power of innovation, and the power indeed of entrepreneurs to build together and bring change to beneficially affect people’s wellbeing globally – for Stoakes, today is one of the most exciting times in history to change the trajectory of health.

Listen to this special Frontiers Health episode of the pharmaphorum podcast to learn more about the big challenges that need to be solved for humanity, and discussion of the future landscape of human health.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Hilary Eaton, a rare disease advocate and chief business officer at Profluent about AI-first protein design and its part in accelerating biomedicine.

Eaton discusses her advocacy, gene editing, and how real-world evidence shows that AI scaling laws – which predict model performance based on size and computing power – apply to biology.

You can also listen to episode 202a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Characterising the behaviour of drugs in humans has historically required extensive clinical trials at considerable time and cost. So, any lab-derived early insight into how drugs will behave in human patients can make drug trials vastly more efficient.

In this episode, the pharmaphorum podcast welcomes Adityo Prakash, founder and CEO of Verseon, a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company based in Fremont, California that is developing several drug discovery programmes in cardiometabolic diseases and cancer using molecular physics and artificial intelligence.

Prakash discusses development of new AI technologies to handle the small, sparse datasets typical of real-world scenarios, and how testing drugs on organoids – artificially grown masses of cells that resemble the function of specific human organs – can deliver valuable information on the potential effects of drugs in real patients before any human is dosed.

You can also listen to episode 201a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Managed Access Programs (or MAPs) enable mechanisms for patients with unmet medical needs to get access to new medications outside of the clinical trial setting and well before marketing authorisation and reimbursement in a patient's country. Also referred to as Expanded Access Programs and Early Access Programs, these programs are not limited to the US.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Suzanne Aitken, SVP of managed access at Clinigen, discussing the role of managed access programmes in the current pharmaceutical landscape.

Aitken explores the challenges around regulations, guidelines, and terminology, which vary considerably from country to country, making it difficult to navigate and understand what is available and what is not.

You can also listen to episode 200a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

When it comes to GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro there’s a lot to talk about, from the science behind the drugs and where it could go next to the cultural and societal implications of this highly effective treatment for diabetes, weight loss, and potentially much more.

On today’s podcast editor-in-chief Jonah Comstock and Deep Dive editor Eloise McLennan forego the usual interview format for an editor-to-editor discussion of a wide variety of topics around GLP-1s.

The conversation touches on the stigma surrounding obesity and the ways in which GLP-1s are and aren’t reshaping the age-old narratives around obesity and weight loss. The two also examine the challenges of patient adherence, the rise of the grey market, and the ethical considerations of off-label prescribing, as well as what oral formations and new treatment areas could mean for the evolutions of the space.

Tune in for a broad-ranging discussion of one of the most important breakthrough medicines of the decade.

Overall, the pharmaceutical industry is moving away from an approach where AI is task-driven, narrowly focused on a single, isolated problem. Instead, companies are embracing foundation models which, trained on very large and broad datasets, are versatile, and capable of tackling a range of complex challenges simultaneously.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Brendan Frey, founder and chief innovation officer of Deep Genomics, an AI-first TechBio organisation working on a genome biology foundation AI platform.

From Nobel Prizes connected to the company’s work in the field, to mining RNA biology data and Deep Genomics’ own foundation model for this – Frey explains why standard approaches are simply too slow and costly.

You can also listen to episode 199a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Caris Life Sciences was founded in 2008 with a simple but powerful purpose – to realise the potential of precision medicine and help improve the lives of as many people as possible.

In a post-ASCO pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh spoke with Eric Matthews, chief business officer at Caris Life Sciences, about advancing the frontier of cancer diagnostics and treatment with breakthroughs in AI-driven pathology, real-world clinico-genomic data, and more.

These other ASCO 2025 and post-ASCO conversations can be found here.

You can also listen to episode 198a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

When it comes to artificial intelligence, the tables are turning and there is a shift in considering it a hype to understanding that AI is a real necessity. And 2025 is becoming a turning point wherein practical, embedded AI begins to scale.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Florian Schnappauf, VP, enterprise commercial strategy Europe, at Veeva Systems.

The conversation covers commercial model evolution, precision engagement, the importance of quality data in a personalisation strategy, and – of course – compliance.

You can also listen to episode 197a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

At ASCO 2025, Eisai presented data from its oncology portfolio, including in hepatocellular carcinoma and endometrial cancer.

In a post-Congress conversation, web editor Nicole Raleigh spoke with Dr Corina Dutcus, senior vice president and oncology global clinical development lead at Eisai, who discussed the data and the company’s continued commitment to innovation in the oncological field.

Tune in to this and other ASCO 2025 conversations here.

You can also listen to episode 196a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (mPDAC) is a highly aggressive, lethal form of pancreatic cancer that accounts for more than 90% of pancreatic cancer cases.

At ASCO 2025, Actuate gave an oral presentation on positive Phase 2 combination data for elraglusib, highlighting its potential to enhance anti-tumour activity by targeting key resistance pathways and immune mechanisms in previously untreated patients with mPDAC.

In a post-ASCO pharmaphorum podcast, Dan Schmitt, CEO of Actuate, discussed the data, as well as the Congress as a whole, and his hopes for the future of oncology more generally.

You can also listen to episode 195a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the UK, accounting for around 4% of all new cancer cases. While immunotherapy is a standard treatment for advanced melanoma patients, only about half of patients respond well, leaving the rest at risk of disease progression and metastases.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Phillip L’Huillier, CEO of Scancell, about how the company develops novel immunotherapy products for the treatment of multiple cancers, as well as its recently announced partnership with the NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad, and latest data release from the Phase 2 clinical SCOPE study in melanoma.

L’Huillier discusses their melanoma-specific vaccine, and more broadly this pivotal time in immuno-oncology and possibilities on the near horizon.

You can also listen to episode 194a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Back in May, health data company Datavant announced its plans to acquire Aetion, creating a formidable player in the real-world data space. Now that the acquisition has closed, the pharmaphorum podcast welcomes Arnaub Chatterjee, president and general manager of life sciences at Datavant, to discuss what that integration will look like -- and what the implications are for the pharma industry.

Chatterjee discusses how the acquisition came about and what the strategic fit looks like between the two organisations, as well as how they will complement each other going forward.

While the focus is on the news and what it means, Chatterjee and host Jonah Comstock also delve into some larger topics around real-world data in life sciences – how it’s being used, how regulators are responding to it, some of the biggest roadblocks holding the space back, and what the competitive landscape looks like. And Chatterjee shares his vision for what the future of data discovery, linkage, and analytics in life sciences could look like.

Tune in for the full discussion on this exciting industry development.

When it comes to CGTs, long-term follow-up care is an issue that makes patient access to these novel investigative treatments extremely limited, given the 15 years that patients must still engage with the trial after receiving the medication.

In a post-ASCO 2025 conversation, pharmaphorum web editor Nicole Raleigh spoke with Dr Pamela Tenaerts, chief medical officer at Medable, about the company’s new digital-first model to handle long-term follow-up care for cell and gene therapy cancer trials.

