Pharma's Month in Review

In this week’s episode of the EMJ GOLD Podcast, Matt Mortimer Ryan, Senior Global Marketing Manager, Vaccines, GSK, shares his perspective on how understanding patients’ emotional drivers can unlock more impactful, insight-led disease awareness campaigns.  Matt joins Isabel to discuss what true patient-centric marketing looks like in practice, how to translate behavioural insights into smarter strategies, the advice he’d give his younger self and much more.  A little more on EMJ GOLD’s guest…  Matt is a global marketing leader at GSK, driven by a passion for human-centered innovation in the pharmaceutical industry. With more than 20 years of experience at GSK, Pfizer and Danone, he combines his scientific curiosity with strategic creativity to accelerate meaningful outcomes for patients. The views expressed in this interview are Matt Mortimer-Ryan’s own and do not necessarily represent those of GSK.  

In this special edition of the EMJ GOLD podcast, Isabel and Jade dive into the latest insights from recent contributors and EMJ’s own data to uncover what healthcare professionals really want from medical affairs. They explore the growing challenges of engaging HCPs, question whether there’s a gap between what HCPs say they want and what actually captures their attention and look ahead to what the future may hold. Tune in for expert insights from guests including Dr Donatello Crocetta, Bora Erdemli, Cécile Janssenswillen, Dr Natalia Barkalina and Dheepa Chari.

This week, the team is joined by Richard Maughan, Senior Director and Head of UK Policy and Public Affairs, Pfizer, to explore how the UK is shaping access to medicine today, and what needs to change in the future. From healthy ageing to the economic cost of respiratory infections, they dive into what the UK is getting right, where it’s falling short and why access to medicine matters now more than ever. A little more on EMJ GOLD’s guest… Richard is Senior Director and Head of UK Policy and Public Affairs at Pfizer. His team works with public policymakers to deliver breakthroughs that change patients’ lives, spanning Pfizer’s broad medicines and vaccines portfolio, and deep science footprint. He is a member of Pfizer’s UK Senior Leadership Team and Europe Policy & Public Affairs Leadership Team. Prior to Pfizer, Richard was Head of UK Government Affairs for Eli Lilly and Company. He has also worked at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the UK’s leading business lobbying group. He studied Politics at the University of Edinburgh and the University of California Santa Cruz, and grew up in north-east England.

This National Blood Week, the team sit down with Anita Gandhi, Vice President, Translational Development, BMS, to explore the last decade of innovation in hematology and what lies ahead for the space. Together, Anita and Jade discuss Anita’s route into the pharmaceutical industry, the current unmet needs of patients with blood cancer, what the future of innovation looks like in hematology and what Anita’s HBA Rising Star Award means to her a decade on. A little more on EMJ GOLD’s guest… Anita is currently the Vice President of Translational Development at BMS, leading not only hematology translational development at the company, but solid tumour, immunology, cardiology and neurology as well. She has over 20 years of industry experience including drug discovery and translational development, and she was the recipient of the HBA Rising Star Award in 2015.

This week on the podcast, the team are joined by omnichannel engagement expert Yacin Marzouki, who shares his strategies on how to make omnichannel work for both pharmaceutical companies and healthcare professionals.  Together, Yacin and Jade sit down in the studio to explore what it takes to harmonise omnichannel across an organisation, why content activation is still a major hurdle, how to make sure messaging truly resonates with HCPs and much more. Expect practical insights on operational excellence, the evolving role of AI and a fresh perspective on what success looks like across a product’s lifecycle.  A little more on EMJ GOLD’s guest…  Yacin Marzouki is a global omnichannel engagement lead on a mission to disrupt the industry’s approach to omnichannel. Within the pharmaceutical sector, he specialises in shaping seamless customer journeys, driving content activation and aligning global strategies with local execution. Yacin is dedicated to transforming brand plans into meaningful, measurable customer engagements, and is passionate about building high-performing, collaborative teams that deliver real impact. 

