pharmaphorum Podcast

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.