Tenaerts explains how the company’s approach prioritises patient comfort, simplifies trial execution, and enhances patient engagement, and is designed specifically for sponsors, CROs, clinical ops leaders, and healthcare providers

You can also listen to episode 193a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, Aoife Brennan, CEO of Climb Bio, discusses the treatment of immune-mediated diseases.

Climb Bio is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapeutics for immune-mediated diseases, and Brennan talks about the potential of B-cell depletion therapies, as well as the challenges and opportunities in developing novel biotechnology.

Brennan also speaks to being a female leader in this field.

You can also listen to episode 191a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

For AI to truly revolutionise drug discovery, it must move beyond pattern recognition and predictive analytics to include causality, which is essential for technical and regulatory success in drug discovery.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Ben Sidders, chief scientific officer at Biorelate, a company leveraging advanced data science methods to transform the focus and impact of drug discovery and development.

Sidders discusses how integrating causality in AI for biotechnology can drive greater R&D success, and more generally about how AI can contribute meaningfully and transparently to the advancement of biotechnology and drug development.

You can also listen to episode 191a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Radiopharmaceutical therapy has attracted increasing attention in the treatment of refractory diseases that are not sensitive to current therapies, such as in oncology.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Greg Piefer, founder and CEO of SHINE Technologies, a nuclear fusion company mastering more immediate applications of fusion – such as in producing cancer-fighting medicine.

Piefer provides an overview of the nuclear medicine field and discusses clinical research that demonstrates that radiopharmaceuticals substantially improve the overall survival of patients with certain types of cancer. Additionally, the conversation touches upon why the US is so very behind in developing and commercialising these therapies.

You can also listen to episode 190a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

The second annual HLTH Europe conference brought together health leaders, start-ups, investors, and developers from across the globe for a mid-year pulse check on where healthcare innovation stands today – and where it’s headed next.

Amid economic uncertainty and shifting regulatory priorities, pharma, health tech, and care delivery are all racing to prove value and scale innovation. In this special extended episode of the pharmaphorum podcast, Deep Dive editor Eloise McLennan sat down with editor-in-chief Jonah Comstock for a candid debrief on the key themes, hot topics, and hallway conversations that shaped the event in Amsterdam.

From the rise of GLP-1s and the push for true patient-centricity, to the potential (and pitfalls) of AI and the routes to funding bold new ideas, they unpack what’s hype, what’s real, and what still needs funding to take flight.

Plus, exclusive interviews from the show floor:

• Benedikt von Thüngen, founder and CEO of Sanome, on how AI is helping the NHS predict the risk of hospital-acquired infections
• Fiona Costello from Brain+, on making cognitive stimulation therapy for dementia more accessible, scalable, and effective
• Nick Ross, co-founder of Invest in Equity, on why the future of life sciences investment must be built on gender equality

You can listen to this episode, as well as previous episodes of the pharmaphorum podcast, in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

In today's healthcare landscape, there is a pressing need for quantitative methodologies that include the patients' perspective in any treatment decision.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh spoke with Marc Buyse, founder of IDDI and One2Treat, and also co-founder of CluePoints, about his recent work as one of the editors of – and a chapter contributor to – the first edition of "𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘗𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴: 𝘔𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘗𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵-𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤 𝘈𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘴", recently published by the Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.

The conversation explores generalised pairwise comparisons (or GPCs), applications in various disease areas, implications for regulatory approvals and benefit-risk analyses, and considerations for patient-centricity in clinical research and treatment decisions.

You can also listen to episode 189a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

At this year’s Veeva R&D and Quality Summit, it was revealed that Novo Nordisk and Veeva have entered into a new partnership for clinical development.

In this episode of the pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh spoke with Stephanie Bova, chief digital officer at Novo Nordisk, and Rik van Mol, SVP R&D and Quality at Veeva, about the partnership, Novo aiming to accelerate clinical trials and launches by uniting business and IT on the Veeva Development Cloud to enhance collaboration, automation, and data consistency.

It’s a mutual collaboration for addressing challenges and opportunities within these areas for Novo, while learnings from the collaboration will feedback into what Veeva does for the industry. 

You can also listen to episode 188a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

The JCA process was passed into law by the European Union in 2022. The Joint Clinical Assessment is a process that will systematically assess all available clinical evidence for new drugs. Rolled out in stages, starting with oncology drugs and advanced therapy medicinal products this year, it will be fully implemented by 2030.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Tommy Bramley, SVP of market access and healthcare consulting at Cencora, about the JCA, as yet unanswered questions (at the time of the conversation) and the key challenges facing manufacturers.

Bramley also discusses the work of Cencora within this changing landscape of drug clinical assessment.

You can also listen to episode 187a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Originally employed in atomic physics, mass spectrometry is now an indispensable tool in modern science, and importantly medical science.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh spoke with Melissa Sherman, CEO of MOBILion Systems, a company pioneering next-generation separation science, by innovating best-in-class instruments that deeply, accurately, and efficiently characterise complex molecules.

Sherman discusses the practical impact of this new technology for R&D, MOBILion's work with mass spectrometry technology at the moment, and the future horizon for this and NGS.

You can also listen to episode 186a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Onsite at ASCO 2025 in Chicago, web editor Nicole Raleigh sat down with Dr Stacy Lindborg, CEO of IMUNON, to discuss the company’s oral presentation at the Congress from the Phase 2 OVATION 2 study of IMNN-001, an IL-12 immunotherapy, in women with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer – since published in the peer-reviewed journal Gynecologic Oncology today.

Dr Lindborg shares her journey to her present role, the true potential shown in this new data for addressing unmet needs in advanced ovarian cancer, and the oncological space – and ASCO 2025 itself – more generally.

You can also listen to episode 185a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Osteosarcoma is an extremely challenging and often aggressive cancer that has particular treatment challenges due to location, changing genotypes, and high recurrence rates. It mostly affects children and young adults under 20 years of age.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh spoke with Paul Romness, president and CEO of OS Therapies, a company focused on the identification, development, and commercialisation of treatments for osteosarcoma (OS) and other solid tumours.

Describing the current treatment landscape for primary and secondary bone cancer, Romness explains the potential of their own – OST-HER2, a bioengineered bacterial immunotherapy based on listeria.

You can also listen to episode 184a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

At ASCO 2025, Servier presented data in the IDH-mutated cancer space.

Onsite at McCormick Place in Chicago, pharmaphorum web editor Nicole Raleigh spoke with Becky Martin, chief US medical at Servier about the key data from the company’s Tibsovo and Voranigo programmes, as well as the implications for patients and the wider themes of the Congress this year.

Listen to this and other interviews from ASCO 2025 here.

In healthcare, some of the most meaningful innovations happen when the right people are brought together in the right place. True progress depends on systems and infrastructure designed to connect ideas, people, and expertise across sectors.

Citylabs 4.0, now open in the heart of Manchester’s Knowledge Quarter on the Oxford Road Corridor, was built with exactly that goal in mind. Bringing the NHS, academia, and life sciences organisations into close, purposeful proximity, providing a structural foundation for collaboration at scale.

