Transforming Biopharma

Maria Whitman interviews Mike Tushman, professor at Harvard Business School, about the importance of organizational architecture during times of transformation. He describes how companies that successfully transform create an organizational architecture that allows both “exploitation” of existing successful strategies and “exploration” of what they might build for the future. He also discusses the role of leaders in driving transformation and the potential of generative AI.

How can healthcare and biopharma meet patients where they are? Maria Whitman interviews Oya Gilbert, a podcaster and patient advocate, about his journey as a multiple myeloma patient. They also talk about Oya’s work with the Health, Hope and Hip-Hop Foundation, which aims to use hip-hop culture to promote health literacy in underserved communities. Covering the importance of authenticity and trust in healthcare, as well as the need for education and empowerment for patients, this conversation highlights the importance of understanding each individual’s unique experience and addressing their specific needs.

How can pharma use AI and other technology to deliver a better customer experience? Maria Whitman and a panel of ZS experts discuss pharma’s next-generation commercial model. Carolyn Morrow, Namita Powers, Srihari Sarangan and Karthik Sourirajan talk about how pharma can create behavior-changing, personalized customer engagement at scale and how companies will need to rethink data collection to achieve data connection.

Recent headlines about the use of prescription drugs for weight loss make obesity a prominent and relevant topic in today’s discussions about health and well-being. Bill Coyle, ZS’s global head of biopharma, and Mandi White-Ajmani, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and owner, Small Brooklyn Psychology, join Maria Whitman to talk about the underlying challenges obesity presents to society and healthcare, even as new treatments emerge.

Yelak Biru, president and CEO of the International Myeloma Foundation, is passionate about patient advocacy with good reason—he’s been one himself for 28 years. Yelak joins Maria Whitman to talk about his patient experience and how it shaped his perspective as the leader of the first and largest global organization focusing specifically on multiple myeloma. He also talks about how evolving tools and technology like AI can be used to create personalized patient experience, how his passion for data and analytics informs his work today and the key areas where biopharma can engage to better support patients on their journey.

As biopharma transforms its commercial model, what can it learn from other industries? To find out, Maria Whitman sits down with Arun Shastri, global AI practice lead at ZS. Arun’s an expert on how organizations are modernizing their customer experience and the technology and mindset needed for success. He discusses key principles for the modern sales organization, the real potential of artificial intelligence and how companies can unlock success. Hear how pharma can learn from disruptors, influencers and innovators everywhere.

Madhavi Ramakrishna, global vice president and chief digital officer of commercial, GSK, is passionate about data and technology. A former executive in broadcast media, she’s now at the forefront of adopting analytics to drive commercial success in biopharma. In this episode, she shares her definition of digital transformation and discusses the biggest opportunities she sees for innovation in pharma’s commercial model. She also discusses what pharma can learn about digital success from companies like Nike and Apple, how pharma can best realize generative AI’s potential and her vision of what successful digital transformation in pharma might look like.

Savitri Basavaiah, vice president portfolio and commercialization strategy at Janssen, the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, has a deep background in biopharma. She joins Maria Whitman to talk about the broader challenges of commercial leadership and what the future might look like as pharma reimagines its commercial model. She also discusses what pharma should do next at a moment when the pace of innovation is incredibly fast and the challenges are unprecedented; why a growth mindset is critical as the industry thinks about the skills and capabilities it needs for the future; and why inclusive leadership is the key to unlocking value for patients.

Propeller Health brings digital therapeutic expertise together with respiratory care experience to create solutions that improve patients’ lives. General Manager Susa Monacelli joins Maria Whitman to give her perspective on how pharma companies can succeed on the new frontier of digital therapeutics. She also talks about the progress made so far in realizing the potential of digital therapeutics—and what still needs to be done—as well as the learning curves that may create barriers to adoption for providers and patients. Finally, she discusses the foundational questions that pharma should address before embarking on a digital therapeutic strategy.

