Pharmaverse Podcast

Is the biotech industry finally recovering, or has the pharmaceutical market entered a new normal?After years of funding challenges, declining M&A activity, and uncertainty across the biotechnology sector, what does the future hold for biotech companies, investors, and pharmaceutical industry leaders?In this episode of **The Pharmaverse Podcast**, host Michael Pietrack sits down with **Steve St. Onge, PharmD, MBA**, Chief Business Officer at Claromedics Biosciences, to explore the state of the biotech market in 2026, the future of pharmaceutical mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and how artificial intelligence is transforming the industry.Steve shares his perspective on the biotech financing downturn, the return of IPO activity, venture capital investment, and why emerging biotech companies continue to face significant challenges despite signs of recovery.But this conversation goes beyond market trends.Drawing on his journey from clinical practice and Medical Affairs to executive leadership, Steve explains what it takes to transition into corporate development, evaluate complex business decisions, and lead effectively in an industry defined by risk and uncertainty.**In This Episode:**🔹 **The Biotech Funding Crisis & Market Recovery**  What caused the biotech financing downturn, why emerging companies were hit hardest, and whether the industry is experiencing a sustainable recovery or adapting to a new normal.🔹 **Pharma M&A, IPOs & Venture Capital in 2026**  How mergers and acquisitions, reverse mergers, public offerings, and private financing rounds are shaping the biotech investment landscape.**Chapters:**00:00 – Preview: Biotech's New Normal, AI & Leadership  00:48 – Introduction: Meet Steve St. Onge, PharmD, MBA  01:48 – The Mentors Who Shaped Steve's Leadership Journey  04:34 – Thinking Like an Executive: Enterprise-Level Leadership  05:42 – Making Strategic Decisions and Evaluating Trade-Offs  08:19 – What Caused the Biotech Financing Downturn?  10:14 – The Biotech Funding Boom and Market Correction  11:38 – How the Pharma M&A Slowdown Impacted Biotech  13:01 – Biotech Financing and Investment Trends in 2026  14:20 – Is the Biotech Market Recovering or Entering a New Normal?  15:31 – IPOs, Reverse Mergers & Venture Capital Activity  16:47 – Why Early-Stage Biotech Funding Matters  17:47 – How to Evaluate Pharma M&A Market Health  19:31 – From Medical Affairs to Corporate Development  21:37 – What Medical Affairs Doesn't Teach You About Business  24:43 – How MSLs Can Explore Corporate Development Careers  25:55 – A Practical Exercise for Aspiring Biotech Executives  27:48 – Do You Need an MBA to Advance in Pharma?  29:43 – Leading Deal Teams and Managing Risk  33:21 – Why Great Leaders Learn to Fail Fast  35:07 – How AI Is Changing Pharma Financial Modeling  36:49 – Leadership Advice: People, Mentorship & Feedback  38:05 – Reverse Engineering Drug Development  38:59 – How to Prepare for Executive Leadership  40:30 – Final Thoughts**About The Pharmaverse Podcast**Hosted by Michael Pietrack and powered by Kaye/Bassman International, The Pharmaverse Podcast features conversations with leaders across the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.From executive leadership and career development to emerging technologies, innovation, and industry trends, The Pharmaverse delivers insights to help current and aspiring pharma leaders navigate their careers and the changing healthcare landscape.🔔 **Subscribe** for more conversations with pharmaceutical executives, biotech innovators, and industry leaders.💬 **Join the conversation:** Is biotech experiencing a true recovery, or is selective financing the new normal? Share your perspective in the comments.#Biotech #PharmaMA #PharmaceuticalIndustry #BiotechLeadership #ThePharmaverse📙 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐔𝐒:▶  Website: [https://www.kbic.com/recruiting/]▶  LinkedIn: [ https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelpietrack]▶ Have you seen all of our playlists?                  [https://www.youtube.com/@ThePharmaversePodcast/playlists ]▶ Also, join the private LinkedIn Job Board: MSL Job Board📙Hashtags:#shorts #pharmaverse #leadership #healthcare #innovation #shorts #pharmaverse #leadership #healthcare #healthcareinnovation #podcastclip #mindset #courage #leadershipdevelopment #innovationleadership #executiveleadership #teamcommunication #difficultconversations #professionalgrowth #healthcareleaders #workplaceleadership #changemanagement 📙Keywords:pharmaversePodcast, healthcareLeadership, innovationMindset, difficultConversations, courageInLeadership, healthcareInnovation, leadershipGrowth, honestCommunication, executiveMindset, 📙 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎𝐒:▶  •   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkA-Rz6BM9o&t=0s▶  •   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkA-Rz6BM9o&t=0s▶  •   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0bsuyHOof8&t=0s                                                      *Thanks for visiting*