In this special live recording of the pharmaphorum podcast, developed in association with Bruntwood SciTech, Bruntwood SciTech’s CSO Dr Kath Mackay, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust T’s Dr Katherine Boylan, and Dr Gillian Dalgliesh from QIAGEN join Deep Dive editor Eloise McLennan onstage at the opening of Citylabs 4.0 to discuss innovation in life sciences and the role of Greater Manchester in accelerating research, industry collaboration, and real-world evidence generation.

Join us as we examine how this deliberate integration of healthcare stakeholders in Manchester is establishing new standards for collaboration and advancing patient outcomes through structured knowledge exchange.

Dr Kath Mackay

Kath Mackay is Chief Scientific Officer of Bruntwood SciTech - a JV between leading property developer Bruntwood, Legal & General, and Greater Manchester Pension Fund - the UK’s leading creator and developer of innovation districts driving growth of the UK science and technology sector.  She has a keen interest in growing businesses and infrastructure within the sector, ensuring the UK is the best place to establish and scale a science and tech organisation.  

Dr Mackay joined Bruntwood SciTech from the executive board of Innovate UK where she led the team responsible for growing businesses working in the biomedical, health, agriculture, and food sectors, creating and delivering a £800m portfolio of infrastructure, Catapults, grant and loan investments. She is also non-executive director of the Northern Health Science Alliance, the North of England’s health partnership, and an elected fellow of the Royal Society of Biology.

Dr Katherine Boylan

Katherine is Director of Innovation at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), a position she has held since April 2020. This role involves overseeing innovation activities within MFT, as part of the wider Research and Innovation function. Innovation at MFT supports the whole pipeline from ideation, through to evidence generation, and ultimate implementation.

She has been a member of the NICE Medical Technologies Advisory Committee since September 2020.

Prior to this position, Dr Boylan worked in the University of Manchester for a number of years, most recently as Operations Director for the MRC funded Molecular Pathology Node, and the Trust-funded Diagnostics and Technology Accelerator.

Dr Gillian L Dalgliesh, PhD

Global Technical lead, Precision Diagnostics

Gillian Dalgliesh has worked for QIAGEN for nine years and is based at their Manchester site, which is the global centre of excellence for molecular diagnostic development. QIAGEN partner with many drug companies to develop companion diagnostic (CDx) tests that enable clinical trials and subsequently launches of novel precision medicines. In recent years they have seen a real move beyond oncology into other disease areas such as immune, neurological and metabolic disorders. Dr Dalgliesh’s role as global technical lead allows her to leverage her oncology precision medicine experience across the portfolio to bring precision diagnostic products to more patients. She has built her experience in precision medicine/oncology through not only her QIAGEN role but also through seven years working in precision medicine in AstraZeneca and prior to that working as part of the cancer genome project at the Sanger institute.

Dr Dalgliesh is also an honorary senior lecturer at University of Manchester where she coordinates and delivers lectures for a QIAGEN sponsored BSc final year elective module ‘The Role of Diagnostics in Medicine’. This is part of a wider outreach role with the University and our NHS hospital. Through these roles she is keen to impact the local UK science community.

Bruntwood SciTech is the UK’s largest dedicated property platform serving the growth of the nation’s knowledge economy to become a global science and technology superpower. It is also the leading developer of city-wide innovation ecosystems and specialist environments, helping companies - particularly those in the science and technology sectors - to form, scale and grow A joint venture between Bruntwood, Legal & General and the Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF), Bruntwood SciTech provides high quality office and laboratory space and tailored business support, offering unrivalled access to finance, talent and markets, an extensive clinical, academic and public partner network and a sector-specialist community of more than 1100 companies.

Bruntwood SciTech is experienced in creating and developing strategic partnerships with UK regional cities, universities and NHS Trusts to drive economic growth. Its unique structure and funding vehicle more easily deploys long-term patient capital in innovation infrastructure, ensuring local economic benefit and growth.

Valued at £1.5bn, Bruntwood SciTech has a portfolio of 5.2m sq ft across 11 campus locations and 31 city centre innovation hubs in Manchester, Cheshire, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Cambridge and London. It has plans to create a £5bn portfolio by 2033 and has a 2.3m sq ft secured development pipeline.

Its campus locations include Alderley Park in Cheshire; West Village in Leeds; Innovation Birmingham; Birmingham Health Innovation Campus in partnership with the University of Birmingham; Melbourn Science Park in Cambridgeshire; Liverpool Science Park as a shareholder in Sciontec Liverpool; White City Deep Tech Campus in partnership with Imperial College London; and a cluster in the heart of Manchester’s Oxford Road Corridor knowledge quarter - Manchester Science Park, Citylabs in partnership with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), Circle Square - a joint venture with Vita Group; and the £1.7bn JV partnership with The University of Manchester - Sister, formerly known as IDManchester.

Its city centre innovation hubs include Bloc, Bond, 111 Piccadilly, Pall Mall and Manchester One in Manchester; Platform in Leeds; Cornerblock and Centre City in Birmingham; and The Plaza in Liverpool.

Website / Twitter / LinkedIn / Instagram

Boehringer Ingelheim’s data presented at ASCO 2025 reflected the company’s broad pipeline and growing body of evidence supporting innovative therapies for various cancers.

In a pharmaphorum podcast recorded onsite at the Congress, web editor Nicole Raleigh spoke with Itziar Canamasas, global head of oncology at Boehringer Ingelheim, for a discussion of the unmet needs in oncology and some of the specifics of the company’s data presentations.

The conversation also touches upon highlights from this year’s annual meeting and hopes for transformation of the oncological field in the future.

Watch this and other interviews from ASCO 2025 here.

Trends can be predicted, and trends can unfold. Here, Liz Beatty – co-founder and chief strategy of Inato – speaks to the beginnings of a new era in drug development brought on by key technological advances in AI.

Historically, large urban academic centres have conducted the majority of clinical trials, leading to such issues as inaccessibility, lack of representation, and intense competition for participants. With growing industry pressure for greater trial access, a more focused effort to bring research into communities is unfolding.

At the same time, there seems little that AI can’t be applied to so as to ameliorate speed and efficacy, and also specificity – and Beatty expands on these points and more.

You can listen to episode 181a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Podbean, and pretty much wherever you get your other podcasts!

As has been widely reported on, immunisation rates, including for flu and RSV, have been falling – at a troubling rate – and diseases like whooping cough and measles have seen a worrying resurgence due to anti-vaxxers. And not just in the US.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, Rebecca Catterick, General Manager for Vaccines, UK & Ireland, at Sanofi, discusses this decline in vaccination rates, as well as what can be done to turn the situation around.

Catterick explores the role of the UK Labour Government’s Child Health Action Plan, aligning as it does with NHS vaccination strategy priorities, and also the criticality of preventative measures, including primary and secondary prevention and its role in the 10-year health plan.

You can listen to episode 180a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Podbean, and pretty much wherever you get your other podcasts!

Early access programmes (EAPs) for novel medicines are an often-misunderstood strategy outside of western markets.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Cem Zorlular, CEO of Er-Kim Pharmaceuticals, a company that has been serving as a regional affiliate for pharma and biotech since 1981 in the CEE and Mediterranean.

Market access strategies in many international markets do not function the same way as they do in the US or Western Europe and require a different approach. Zorlular explains how EAPs can drive revenue for pharmaceutical companies from international unlicensed markets, but that most importantly EAPs allow patients access to life-altering novel medicines.

