S08 E04: Astellas’ Martina Dempsey on achieving equal footing for women in pharma

As 2024 draws to a close, what should pharma teams be focusing their budgets on for the final quarter of the year? Join Jade and Isabel as they explore the critical trends that have shaped the industry in 2024. As teams finalise their budgets and plan for the final quarter and year ahead, this conversation brings insights into how strategies like personalised engagement, thought leadership and interactive, on-demand content are making an impact. With real-life examples, learn about the tools you can invest in to end the year on a high.  

In this new episode, the team welcomes Jennifer Schranz, Senior Vice President, Global Head of Rare Diseases, Ipsen, to investigate the burden faced by women with rare diseases. Together, Jennifer and Jade discuss how the industry can address challenging rare diseases and making a meaningful impact on patients’ lives, the double jeopardy that women with rare diseases face, recent breakthroughs in the space and much more.

In the latest episode of our podcast, we welcome Richard Lowenthal, CEO, ARS Pharmaceuticals, to explore the company’s mission to address unmet needs in allergy care. During the conversation, Richard shares insights into his early career at the FDA and the regulatory challenges he faced in bringing ARS’s new nasal spray to treat severe allergic reactions to market. He also discusses the future direction of the company and much more. A little more on EMJ GOLD’s guest… Richard Lowenthal is the co-founder, President, and CEO, ARS Pharmaceuticals, with a leadership role since the company’s inception in 2015. Before ARS, he founded Pacific-Link Regulatory Consulting, where he contributed to the development of their diazepam nasal spray. Richard’s extensive background includes senior roles at Cadence Pharmaceuticals, Maxim Pharmaceuticals and Janssen Research Foundation, as well as work as a chemist at the FDA. He holds an M.Sc. in organic chemistry and an MSEL and has chaired the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists.

In the latest episode, Jade sits down with Martina Dempsey, Vice President of Commercial Strategy and Operations at Astellas Europe, to discuss empowering women in the pharmaceutical industry.  They explore how pharma meets the needs and values of young graduates, the ongoing challenges women face in securing leadership roles, the critical impact of mentorship on career development and much more. 

In this episode, Isabel is joined by Nedim Pipic, Senior Vice President and Global Therapeutic Area Head for Mental Health, Boehringer Ingelheim, to mark World Mental Health Day on 10 October 2024.  Their conversation dives into the unique challenges faced by those living with serious mental illnesses, the impact of media representation and the role pharma can play in transforming treatment and quality of life for these patients.  Central to their discussion is the importance of amplifying lived experiences, a key focus of Boehringer’s new campaign, Schizophrenia in Real Life: Stories of Challenges, Resilience, and Hope.  The campaign aims to build greater understanding and acceptance of the condition by highlighting the strength and resilience of those living with it. 

This week, Jean-Bernard Simeon, Senior Vice President and Head, ViiV Healthcare Europe, sits down with the EMJ GOLD team to share his thoughts on the current landscape for patients with HIV in Europe.   Together, JB and Jade explore the UNAIDS roadmap to end the HIV epidemic by 2030, the barriers faced by people living with HIV in Europe, stigmas still surrounding the condition and much more.   

The EMJ GOLD podcast is back! In the first episode of season 8, Jade sits down with Chantal Friebertshäuser, Senior Vice President and General Manager, EMEAC, Moderna, to discuss how Europe can combat the recent erosion of trust in vaccines. Together, the two explore the role of governments in addressing vaccine hesitancy, improving vaccine education amongst various groups, how a culture of collaboration can improve the current vaccine landscape and much more.

The new season of the podcast is only a week away, so before we get started – why not have a listen to some of the best bits from Series 7? From a deep dive into women’s health to why the industry thrives on a little healthy competition, there’s plenty to discover in last season’s highlights. As well as the EMJ GOLD team’s analysis of the key themes, you’ll hear from six former guests: Mercedes Diz, Chief Marketing Office, Almirall Nichole Davies, Global Chief Strategy Officer, VML Health Edmond Chan, Senior Director, EMEA TA Lead, Haemato-Oncology, J&J Stefan Woxström, Senior Vice President, Europe and Canada, AstraZeneca Danie Du Plessis, EVP, Pharmaceutical Operations, Kyowa Kirin Harmony Garges, Chief Medical Officer ViiV Healthcare.

In this season finale of the EMJ GOLD podcast, Isabel speaks to Dr Tadaaki Taniguchi, Chief Medical Officer, Head of Medical and Development, Astellas Pharma, about how he strives to challenge the status quo in the pharmaceutical industry.  The two discuss how Tadaaki’s time as a surgical oncologist has influenced his leadership style, how collaboration is key for making impacts for patients, the next game changers in cancer treatment and more. A little bit more on EMJ GOLD’s guest…  Dr Tadaaki Taniguchi leads Astellas’ global team in identifying, discovering and developing new treatments that have the potential to transform healthcare, with a focus on innovative and patient-centred therapies. He has more than 20 years of industry experience spanning research, development and medical affairs, and has worked in a range of therapeutic areas including diabetes and oncology. Prior to joining Astellas, Tadaaki held senior positions at other major pharmaceutical companies in the US, Japan and China. Before joining the industry, he spent 10 years as a surgical oncologist – giving him a unique perspective on how to deliver breakthrough science that changes the way diseases are treated.

In this penultimate episode of Season 7, Isabel and Jade sit down to discuss EMJ GOLD’s most recent features of the month – our infographic on optimising pharma’s customer experience journey and an article on how exactly to design this experience. Within the episode, the team explore how the industry may be missing out on insights gathered from HCPs, what makes a ‘winning’ website for HCPs and more – featuring exclusive input from Robert Tegge, Associate Principal, ZS, who shares valuable insights on what HCPs are really looking for before and after a congress. A little more on EMJ GOLD’s guest…  Robert Tegge is a leader within the ZS meetings and events practice area, which focuses on identifying insights to drive improved outcomes for our clients’ meetings programs. He collaborates with organizations to help build capabilities and solve unique problems, leveraging ZS’s technology and operations infrastructure as well as industry expertise. Robert has a wealth of experience in strategy and operations roles across various healthcare sectors, including providers, pharmaceuticals, and medical products. In these roles, he has consistently leveraged data to provide actionable insights on a variety of sales, marketing, and growth decisions. He also holds a B.S. and an M.S. in civil engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.