Want to become a Medical Science Liaison (MSL) or take the next step into Medical Affairs leadership? What does it really take to stand out, get hired, and move into management?In this episode of The Pharmaverse Podcast, powered by Inside MSL, host Michael Pietrack sits down with Julie Ross, PharmD, an experienced Field Medical Affairs leader with 20 years of industry experience and 10 years in clinical practice.Julie shares practical advice for aspiring MSLs looking to break into the pharmaceutical industry and experienced Medical Science Liaisons preparing to transition into leadership.From building relationships with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and mastering MSL interviews to developing leadership skills before earning the title, Julie explains what separates successful candidates from the competition.In This Episode:Breaking into Medical Affairs: How pharmacists and other healthcare professionals can leverage clinical expertise, networking, and professional relationships to land their first MSL role.What MSL Hiring Managers Look For: Why interpersonal skills, presentation abilities, and clinical knowledge can matter more than clinical trial experience.The Reality of Being an MSL: Why the role isn't for everyone and what aspiring MSLs should understand before transitioning into industry.Moving From MSL to Leadership: How to demonstrate leadership potential, build cross-functional influence, and prepare for a Regional Director position.Common Leadership Mistakes: Why visibility alone isn't enough and why great individual contributors don't automatically become great people leaders.Building High-Performing Medical Affairs Teams: The importance of patience, trust, team culture, and esprit de corps when stepping into management.Key Takeaway:You don't need a leadership title to start acting like a leader. Whether you're pursuing your first MSL opportunity or preparing for a management role, career advancement starts with relationships, preparation, and the ability to create meaningful impact.Chapters:00:00 – Preview: Breaking Into Medical Affairs & Leadership00:39 – Introduction: Meet Julie Ross, PharmD01:28 – How to Break Into Your First MSL Role03:12 – Networking, Speaker Bureaus & Industry Connections04:37 – Do Clinical Trials Matter When Applying for MSL Jobs?05:25 – Why MSL Interview Presentations Can Make or Break You06:20 – Is the MSL Career Right for You?06:59 – Understanding the Reality of the MSL Role07:46 – How to Transition From MSL to Regional Director08:10 – Start Leading Before You Have the Title09:46 – What Aspiring MSL Leaders Get Wrong10:57 – The Hardest Part of Moving Into Management12:17 – How MSL Leadership Changes Your Day-to-Day Work13:09 – Leadership Advice: Patience and Building Trust13:31 – Creating Strong Teams Through Esprit de Corps15:00 – Final Advice for Aspiring and Experienced MSLsAbout The Pharmaverse PodcastThe Pharmaverse Podcast brings together leaders across the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries to share career insights, leadership strategies, and real-world experiences to help professionals grow and succeed.Hosted by Michael Pietrack and powered by Inside MSL, the podcast explores the people, skills, and strategies shaping the future of Medical Affairs.Learn More About Inside MSLInside MSL is a connected Medical Affairs ecosystem offering career training, coaching, professional development, and community for individuals, along with comprehensive Medical Affairs services for companies.Visit: https://InsideMSL.com🔔 Subscribe for more MSL career advice, Medical Affairs leadership insights, and conversations with pharmaceutical industry leaders.💬 Join the conversation: What's the biggest challenge you've faced breaking into an MSL role or preparing for Medical Affairs leadership? Share your experience in the comments!#MedicalScienceLiaison #MSLCareer #MedicalAffairs #MSLLeadership #Pharmaverse