What’s more, he says, EAPs can also help shape the biotech space by supporting the opportunity for RWD collection outside of the clinical trial setting and build momentum with local payers, regulators, and the medical community.

You can listen to episode 179a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Podbean, and pretty much wherever you get your other podcasts!

With the FDA and EMA releasing their annual reports detailing novel drug approvals in 2024, a new pharmaphorum podcast looks at recent trends related to drug approvals, as well as challenges and opportunities both small and large pharma companies face in the year ahead.

Host Nicole Raleigh is joined by Cencora’s Sandra Anderson, SVP of International Commercialisation, and Chris Williams, SVP & International Managing Director at Alloga Europe and ICS, which are part of Cencora – and the conversation dives into takeaways such as the increase in smaller biotech companies taking their product to market on their own, what is needed to ensure a successful go-to-market strategy, the unique logistics and supply chain considerations specialty pharmaceutical products introduce, and also geographical considerations, with 34 of the 50 novel drugs approved in 2024 being in the US before any other country.

You can listen to episode 178a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Podbean, and pretty much wherever you get your other podcasts!

ISPOR 2025, the leading global conference for Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR), takes place 13th-16th May and marks the 30th anniversary of the organisation.

Ahead of the event, web editor Nicole Raleigh spoke with Rob Abbott, CEO and executive director of ISPOR – the leading professional society for HEOR globally – about the ins and outs and trends of HEOR.

ISPOR’s mission is to advance HEOR excellence to improve decision making for health globally, and Abbott explains its focus on the value of particular healthcare interventions, the impact on the quality of life of patients, and how his work is centred around positioning HEOR as a key lever for decision makers and shapers globally to create a world in which healthcare is accessible, effective, efficient, and affordable for everyone.

You can listen to episode 177a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Podbean, and pretty much wherever you get your other podcasts!

President Donald Trump’s April 15th executive order, “Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First”, contained a smorgasbord of policy proposals targeting a variety of industry stakeholders.

But how much legal force do these different elements have, and what are the concrete takeaways for pharma? To answer these questions and more, host Jonah Comstock once again welcomes Hogan Lovells attorney Alice Valder Curran to the podcast to pick apart the order piece by piece.

They discuss the headline – Trump’s intention to eliminate the Inflation Reduction Act’s “pill penalty”, and talk about why the language is more ambiguous than it appears and could be good or bad news for pharma.

They also talk about PBM reform, closing 340B loopholes, and how much the Federal government can really do to promote drug importation from Canada at the state level.

Check out the podcast to learn everything you wanted to know about Trump’s Executive Order.

It can take up to 15 years for a new drug to reach the market, and with only 20% of pharmaceutical professionals adopting AI, one thing is clear: innovation in drug development is lagging behind.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Andrew Stelzer, head of business development at Unlearn.AI, about how the real hurdle in clinical research lies in effectively integrating AI.

Stelzer discusses the need for greater coordination within the pharmaceutical industry, particularly between life sciences and software engineering and explains how bridging the cultural divide can significantly enhance the adoption of emerging technologies like AI.

Of course, the conversation also touches upon the importance of collaboration, which can positively empower pharmaceutical companies to overcome existing challenges and drive significant advancements in drug development.

You can listen to episode 176a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Podbean, and pretty much wherever you get your other podcasts!

Therapy initiation, adherence, and health outcomes are being driven by artificial intelligence (AI)-powered personalisation. Today’s consumers are more active participants in their healthcare. Marketing in the era of consumer-driven healthcare requires new strategies to reach patients with the information they require, and how and when they need it.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Bill Grambley, CEO of AllazoHealth, for a conversation on leveraging AI for marketing, as well as medication initiation and adherence.

Grambley discusses how AI can be leveraged to create highly personalised patient engagement strategies, tailored to individual needs and preferences, as well as the technology can be used to identify patients at risk of medication non-adherence and intervene early to prevent negative outcomes.

The conversation touches upon the ethical implications of using AI to collect and analyse patient data, and how pharmaceutical companies are ensuring patient data privacy and security while leveraging AI to improve outcomes, in addition to the regulatory landscape and the future horizon.

You can listen to episode 175a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Podbean, and pretty much wherever you get your other podcasts!

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Tomasz Kostriezewski, CSO at CN Bio, about single organ-on-a-chip technology and multi-organ microphysiological systems (MPS), as well as accelerating drug discovery pipelines with these new alternative methodologies (NAMs).

Clinical trial success rates are very low, with up to 95% not succeeding, and a wide range of disease states remains untreated. What NAMs permit is a screening of new drugs, of whatever entity – chemical or biological – to better predict how they will behave when put into a patient, says Kostriezewski.

From metabolic to neurological diseases, as well as oncological – the applicability of organ-on-a-chip technologies is wide ranging, and regulators have been taking a more active role in trying to understand their role and value, and thereby validate their contextual usage at a future point. Nonetheless, already data is accepted today using this new approach, explains Kostriezewski, providing further insights on the landscape as market adoption continues to grow globally.

You can listen to episode 174a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Podbean, and pretty much wherever you get your other podcasts!

Across the life sciences, Regulatory Affairs (RA) teams and their colleagues in Quality and Safety are stretched beyond their limits as already impossible demands on their time are compounded by rising health authority expectations.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Sonia A. Veluchamy, CEO and co-founder of Celegence, a company dedicated to improving patient outcomes through intelligent regulatory compliance.

For both pharma and medical device companies, time and bandwidth are the number one challenge RA professionals face, closely followed by costs and budgetary pressures (the latter being a more pronounced concern for medical device companies). And, as the medical device sector responds to rising demands internationally around device identification, traceability, safety, and surveillance – designed to reinforce product quality and safety – companies have a chance to expedite their preparations, by looking to the adjacent pharma industry for lessons still being learned.

Veluchamy dives into the details and explains what all these endeavours ultimately mean for patients.

You can listen to episode 173a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Podbean, and pretty much wherever you get your other podcasts!

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, recorded during Anthropy 2025: Rebooting Britain, web editor Nicole Raleigh spoke with David Gillen, chief medical officer at Norgine, about the role of prevention in the future of healthcare.

Recorded onsite at The Eden Project in Cornwall, the conversation centred around the Adelphi Group-sponsored panel, ‘The Prevention Revolution in Your Healthcare’, exploring the key takeaways and exciting possibilities from the panel discussion.

Prevention is increasingly seen as contributing to a healthier and more productive society. But, as healthcare resources are stretched and medical science is accelerating, the question remains: how do we make prevention a reality? Encouragingly, healthcare systems are increasingly seeing the health, social, and economic benefits of prevention when it is delivered in an evidence-based way.

You can listen to episode 172a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Podbean, and pretty much wherever you get your other podcasts!

As we hear of the volcanic and seismic activity taking place in Iceland this week, pharmaphorum turns back to a conversation with Dean Alms, CPO of Aravo, on how extreme weather highlights the need to make adequate supply chain preparations for the seasons in which the planet pulls out all the stops with the worst of its natural disasters.

