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Latest Executive Roundtables

Asembia 2025 

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Sales and Marketing

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 podcast, Jennifer Butler, chief commercial officer of Pleio, discusses:

The threat of misinformation to public health and how emotional appeal plays a part.

Where patients are turning for trustworthy health information.

Strategies that can be used to verify information.

Pharma's role in helping to ensure patients have access to health insights they can trust.

Why the industry is turning to peer-to-patient platforms, trusted patient communities, and pharmacies to educate patients.

What kind of role regulatory agencies should play in the battle against misinformation.

Podcasts

Jennifer Butler, chief commercial officer of Pleio, discusses misinformation's threat to public health, where patients are turning for trustworthy health information, the industry's pivot to peer-to-patient strategies to educate patients, and more.

The Misinformation Maze: Navigating Public Health in the Digital Age

 Podcast, CEO and Founder of Sooth, Ian Baer, is back to discuss:

Why people trust friends and influencers over companies

Ian Baer, Founder and CEO of Sooth, discusses how the growing distrust in social media will impact industry marketing strategies and the relationships between pharmaceutical companies and the patients they aim to serve. He also explains dark social, how to combat misinformation, closing the trust gap, and more.

Navigating Distrust: Pharma in the Age of Social Media

Ian Baer, Founder and Chief Soothsayer, Sooth, discusses their recent data and research about some massive behavioral shifts occurring across Gen-Z, and how pharmaceutical companies and healthcare advertising agencies can adapt their strategies to attract the ever elusive generation.

Ian Baer, Founder and Chief Soothsayer of the strategic insights platform and pharma marketing consultancy Sooth, has been solving marketing’s greatest challenges for over three decades. He has spent his career helping major biotech and pharmaceutical brands achieve extraordinary success and challenger brands box above their weight class in leadership roles with Publicis Groupe, TBWA, Rapp, Deutsch, and others. He is a contributing writer for industry-specific and national publications including Adweek, Forbes and Digiday along with a frequent speaker at leading national conferences including Advertising Week, Social Media Week, Digiday, DMA Annual, Marketing Forum, and the 4A’s.

 bring you the latest commercial insights to master the science of success. Podcast episodes examine current trends, key conferences, and critical topics in the bio/pharmaceutical industry.

Ian Baer, Founder and Chief Soothsayer, Sooth, discusses how pharmaceutical companies and healthcare advertising agencies can adapt their strategies to attract Gen-Z.

Gen-Z Influence on Pharma M&A

In the podcast, Mohit Manrao, the SVP and head of US oncology at AstraZeneca, shares his journey from growing up in Northern India with aspirations of becoming a doctor, to leading oncology initiatives at AstraZeneca in the US. A central strategy to ultimately eliminate cancer includes ensuring that the latest scientific advancements are accessible to patients in every zip code and the necessity of integrating the patient perspective at every stage—from early discovery to commercialization, recognizing the importance of diverse patient needs, non-invasive diagnostics, and alleviating challenges in access to screenings and treatments.

Mohit Manrao, Senior Vice President, US Oncology Business Unit, AstraZeneca is responsible for leading commercial strategy and maximizing performance of AstraZeneca’s expansive oncology portfolio. Prior to assuming his current role in 2022, Mohit served as Vice President, Global Franchise Head Lung Cancer since 2020. Mohit joined AstraZeneca in 2012, holding various roles at the market-, regional-, and global-levels across geographies, including Head of UK Oncology and Head of Daiichi Sankyo Alliance Europe.

The editors of Pharmaceutical Executivebring you the latest commercial insights to master the science of success. Podcast episodes examine current trends, key conferences, and critical topics in the bio/pharmaceutical industry.

Join us as Mohit Manrao, SVP and head of US oncology at AstraZeneca, shares his patient-centered approach to transforming cancer care, bridging the gap between innovative science and tangible patient outcomes across all populations on a global scale. 

Transforming Cancer Care: Data, AI, and Patient-Centered Care   

Welcome to a riveting episode of the Pharm Exec podcast, where we dive headfirst into the transformative world of AI in healthcare with Sharlene Jenner, vice president of engagement strategy with the award-winning agency Abelson Taylor. This enlightening conversation traverses the advancements and potential risks of AI, the revolution it is stirring in pharmaceutical marketing, and its game-changing role in understanding complex protein structures. Amid the rapid innovation, we explore the urgent need for ethical guidelines and regulations to keep pace with technology.