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In this episode of Pharmaverse for MSLs, powered by Inside MSL, host Michael Pietrack speaks with Scott Conry, PharmD, about Medical Science Liaison career development, leadership readiness, and opportunities beyond people management.Scott explains why being a top-performing MSL doesn’t automatically prepare you to lead a team. Moving into management changes your daily responsibilities, your relationship with science, and how you measure success. Before pursuing that promotion, he encourages MSLs to consider what they actually enjoy about their work.The conversation explores how lateral moves into strategy, operations, and training can expand your skills and prepare you for future opportunities. Scott also shares what distinguishes a senior MSL, how to gain leadership experience before becoming a manager, and why meaningful career growth doesn’t always come with a new title.For current leaders, Scott offers practical advice on developing employees, recognizing overlooked potential, and giving teams the clarity and autonomy they need to succeed.IN THIS EPISODE• Exploring career paths within Medical Affairs• Deciding whether people management is right for you• Why scientific expertise and leadership require different skills• Testing your leadership interest through mentoring and field rides• Preparing for the transition from individual contributor to manager• Using lateral moves to build strategic experience• Understanding promotion expectations for senior MSLs• Avoiding common mistakes when pursuing advancement• Supporting employees’ growth—even when they leave your team• Setting clear goals without micromanagingCHAPTERS00:00 Preview: The realities of MSL leadership01:28 Introduction to Scott Conry02:19 Career paths for MSLs04:00 Do you really want to manage people?05:56 Adapting your leadership style to different people08:01 Testing leadership through mentoring and coaching09:48 Career growth and the pressure to get promoted13:44 Caring about employees as people15:22 Developing talent instead of holding it back18:07 Preparing for your first management role20:41 What leaders look for in future managers22:55 Why top MSLs don’t always make the best managers25:22 How lateral moves can help you advance28:55 Moving from MSL to senior MSL32:17 Mistakes to avoid when seeking a promotion34:13 Recognizing overlooked leadership potential37:43 The impact of choosing the right people leaders39:48 Advice for new MSL managers42:57 Subscribe and join the conversationWhat does your next career step look like: people leadership, deeper scientific expertise, or a move into strategy? Tell us in the comments.Subscribe to The Pharmaverse Podcast for more conversations on MSL careers, Medical Affairs, and leadership.

Can you build an ambitious career without sacrificing the life you love? And what separates a high-performing individual contributor from someone ready to lead?In this episode of The Pharmaverse Podcast, host Michael Pietrack speaks with Dr. Amama Sadiq about women in leadership, career growth in Medical Affairs, and building teams that help others succeed.Amama shares how her father shaped her views on ambition and family, why meaningful careers don’t always follow a straight path, and how relationships helped guide her journey from clinical medicine to pharmaceutical leadership.She also explains why effective leaders ask whose perspective is missing, how to evaluate candidates beyond their résumés, and what she looks for when promoting someone into a leadership role. Looking ahead, Amama discusses how AI can expand the reach of Medical Affairs while trust, scientific judgment, and human relationships remain essential.IN THIS EPISODE• Navigating career ambition, motherhood, and family life• Supporting the next generation of women leaders• Building a support system at work and at home• Finding opportunity in a non-linear career path• Leading through listening, clarity, and inclusion• Choosing meaningful work that addresses unmet patient needs• Hiring for accountability, character, and teamwork• Demonstrating leadership readiness before a promotion• The future of Medical Affairs in the age of AICHAPTERS00:00 Career ambition and family: Do you have to choose?01:23 Meet Dr. Amama Sadiq01:59 The family influence behind her leadership05:07 Advice for women and minority leaders07:21 Navigating ambition, motherhood, and expectations09:53 Building your village and following relationships12:10 Inclusive leadership: Whose perspective is missing?13:38 Finding clarity through patient impact14:24 Choosing meaningful work and unmet need16:24 Hiring beyond the résumé18:24 The future of Medical Affairs, AI, and trust20:22 What leaders look for before promoting you21:41 A legacy of patient impact and opening doors22:51 Subscribe to The Pharmaverse PodcastWhat do you think best demonstrates that someone is ready to lead? Share your perspective in the comments.Subscribe to The Pharmaverse Podcast for conversations with pharmaceutical and biotech leaders on leadership, career development, and the future of the industry.#MedicalAffairs #PharmaversePodcast #WomenInLeadership

Your MSL interview presentation reveals more than your scientific knowledge. It shows hiring managers how you communicate, handle pressure and build relationships.In this episode of **The Pharmaverse Podcast for MSLs**, host **Michael Pietrack** speaks with medical affairs consultant **Geeta, PharmD**, about three common mistakes candidates make during their final interview presentation—and how to approach it with confidence.Drawing on her experience interviewing candidates and leading Medical Science Liaison teams, Geeta explains why strong slides are only part of the equation. Hiring managers also assess your preparation, executive presence, adaptability and ability to make scientific information relevant to your audience.You’ll learn how to rehearse effectively, respect the time limit, navigate difficult questions and respond honestly when you don’t know an answer. Geeta also shares practical advice for virtual interviews, including camera presence, professional presentation and why relying on AI for live answers can undermine your credibility.**In This Episode:**- Three mistakes to avoid in your MSL interview presentation.- What hiring managers evaluate beyond scientific content.- How to research your audience and tailor your message.- Why rehearsing out loud improves confidence and delivery.- How to handle interruptions, challenging questions and unexpected changes.- Why you should leave time for discussion and Q&A.- How storytelling makes scientific presentations more engaging.- Practical tips for virtual and in-person MSL interviews.Whether you’re preparing for your first Medical Science Liaison role or pursuing your next opportunity in Medical Affairs, this episode offers practical guidance to help you demonstrate how you would perform in the field.**Subscribe for more MSL interview tips, Medical Affairs career advice and conversations with field medical leaders.**What’s the toughest question you’ve faced during an MSL interview? Share it in the comments.

In this episode of The Pharmaverse Podcast, host Michael Pietrack speaks with Rajat Mishra, co-founder and CEO of Present Vivo, about how AI is changing medical affairs, scientific content creation, and the future of the Medical Science Liaison (MSL) role.Rajat explains how AI can help teams turn a single publication into presentations, posters, brochures, and other materials more quickly. But speed alone is not enough: scientific accuracy, useful context, and human review remain essential. He shares why MSLs who experiment with AI while strengthening their communication, judgment, and relationships will be better prepared for what comes next.The conversation also moves beyond technology. Rajat reflects on overcoming a childhood stutter, the mentor who changed how he worked with others, and the leadership practices he uses to build a fully remote team.In this episode:How AI can accelerate medical affairs content creation while keeping experts involvedWhether AI could replace MSLs and which skills may become more valuableA practical way to start experimenting with AI in an existing workflowWhy personalized communication starts with the audience’s preferencesHow to hire for initiative and build culture across a remote teamRajat’s leadership principles: move quickly on execution, stay patient with strategy, and remain open to changing your mindChapters00:00 – Preview: AI, communication, and the future of MSLs00:44 – Meet Rajat Mishra01:35 – Overcoming a childhood speech impediment03:17 – A mentor’s lesson about working with people04:40 – AI and human review in medical affairs content08:02 – Will AI replace the MSL role?10:52 – Skills that matter in an AI-driven industry11:38 – How MSLs can start experimenting with AI14:14 – Personalizing content with a “communication fingerprint”16:55 – Rajat’s outlook on the future of AI20:12 – Judgment, empathy, and creativity when intelligence is widely available22:37 – Building culture on a fully remote team25:45 – Hiring people with initiative28:30 – Rajat’s top leadership adviceSubscribe to The Pharmaverse Podcast for conversations with leaders across pharma and biotech, and share your thoughts in the comments: How are you using AI in medical affairs today?

Will artificial intelligence replace Medical Science Liaisons—or help them become more effective?In this episode of The Pharmaverse Podcast, host Michael Pietrack speaks with experienced Field Medical leader Annika Swenson about how MSLs and Medical Affairs teams can use AI responsibly, improve their performance and protect the human relationships at the heart of the profession.Annika shares practical ways MSLs can move beyond basic administrative tasks and use AI to prepare for KOL conversations, identify inaccurate medical information, practice difficult discussions and build customized workflows. She also explains why every AI-generated answer must be challenged, sourced and evaluated through human critical thinking.The conversation explores the risks surrounding hallucinations, outdated information, copyrighted materials and proprietary data. Annika also discusses how leaders can assess AI fluency when hiring, use AI to strengthen coaching and determine whether these tools are creating meaningful improvements—or simply adding more work.Most importantly, Annika explains why AI may expand access to medical information but cannot replace the trust, rapport and nuanced conversations that MSLs build with KOLs over time.In This EpisodeHow MSLs can begin using AI todayWhy identifying AI inaccuracies can improve KOL preparationMoving beyond email summaries and administrative tasksHow agentic AI can support customized MSL workflowsMeasuring whether AI actually improves Field Medical performanceAI hallucinations, outdated sources and compliance risksProtecting proprietary and copyrighted informationWhether virtual MSLs could replace human Field Medical teamsUsing AI to practice coaching and difficult conversationsEvaluating AI fluency during the hiring processWhy human trust remains the greatest advantage of an MSLSubscribe to The Pharmaverse Podcast, powered by Inside MSL, for practical insights designed to help you break into Medical Affairs, advance your MSL career and become a more effective Field Medical leader.