Having a blueprint for supply chain resiliency is critical, as a mature and robust risk programme enables the right emergency protocols and drug reserves to be in place in the worst-case scenarios, and permits plants to return to full operation as speedily as possible.

And this is where Aravo, a third-party management software solutions company, comes in, operating at three macro levels: life cycle management, the due diligence process, and providing unified visibility into all this information.

Alms talks through the different scenarios and ways of approach to best safeguard the pharmaceutical supply chain, and explains what should be top of mind for chief risk officers when each extreme weather season arrives.

You can listen to episode 171a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Podbean, and pretty much wherever you get your other podcasts!

If we don’t address the mental health of young people, that mental health challenge will advance into the adult population of tomorrow. What can be done to address the issue, though?

At Anthropy 2025: Rebooting Britain, web editor Nicole Raleigh sat down with Dr Sebastian Vaughn, CEO of Phytome Life Sciences, for an en plein air and explorative conversation around the topic, live onsite at The Eden Project in Cornwall, following the Adelphi sponsored panel, ‘Revolutionary Thinking for Mental Health’, also with: Charlotte Baldwin, Mental Health UK; Dr Lauren Waterman, NHS; Sarah Hughes, MIND; and Dr Sri Kalidindi CBE, klip Global Ltd; and Lloyd Morgan, Adelphi Group, as moderator.

Action in the real world resultant from discussions like those held at Anthropy is what is, of course, critical. We are all agents of change. Mental health is not a binary issue, says Vaughn, but rather a continuum of a life-long management process. However, the healthcare system alone is not the only point of delivery, and community-based solutions need to be put in place, too.

Indeed, it is this system shift to collaborative efforts that will be key in changing the recent high tide of mental health diagnoses, including training teachers and even parents in the skills necessary to provide support for young people with mental health issues. Also exploring the increase in diagnosis, the lessening of stigma attached to mental health, and potential reasons there – Vaughn posits that ‘healthspan’, as opposed to ‘healthcare’, should be considered.

Arguing against associating addressing mental health with putting people back to work and mere consideration of productivity amelioration, instead we should be asking what helps us thrive as human beings, says Vaughn. We need, simply, to live better, and live well – such strategies currently being implemented in communities such as those in Manchester.

But, of course, young people themselves need to be offered a place at the table to make the changes they need for their own mental health; systemic change of the culture around mental health. And novel, holistic approaches that can be scaled – such as those being explored at Phytome – could be part of the necessary shift.

You can listen to episode 170a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Podbean, and pretty much wherever you get your other podcasts!

Last year, Alice Valder Curran, a partner at Hogan Lovells and a healthcare policy expert in Washington, D.C. joined host Jonah Comstock on the pharmaphorum podcast to talk about the intended and unintended consequences of the drug pricing negotiation provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act.

On today’s episode, Curran joins us once again for an update on the IRA, looking at the second batch of drugs announced in January, recent messaging from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and what it might communicate about their thinking, and more analysis of IRA’s consequences, including a recent study on the impact of the IRA on early stage investment.

She also talks about the possibility that, because of perverse incentives for pharmacy benefit managers, patient access to medications negotiated under the IRA could actually get worse. And she looks ahead to the third round of negotiations, which will see Part D drugs, including Keytruda, become eligible.

While the IRA was the main focus of discussion, Curran and Comstock discuss a lot more about the current chaotic environment in DC, including the potential impact of layoffs on the functioning of agencies like CMS and FDA, the outlook for the possibility of IRA reform under the Trump administration, and the recent dispatch from Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy indicating a change in policy around notice and comment rulemaking. 

Things are happening fast in the United States government and the ripples could have big effects for the pharma industry. Tune in for the low-down from an expert insider. 

It takes around seven years to develop a new drug and bring it to market. With the advent of GenAI, businesses in the life sciences sector can speed up the process, wiping months or even years off that average.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Bryan Hill, life sciences chief technology officer at Cognizant, in a conversation on how generative AI is revolutionising life sciences and drug development.

Though it might seem an obvious path, not all life sciences companies are jumping on the bandwagon to adopt GenAI. Instead, many are taking a wait-and-see approach, staying put until the course forward is clearer to incorporate the technology.

You can listen to episode 169a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Podbean, and pretty much wherever you get your other podcasts!

Unique, patient-focused manufacturing models are needed to scale up innovative cell therapies for cancer and one company, CTMC, is challenging the status quo to achieve this and get them to patients.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Jason Bock, co-founder and CEO of CTMC, a first-of-its-kind cell therapy engine aiming to advance novel scientific breakthroughs into medicines developed rapidly and robustly to - ultimately - end cancer.

Taking learnings from the monoclonal antibody field to come up with a fit-for-purpose solution, Bock discusses his work in the joint venture between the MD Anderson Cancer Center and biopharmaceutical manufacturer Resilience – combining industrial manufacturing and development capabilities with the work of an academic medical centre.

CTMC’s is a “patient adjacent” manufacturing model – crucial when it comes to developing personalised therapies (especially when dealing with living cells), and Bock explains how patient-centric approaches streamline manufacturing processes, improve efficacy, and allow for that personalised treatment approach, particularly when the supply chain is local.

You can listen to episode 168a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Podbean, and pretty much wherever you get your other podcasts!

Prior authorisations (or PAs) have long put a burden on pharmacy and medical practices, ultimately causing delays for patients. 

In a new podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Andrew Burns, chief revenue officer at DrFirst, about the ramifications of delayed patient care when it comes to specialty medications.

Exploring the current PA landscape, the conversation touches upon specialty pharmacy services and medications, helping to treat rare and complex medical conditions like cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. Mentioned also are the place of advanced AI and automation technologies, and patient-supportive education, in such services.

It is, after all, about better health outcomes for patients.

You can listen to episode 167a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Podbean, and pretty much wherever you get your other podcasts!

Around 75% of rare diseases are diagnosed in childhood, with most before the age of two. With 30% of rare disease patients dying before the age of five, the need for different treatment methods for children is clear.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Dr Helen Thackray, chief R&D officer at biotech company BioCryst, as well as an alumnus of the Children’s National Medical Center.

The conversation touches upon incentivisation for manufacturers to develop drugs to treat rare diseases, addressing age-appropriate formulations and recognising the metabolic differences between children and adults, and looks also at clinical trial design.

It’s clear that the time for action is now, and serving the paediatric patient population through every stage of the drug delivery process will lead to better adherence and more effective disease management.

You can listen to episode 166a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Podbean, and pretty much wherever you get your other podcasts!

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with two PharmaLex experts about navigating complex R&D processes to unleash the next wave of biopharma breakthroughs.

PharmaLex’s Dr Christian Schneider, VP & Chief Medical Officer, Clinical Development Services, together with Dr Christelle Boileau, Director of Regulatory Development Strategy and IPD solution lead at PharmaLex, which is part of Cencora, explore the many challenges faced across the clinical trial landscape when it comes to new therapies, including ATMP development.

From preclinical to market access and regulatory considerations, Dr Boileau warns that development is not a linear process, and for both an early-as-possible strategy is paramount. Comparing classical paradigms with the new, traditional endpoints need to be reassessed – for example, when defining dosage – says Dr Schneider.

You can listen to episode 165a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Podbean, and pretty much wherever you get your other podcasts!