As head of precision medicine for Merck U.S. Oncology, Dennis Flannelly is thinking ahead. He joins Maria Whitman in this episode to talk about the capability and mindset shifts biopharma needs to make to design, develop and deliver on precision medicine. He also shares the successes he's seen and what he's most excited about as precision medicine evolves. Listen to find out why navigating data will be a key capability in the future and hear advice for biopharma executives who want to succeed in precision medicine.

Biotech CEO/CBO Kris Elverum has worked in large pharma and small biotech firms. He currently acts as a consultant and advisor to both biotech and venture capital companies. Kris joins Maria Whitman on the podcast to share his perspective on precision medicine and the opportunities he sees ahead, as well as how biopharma companies of all sizes can succeed in this sector.

What’s on the minds of global healthcare leaders right now? To find out, in this episode Maria Whitman talks with ZS CEO Pratap Khedkar. The company’s top executive since 2021, Pratap is a recognized healthcare thought leader with expertise across life sciences, data science and artificial intelligence (AI). He shares his insights about what healthcare executives are thinking about, some of the industry’s top challenges and what will shape the rest of the year. Listen to find out why the industry must focus on outcomes—and patient experience, how healthcare might use technology to address problems like health inequities and workforce shortages and why adoption, policy and trust are important factors for successful use of AI.

Anita Cameron has been living with multiple sclerosis (MS) for more than 30 years. But her condition hasn’t stopped her from learning all she can about MS and the treatments available to her. Anita tells Maria about her patient journey and the support structures that helped her live with an incurable disease.

On this episode of Transforming Biopharma, Maria Whitman hears from Josette Gbemudu, executive director of health equity and social determinants of health at Merck, about how the company is taking action to make its vision of health equity a reality. They also discuss opportunities for biopharma to cooperatively tackle the barriers to systemic change. Highlights:

Founded in 2012, Flatiron Health helps cancer centers to thrive and deliver better care for patients. CEO Carolyn Starrett joins Maria Whitman to talk about reimagining the infrastructure that supports cancer care and research around the world. She also discusses how the company’s mission has evolved from building software to creating data sets to accelerate and advance new oncology therapies. Listen to hear how we can close the gap between research and cancer care, the role of real-world evidence in improving clinical trials and understanding outcomes, and why data plays an important role in addressing health inequities.

ZS worked with The Harris Poll to conduct its latest research on the future of health. In this episode, host Maria Whitman welcomes Rob Jekielek, managing director at The Harris Poll and a globally recognized expert on business, societal, technology and healthcare trends. This episode highlights surprising findings and what they mean for patients, providers and the healthcare sector.

Meet Robin Ameny, a passionate patient advocate and a survivor of multiple myeloma. In this episode, host Maria Whitman invites us to see the patient journey through Robin’s eyes. Hear how Robin found the courage to advocate for herself as she faced a life-threatening diagnosis. Learn about the importance of patient support groups and advocacy organizations. Finally, understand how biopharma can better support patients.

Dr. Linda Hill, Ph.D., a professor at the Harvard Business School, has advised a number of organizations in the process of digital transformation. The co-author of “Collective Genius: The Art and Practice of Leading Innovation” and “Being the Boss: Three Imperatives for Becoming a Great Leader” talks with host Maria Whitman about the steps biopharma leaders can take to help their organizations become more empowered and collaborative on their digital journey.

Dr. Aarti Shah, former senior vice president and chief information and digital officer at Eli Lilly & Company, knows pharma and technology inside and out. At Eli Lilly, she led an enterprise-wide global organization with responsibilities for information technology, information security, advanced analytics, data science and digital health. Dr. Shah has been named a woman of influence by the Indianapolis Business Journal and was also named one of the fierce women in biopharma by Fierce Pharma. In this episode, Dr. Shah and Maria Whitman talk about how real-world evidence is driving faster industry innovations that have great potential to improve patient outcomes.

When we use the terms digital health or digital medicine, what do we really mean? Host Maria Whitman takes up this question with Ahmed Albaiti, Head of Digital and Connected Health at ZS. Albaiti, who previously founded and led Medullan, has more than 20 years of experience in the industry. He brings his unique perspective to discuss the state of digital health today and how its next wave may impact both consumers and biopharma. Highlights from the episode: