Smoothing a contract pathway through uncertainty: In conversation with Neal Masia

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.