The JP Morgan Healthcare Conference remains one of the most influential events for the life sciences sector, setting the stage for major deal-making, investment trends, and strategic shifts that will define the year ahead.

Keen to capture all the key trends and talking points from this year’s event, pharmaphorum editor-in-chief, Jonah Comstock, hit the ground running in Philadelphia, live blogging key sessions and interviewing experts to find out what industry insiders foresee for 2025.

In this special extended episode of the pharmaphorum podcast, Jonah sits down with Deep Dive editor, Eloise McLennan, to break down the key themes and takeaways from this year’s event.

From the impact of the new Trump Administration on research and development to advancements in brain health, PBM reform, and the evolving role of GenAI in clinical trials, they explore the discussions and developments set to shape pharma’s trajectory in 2025 and beyond.

Plus, hear exclusive interviews from experts, including:

• Catherine Owen Adams from Acadia Pharmaceuticals on trends and innovations in brain health
• NKarta’s Paul Hastings discusses natural killer cells and developments in cell and gene therapies
• Evidation’s Phil Johnson on the role of real world data in drug development
• Grove AI’s Tran Le and Sohit Gatiganti on the immense potential of AI in audio for clinical trials

You can listen to this episode, as well as previous episodes of the pharmaphorum podcast, in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Podbean, and pretty much wherever you get your other podcasts!

Therapeutic antibodies are a vital weapon in combating diseases such as cancer, but developing these treatments through conventional methods is slow and unreliable.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh spoke with Dr James Field, founder and CEO of LabGenius, a drug discovery company pioneering the discovery of next-generation therapeutic antibodies in order to solve this predicament.

Dr Field speaks to how can industry cut through the hype that surrounds AI and optimally assess the technical underpinnings of an AI proposition in medicine. He describes how LabGenius overcomes the so-called “cognition barrier” by using mathematical models to understand how molecules will respond to disease, and then designs novel therapeutics with the right collection of properties.

You can listen to episode 164a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Podbean, and pretty much wherever you get your other podcasts!

AI might still be in the modish buzzword stage, but discussions exploring the potential for its scaling within life sciences are critical.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast with ZS Associates’ Sharon Karlsberg, principal and leader of oncology solutions, and Brandi Davis-Dusenbery, principal and partner, web editor Nicole Raleigh explores the potential for scaling advanced technologies in the biopharmaceutical industry.

From digital twins and insilico modelling and the potential to reduce experimentation in human populations with simulated populations and differently designed trials, to document authoring and automation for time-saving purposes – the conversation on leveraging AI turns also to the global regulatory landscape.

 You can listen to episode 163a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Podbean, and pretty much wherever you get your other podcasts!

For women with rare diseases, they often face a double jeopardy, where many of the symptoms they experience can be confused with and misdiagnosed as menopause.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Jennifer Schranz, head of rare diseases at Ipsen, for a conversation focused on rare liver disease primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), which affects nine women for every one man, and the women’s health gap more generally.

Schranz explains the importance of developing a more individualised approach to management and treatment of PBC for each patient and discusses Ipsen’s PBC therapy Iqirvo (elafibranor).

You can listen to episode 162a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Podbean, and pretty much wherever you get your other podcasts!

With about 92% of new drugs failing in human clinical trials, pharma companies face tremendous financial losses and, more importantly, development and delivery of potentially life-saving treatments are woefully delayed.

In today’s pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Dr Isaac Bentwich, CEO and founder of Quris.AI, about how AI could revolutionise preclinical research and accelerate the development of potentially life-saving drugs, safely.

Exploring the notion of 3D organ modelling, combining AI and ‘advanced’ biology such as organ-on-chip, and delving into his research passion of the rare diseases space, including FragileX, Bentwich explains that there might be a long road left to travel, but with the acceleration that has taken place with such technology over the past few years, the horizon of success might not be too far off in the distance. No longer science fiction, we are living in the realm of tangible results and possibilities with AI.

You can listen to episode 161a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Podbean, and pretty much wherever you get your other podcasts!

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Luca Quagliata, Vice President and Global Head of Medical and Scientific Affairs at Thermo Fisher Scientific, a company committed to advancing precision medicine, for a conversation on this space and a new frontier of biomarkers.

Quagliata discusses Thermo Fisher’s ongoing collaboration with EVERSANA, pharmaphorum’s parent company, and that collaboration’s investigation of the impact of utilising electronic health record (EHR) data in haematological cancers to support the company’s value proposition for ultra-fast next generation sequencing (NGS) with oncomine myeloid solutions.

That included a presentation at Frontiers Health 2024, in Berlin, in the deep dive, ‘Overcoming data linkage barriers with tokenization technology: RWE on the use of targeted therapy and its impact on survival in blood malignancies’ – presented alongside Dr Pierantonio Russo, Corporate Chief Medical Officer at EVERSANA.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, editor-in-chief Jonah Comstock speaks with Dr Victoria Richon, CEO of Entact Bio, a company focused on the small molecule space, with its team of scientists, entrepreneurs, drug creators, and problem solvers working together to bring new medicines to patients who currently have few options.

Creating new medicines by enhancing protein function, Richon is driven by the desire to bring drugs to these patients. She and Comstock discuss protein inhibition in comparison to protein enhancement, based on the idea that many diseases are caused by too little of a certain protein – for instance, a new wave in small molecule drug discovery is those that bind to the protein of interest, but also to another protein that modifies the protein of interest, also known as induced proximity.

They explore the possibilities of PROTAC targeted protein degrader technology, Richon talking through the example of cystic fibrosis and the role of proteins in longevity there – as well as the future possibilities.

Modern medicine moves ever more to precision, personalised medicine, and precision dosing is critical in a world that recognises biological individuality – especially when it comes to paediatric care.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Dr Sharmeen Roy, chief scientist at DoseMe, for a conversation on precision medicine tools and how pharmacokinetic (or PK) and pharmacodynamic (or PD) characteristics are a – long overdue – trend in pharma at the moment, from lead identification right up to final-stage clinical trials.

Advancements in technology a key driver to this end, Dr Roy explains why such tools should be used to promote precision patient care, end to end.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, editor-in-chief Jonah Comstock speaks with Phil Johnson, MD, president and CEO of Interius Biotherapeutics.

Working in the in vivo cell therapy space, Johnson discusses the injection of a manufactured vector into a patient to create the CAR-T cells directly inside the body of the patient, without the need for chemotherapy treatment beforehand – hence such hope for in vivo cell therapy’s potential. Targeting both T-cells and NK-cells, Johnson notes that this is a distinguishing factor of the work Interius does.

On the CAR-T space generally, Comstock and Johnson explore its evolution and how these products can be made faster, better, and cheaper – including the democratisation of these therapies, and the accessibility gains this means for patients.

Since the results of the US election, the news has been awash with what the future might hold under a second Trump Administration, particularly within healthcare and life sciences.

In today’s podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh is joined by Jesse Mendelsohn, senior vice president of Model N’s Center of Excellence, for a conversation that explores multiple aspects of the drug pricing debate in America – speaking before President-Elect Donald Trump confirmed his nomination of Robert F Kennedy Jr as US Health and Human Services Secretary.