The EMJ GOLD podcast is back for a new season! In the first episode of season 10, the team are joined by Dheepa Chari, Vice President and Head of Global Scientific Communications, GSK, to discuss the past, present and future of scientific communications. Together, Dheepa and Isabel explore her journey from biostatistics to biopharma leadership — and the lessons learned along the way. They discuss what great science communication looks like, where it’s heading next and why storytelling still matters in a digital-first world. Plus, expect practical insights on cross-functional collaboration and the growing role of AI. A little more on EMJ GOLD’s guest… Dheepa Chari is the Vice President and Head of Global Scientific Communications at GSK. Here, she leads strategy and execution across Oncology, Vaccines, Specialty Care and General Medicine, driving innovation in how scientific narratives are delivered across channels. Before joining GSK in 2024, Dheepa held senior posts at Pfizer, Amgen and Novartis in both clinical and communications roles. Outside of work, Dheepa brings stories to life in a different way - as a singer-songwriter who regularly performs in New York City.

Season 10 is on the horizon, but before we release our first episode, why not tune in to some of Isabel and Jade’s favourite moments from season 9?  From leadership insights from top CEOs to navigating setbacks in R&D, there’s plenty to discover in this season’s batch of GOLD Medal Moments.   As well as the EMJ GOLD team, you’ll hear from four former guests:  Charl van Zyl, CEO, Lundbeck Pharmaceuticals  Dr Dennise Broderick, President and Managing Director, Galen Pharma  Rebecca Vermeulen, recipient of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) STAR award for 2025  Christoph von der Goltz, Global Head of Medicine Central Nervous System and Emerging Areas, Boehringer Ingelheim 

Join Isabel and Jade as they wrap up Season 9 of the podcast with special guest Dennise Broderick, President and Managing Director, Galen Pharma.  In this episode, Jade and Dennise discuss her move from academia to the pharmaceutical industry, her lifelong ambition to be a leader and how she approaches hard decisions in business.  A little more on EMJ GOLD’s guest… Dennise is Managing Director and President at Galen – a pharmaceutical company based in Northern Ireland focused on pain management, dermatology and gastroenterology. There, she is responsible for all the aspects of the company’s operations, marketing and governance across its various sites throughout the UK and Europe. Previously, Dennise has held positions at Pfizer, Hospira, Zeneus and Viatris – most recently working as the Country Manager at Ipsen. 

How can pharmaceutical companies best navigate setbacks in drug development to deliver breakthroughs in R&D? Find out in this week’s episode, where Isabel and Jade share an interview with Christoph von der Goltz, Global Head of Medicine Central Nervous System and Emerging Areas, Boehringer Ingelheim.  Together, he and Jade explore the ins and outs of drug failure, whether to pivot or persevere after an R&D setback, how to better break the stigma of mental illness and much more.  A little more on EMJ GOLD’s guest…  Christoph von der Goltz is Global Head of Medicine Central Nervous System and Emerging Areas at Boehringer Ingelheim. He has more than 15 years of experience in a variety of roles in pharmaceutical R&D. He is also a board-certified psychiatrist with more than 10 years of clinical experience in neurology and psychiatry and academic research in preclinical, clinical and public health projects in Germany and Sweden. 

Join Isabel and Jade this week as they delve into lessons in leadership and patient centricity with Rebecca Vermeulen, recipient of the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) STAR award for 2025.  Rebecca shares her journey from pharmacist to industry leader, discussing her approach to leadership, the current landscape for women in pharma and what effective patient centricity looks like in practice.  A little more on EMJ GOLD’s guest  Rebecca was recently awarded the STAR prize by the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the organisation’s growth, influence and impact. Her win highlights her leadership, particularly during her time as the HBA Global Board Chair throughout the pandemic.   She has spent over 30 years working in the industry and has served in a variety of functions including medical affairs, clinical research, sales and medical communications.