Why do some leaders immediately earn trust while others struggle to make an impact?In this episode of The Pharmaverse Podcast, host Michael Pietrack speaks with bestselling author and influence expert Christian Hansen about the psychology of influential communication—and how leaders can become the obvious choice without dominating the conversation or sounding “salesy.”Christian explains why influence is not simply about expertise, credentials or having the best solution. It is about how other people perceive your value and how they feel when they interact with you.The conversation explores why our own brains often get in the way of genuine communication, how stronger listening creates meaningful connection and why leaders should stop trying to become the hero in every situation. Instead, Christian encourages leaders to become the guide who helps employees, colleagues and clients recognize their own capabilities.You’ll also hear how small changes in language can help people feel understood, supported and confident—and why connection may become the most valuable currency in an increasingly competitive and AI-driven professional landscape.Christian is the author of The Influence Mindset and The Influence Mindset for Sales Acceleration: The 7 EQ Brain Hacks That Get People to Choose You. His work focuses on helping professionals communicate their value, influence decision-makers and become the obvious choice. Learn more about Christian Hansen and his work.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why expertise alone does not make someone influentialHow perception shapes whether people choose youWhat separates master communicators from average communicatorsWhy listening requires overcoming your own internal dialogueHow to make another person feel genuinely heardThe difference between being the hero and being the guideHow emotional language creates stronger connections than facts aloneWhy leaders should praise character attributes—not only behaviorsHow language can change the story people tell about themselvesWhy connection is becoming a competitive advantagePractical phrases leaders can use to build confidence and trustHow stronger relationships can improve retention and performanceWhether you lead a pharmaceutical team, work in biotech, manage client relationships or want to communicate your value more effectively, this episode offers practical strategies you can apply immediately.Subscribe to The Pharmaverse Podcast for more conversations with influential leaders across pharma, biotech, medical affairs and the wider life sciences industry.Watch the full episode, share your biggest takeaway in the comments and tell us: What makes someone truly influential?#Leadership #Influence #CommunicationSkills #PharmaLeadership #ExecutiveLeadership #EmotionalIntelligence #PersonalBrand #BiotechLeadership #ThePharmaverse #ChristianHansen

What separates a good MSL from a trusted scientific partner?In this episode of The Pharmaverse Podcast, Michael Pietrack sits down with Gerard Diesenroth, PharmD, a field medical leader with experience building high-performing MSL teams, leading MSL training, and supporting multiple drug launches.Gerard breaks down six common mistakes Medical Science Liaisons make—in KOL engagements, at medical conferences, and within their own organizations—and shares practical ways to improve.You’ll learn why MSLs should avoid the “data dump,” how to build long-term KOL relationships, how to approach conferences with a clear strategy, and why timely insight-sharing can help shape medical strategy across pharma and biotech.Key topics include: Why field medical’s real currency is insight, not airtime  How to make KOL conversations more valuable and peer-to-peer  The importance of consistent, non-transactional relationship building  How MSLs can prepare strategically for medical congresses  Capturing and quickly sharing insights after conferences  Collaborating compliantly with medical, commercial, clinical, and R&D teams  Why MSLs are a critical feedback loop between physicians and headquarters  How aspiring and current MSLs can grow into strategic leaders Whether you are breaking into medical affairs, developing as an MSL, or leading a field medical team, this conversation offers practical guidance for creating stronger relationships, better insights, and greater impact.Subscribe to The Pharmaverse for more conversations with the leaders shaping pharma, biotech, and medical affairs.