Mendelsohn – using history as a guide – suggests there will be a layering of new laws, with, for example, a push for changes to the Inflation Reduction Act, rather than repeal of it. And he explores the potential impacts on pharma, also.

Virtual wards (also known as hospital at home) allow patients to get the care they need at home safely and conveniently, rather than being in hospital. The NHS is increasingly introducing virtual wards to support people at the place they call home, including care homes.

In today’s podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Dr Samuel Ewing, global head of pharma partnerships at Doccla, about the next generation of digital tools such as wearable medical devices, as well as remote patient monitoring and digital healthcare generally.

Although wearables go back decades, the true benefit for patients and healthcare systems allows home monitoring. Explaining a current COPD example, it’s about reducing hospital admissions, says Ewing, thereby reducing burden, and its also about more individualised care, on which point Ewing explores the current physician grading scale of Parkinson’s symptoms compared to remote and daily patient monitoring.

In short, technology is transforming healthcare today, but there’s still a lot of work to do. Yet, Ewing caveats against ‘hysteria’ around data management and posits that there is perhaps too much concern over data privacy.

Therapeutic or focused ultrasound began being applied to neurologic conditions less than a decade ago, but its potential in a wide spectrum of brain applications is high.

In today’s podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Dr Neal Kassell, chair and founder of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation and previously a neurosurgeon, who created the Foundation in 2006 to improve the lives of millions of people with serious medical disorders by accelerating the development and adoption of focused ultrasound.

Focus ultrasound (FUS) has the potential to revolutionise therapy to the same degree that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning revolutionised diagnosis, says Kassell. The effect of the treatment can be observed as it is being administered in real time by using such imaging; it is image-guided therapy.

Of the 180 indications in various stages of development using FUS, the number of regulatory approvals and reimbursements is increasing. Dialogue has shifted from ‘if’ to ‘when’ and the Focused Ultrasound Foundation works to make that when ‘now’. And it all begins with evidence, evidence come from research.

A digital health passport is an app, or online certification, that displays a traveller’s health or vaccination record. It can save lives, on both private and public levels.

In today’s pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Matt Hollingsworth, co-founder and CEO of Carta Healthcare, a company seeking to support the healthcare data registry market by transforming a previously manual clinical data abstraction process.

Hollingsworth discusses his own, very personal experiences that led to Carta Healthcare’s foundation and progressed its work, as well as the comfort that can be provided patients with chronic diseases – including congenital heart defects – with digital health passports, offering an information safety net for them whilst travelling, circumventing the need to carry veritable folders full of printed health records.

Diving into the what’s what of EHRs, AI’s role in digital health passports, and the pros and cons of a generally digital future, technology is nevertheless very much in our health futures, explains Hollingsworth.

The pandemic served as a catalyst for a revolution in genomic surveillance for tracking pathogens. The technology proved vital in aiding understanding of the evolution of and spread of virus in real time to inform public health measures, ultimately accelerating drug and vaccine development.

In today’s podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Dr Evan Floden, CEO and co-founder of Seqera, a data orchestration and genomics analysis company, about barriers of entry to genomic surveillance in public health labs and how these can be lowered to support future bioinformaticians, aiding acceleration and quality and accuracy in R&D.

Precision medicine is oft spoken about these days, as it is finally addressing the elephant in the room: one size – or, more appropriately, one dose – does not fit all. Precision medicine hones in on treatment of the individual, rather than just the disease, focusing on the reality that each patient is biologically different. Personalisation is very much key.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh spoke with Hakim Yadi, PhD, OBE, and CEO and co-founder of Closed Loop Medicine, ahead of his appearance at Frontiers Health next week, 17th-18th October.

Closed Loop Medicine is a TechBio company developing prescription combination drug plus software products, with the aim of bring forward the promise of precision medicine. From personalised dosing to the applicability of this approach to the GLP-1 trend in obesity treatment, the conversation covers recent collaborations and harks back to discussions at the Galien Forum earlier in 2024, honing in on the importance of workflow and cost considerations, also.

Investment and strategic partnerships are the lifeblood of innovation in healthcare, driving groundbreaking discoveries and accelerating the development of life-changing therapies. And so, it was no surprise that the 2024 LSX USA Congress in Boston attracted life sciences innovators and decision-makers from around the world, eager to explore the latest trends shaping the industry.

Among those attendees was pharmaphorum’s editor-in-chief, Jonah Comstock, who took to the floor to uncover the trends and talking points set to influence investment decisions in the coming months.

In this special episode of the pharmaphorum podcast, Jonah sat down with Deep Dive editor Eloise McLennan to discuss key takeaways from the LSX conference. From evolving investment trends like AI in biotech and digital to emerging areas such as precision psychiatry, they explore the cautiously optimistic investment landscape, the delicate balance between early- and late-stage investments, and the importance of building honest, productive relationships across the healthcare ecosystem.

Tune in to hear their in-depth analysis of the latest investment and partnership trends shaping the future of healthcare innovation.

The ESMO congress always disseminates the latest results of cancer research, a vibrant gathering and sharing of the latest data, communicating the next promising steps in oncological scientific development, ever seeking to address unmet patient needs.

So it was that pharmaphorum Web Editor Nicole Raleigh found a quiet spot onsite in Barcelona this year to catch with experts from EVERSANA and discuss their takeaways from the 2024 conference. Tune in to hear more from: Ann Marie Robertson, Chief Commercial Officer, EVP, EVERSANA COMPLETE Oncology, EVERSANA; Barry Vucsko, Senior Vice President, Client Services and Business Development Leader, EVERSANA INTOUCH; Vanitha Sankaran, VP, Medical Strategy, EVERSANA INTOUCH; and Gurdip Daffu, PhD, VP, Medical Strategy (Oncology), EVERSANA INTOUCH.

From the unique to the specifics of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and advancements in women’s cancers, to the proliferation of AI and where it’s all going, and from diagnostics to excitement and hope at what’s on the cusp and what’s yet to come – the sense of bated breath potential is palpable.

Last month, the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released the negotiated prices for the first 10 drugs subject to the drug negotiation provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act. The industry has been waiting with bated breath to see these prices, as they give the first real indication of how impactful this unprecedented legislation will be for pharma’s bottom line.

But this latest release of information raises as many questions as it answers, and on today’s podcast host Jonah Comstock is joined by Alice Valder Curran, a partner at Hogan Lovells and a healthcare policy expert, for a broad ranging discussion of some of the next steps and consequences – intended or otherwise – of this legislation.

They talk about the many challenges CMS is likely to face in operationalising these prices and how much of the savings is likely to find its way to patients when the dust settles. They also discuss the prices themselves, why they aren’t lower, and just how low they really are, contextually. Additionally, they discuss some of the downstream consequences still to come from the IRA, including possible effects on oncolytics and the generics market.

For the pharma industry, the IRA drug pricing negotiation provision is shaping up to be one of the most consequential political stories of the decade. Tune in for a lively and in-depth discussion of what those consequences might look like.

The Life Sciences Generative AI Council aims to bring together the best minds in pharma, academia, and technology to advance the use of GenAI in life sciences R&D, seeking through pinpointing and showcasing repeatable use cases to shape the targeted use of next-generation artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI-ML) innovation, particularly in the form of GenAI.

In today’s pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Manny Belabe, senior VP of customer success at ArisGlobal, about the Council and the role it seeks to play in furthering the success of GenAI in life sciences R&D.

Discussing also ArisGlobal’s LifeSphere NavaX GenAI features and functionality, Belabe notes too that a platform-centric development approach, based on common modules, can be leveraged to reduce data redundancy and general maintenance of that data.

At the present moment, however, there is also the pressing concern of sustainability in all sectors, and Belabe addresses practical issues around cooling infrastructure and space requirements for these technologies, as well.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Brian Fiske, chief scientific officer of Mythic Therapeutics, about minimising side effects for patients and the notion of patient-centred science.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Jane Reed, director of life sciences at Linguamatics, an IQVIA company, to discuss some of the major barriers preventing researchers from accessing the data they need to advance drug discovery and development and address safety concerns – and just how AI technologies can assist.

With the implementation of advancing technologies in industry comes the parallel need for suitable upskilling of the workforce – but this doesn’t as yet always pan out, and in today’s pharmaphorum podcast COO of Enthought Mike Connell discusses the growing skills gap in R&D in life sciences and the 80/20 rule with web editor Nicole Raleigh, as well as the need for correct education of people and machines, both.

Chronic cough impacts up to 10% of the adult population and has a physical, psychological, and social impact on patients’ lives.

Farrell Simon, chief commercial officer at Trevi Therapeutics, joins web editor Nicole Raleigh on the pharmaphorum podcast to discuss prioritising patients in clinical and commercial development, with an especial focus on chronic cough.

There are currently no approved therapies in either the US or the UK for what is a highly disruptive affliction, accompanied by a wide range of complications, which causes a significant burden on patients, caregivers, and healthcare systems.

Also discussing Trevi’s own work in the field, in particular a potential treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the conversation explores how to work more closely and holistically with patients in clinical development. Integrating the patient voice is, as Simon says, critical in clinical trial design. After all, the patient is the utmost stakeholder.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Ethan Drower, co-founder and CEO of Cite Medical Solutions, a company providing full Clinical Evaluation Report (CER) services and industry literature review for European Union Medical Device Regulation (or EU MDR) processes.

One of the things that makes patient engagement for pharma companies so challenging is that it's not something that can be added to one step of a process and then checked off the list. Real patient engagement needs to be integrated into processes every step of the way.

In today's podcast, brought to you by Reverba, Reverba CEO Cheryl Lubbert joins host Jonah Comstock to walk through the steps of the product lifestyle and explore the role of the patient at each of those stages: from preclinical through commercialisation and beyond.

Lubbert discusses the relationship between patient engagement, patient activation, patient centricity, and patient co-creation. She gives a wealth of examples from her experience as a long-time leader in the pharma industry to give context to the many ways to incorporate patients and their feedback into product discovery, clinical trials, product development, launch, and post-launch.

Finally, at the end of the podcast Lubbert gets into a few other hot-button issues including diversity and representation, as well as AI and how it will affect patient engagement. Tune in for interesting and actionable tips about patient engagement in pharma.

In today’s podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Carolyn Ward, director of clinical strategy at Particle Health Inc, a data transformation platform for healthcare, enabling organisations across the care continuum to turn medical records into actionable insights.

In today’s podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh welcomes Dr Catherine Beech, CEO of Exonate, for a discussion on retinal vascular disease and a potential eye drop treatment for diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular oedema, instead of invasive injections into the eye.

When it comes to life sciences manufacturing, there's nothing quite so daunting as a tech transfer - moving a product from development to commercialisation, or to a new facility or CDMO, presents many obstacles that have to be well thought out and planned. Delivering a tech transfer on schedule that stays below budget is no easy feat, but with the right best practices it can be done.

In today's podcast, brought to you by Lannett CDMO, Grant Brock, VP of operations at Lannett CDMO, and Frantz Maignan, Lannett CDMO's director of validation and tech services, join host Jonah Comstock for a deep dive into what challenges companies can encounter when it comes to tech transfers and some standout strategies for avoiding and surmounting those challenges.

The discussion includes the importance of thorough preparation and experimentation, good communication, and flexibility, and Brock and Maignan offer a few tips for choosing a manufacturing partner that can handle the unexpected bumps in the road that can crop up.

Tune in for a practical guide to an important and oft-overlooked aspect of pharma manufacturing.

We've recently passed the midpoint of 2024, so it's a good time to check in on trends – in this case, trends in the clinical trial space.

In today's podcast, brought to you by Advanced Clinical, host Jonah Comstock is joined by Jason Casarella, EVP of business development and marketing at Advanced Clinical and Caroline Redecker, chief strategy officer at Advanced Clinical, to discuss some of the findings in their recently released clinical trends report.

One of the biggest trends in the report is the rise of clinical trial site networks, and Casarella and Redecker drill down on why that’s happening and what it means for investigators. They also discuss how patient recruitment is changing in light of both changing technology and infrastructures, and new expectations about representation and diversity.

The conversation also veers into biotech investment trends and how those impact clinical trials, as well as the rise of AI and the various use cases being found for it in clinical research. Tune in for a wide-ranging snapshot into the evolving world of clinical research.

In this latest pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Michael Kyle, chief medical officer at Currax Pharmaceuticals – a company working to advance a greater understanding of how to effectively treat obesity – about perceptions and options beyond the bounds of GLP-1s, including evolution of hypertension treatments.

The field of muscle stem cell research has been tangibly developing over the decades and in today’s pharmaphorum podcast wed editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Dr Michael Rudnicki, co-founder and CSO of Satellos Biosciences, a company dedicated to developing novel therapeutics based on this science for those who live with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and other degenerative muscle diseases.

In today’s pharmaphorum podcast, Orr Inbar, co-founder and CEO of QuantHealth, a Tel Aviv-based AI-powered clinical trial design company, discusses how advances in data and AI can help.

In a new episode of the pharmaphorum podcast - recorded back in March, during Women’s History Month - web editor Nicole Raleigh spoke with Johan van Hylckama Vlieg, co-founder and chief scientific officer of Freya Biosciences, a Series A-financed, clinical stage, microbial immunotherapy company in women’s health, discussing the role of the vaginal microbiome in fertility, before he was due to speak at the first-of-its-kind Microbes in Women’s Health Congress in Copenhagen.

Sustainability is all important for the planet and its people, and in today’s podcast web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Harriet Lewis, director of public affairs and communications at Chiesi UK & Ireland, about how partnerships between the NHS and pharma industry can support the journey to more sustainable practices, from R&D and drug reimbursement to medicines and recycling.

The microbiome is ever more frequently spoken about of late, and so the pharmaphorum podcast invited Leo Grady, founder and CEO of Jona, to speak about at-home personal microbiome profiling, uncovering the relationship between human health and the gut.

In a conversation held earlier in the year as the four-year anniversary of the pandemic approached, the pharmaphorum podcast had as guest Murray Aitken, executive director of the IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science, to discuss the state of global medicines and the future outlook when it comes to research and development, and usage and spending appetites.