Sharlene Jenner, vice president of engagement strategy with Abelson Taylor, has over 18 years in the strategy and digital field and is an industry speaker and coach/mentor. Jenner teaches a course on "Artificial Intelligence and Personalization for Digital Marketers" for Southern Methodist University. She is passionate about developing interactions through emerging technologies that bridge gaps, creating opportunities and helping companies leverage their strengths for success. She has leadership experience in a variety of industries including hotel/hospitality, consumer goods, small business, retail marketing, domestic manufacturing, staffing and health care. This diverse past gives her a unique perspective when it comes to translating marketing strategy to its digital components for all kinds of consumers. Jenner is an empathetic servant leader who focuses on creating high performing teams and helping others succeed. She was named a Top Woman Leader in Dallas in 2022. Jenner has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from University of Texas-Dallas and a master’s degree in business administration from Texas A&M University-Commerce.

Senior editor Fran Pollaro chats with Sharlene Jenner, vice president of engagement strategy, Abelson Taylor about the transformative impact and ethical considerations of AI in the pharmaceutical industry, emphasizing its potential in data analysis and marketing, while also highlighting the pioneering work of AI companies in advancing drug discovery.

AI Frontiers: Navigating the Risks, Rewards, and Regulations

This Pharma 50 companion episode delves into the vital topic of trust within the pharmaceutical industry. Morten Nielsen, senior partner for the life sciences practice at Wittkieffer, dissects the concept, drawing on parallels to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, and discusses practical methods for measuring and operationally improving trust. This episode is a must-listen for those interested in understanding the current state and future evolution of trust in the pharmaceutical sector, an industry where trust forms a fundamental pillar for delivering on its mission statement.

A senior partner for the Life Sciences Practice at WittKieffer, Morten Nielsen (he/him) has more than three decades of direct, relevant industry experience. Most recently he has spent over 10 years in executive search, including various global leadership responsibilities. He has recruited board directors, CEOs, and other C-level executives across most functional areas inclusive of R&D, medical, clinical, commercial, operations, quality and regulatory affairs for organizations in healthcare, medical device, diagnostic, pharmaceuticals and biotech.

Prior to entering the executive search industry, Morten spent over 20 years working within the healthcare and life sciences industries. Approximately half of his industry career was spent in Europe. He began his career with Pharmacia Diagnostics (now GE), where he held Account Representative and Product Specialist roles. He also held roles in marketing with Baxter, general management roles with Rhone-Poulenc Rorer (now Sanofi), and Wyeth (now Pfizer) prior to moving into medical devices with Boston Scientific. His last role in the industry before moving into executive search was as Corporate Vice President and Group President, Life Sciences with STERIS Corporation.

Morten currently serves as Chair, Emeritus of the global board of directors of the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC).

The editors of Pharmaceutical Executive bring you the latest commercial insights to master the science of success. Podcast episodes examine current trends, key conferences, and critical topics in the bio/pharmaceutical industry.

Senior editor Fran Pollaro and Morten Nielsen, senior partner for the life sciences practice at Wittkieffer, embark on an insightful exploration of trust in the pharmaceutical industry, discussing its measurement, improvement, and critical role in governance, culture, leadership, and organizational structure, while offering practical advice for industry leaders on embedding transparency, inclusion, and accountability into daily operations. 

The Trust Imperative: Defining and Building Trust in Pharma

In this episode of the Pharmaceutical Executive Podcast, we dive into a conversation with Frank Watanabe, president and CEO of Arcutis, a medical dermatology company with a patient-first approach. Discover how Arcutis is transforming the dermatology landscape with its innovative product offerings, such as FDA-approved Zoryve for topical treatment of plaque psoriasis and their upcoming products for seborrheic dermatitis and atopic dermatitis. Learn about the company's guiding principles, the importance of keeping patients at the forefront of decision-making, and the need for further innovation in the dermatology sector after decades of stagnation.

Frank Watanabe has been the president of Arcutis since 2016, and chief executive officer since 2017. Prior to joining Arcutis, he was co-founder and chief operating officer of Kanan Therapeutics, a cardiovascular drug development company, and before that, was vice president of strategy and corporate development at Kythera Biopharmaceuticals.

Watanabe was an executive at Amgen, Inc. from 2005 to 2013, where he was involved in the development of Repatha® for hyperlipidemia and Aimovig® for migraine and worked on the US marketing of Enbrel® in both dermatology and rheumatology. Previously, he was an executive with Eli Lilly and Company, and an official in the US government. He was also a commissioned officer in the US Navy Reserves for 25 years. He formerly served on the board of Amunix Pharmaceuticals. Watanabe earned his MA in national security studies, and his BA in international relations, both at Georgetown University.

Join host Fran Pollaro as he delves into the world of patient-centric dermatology innovations with Arcutis president and CEO Frank Watanabe in this Pharmaceutical Executive Podcast episode.

Exploring Arcutis’s Patient-Centric Dermatology Innovations

Cathi Ahearn is a seasoned biotechnology leaders with formative stints at Genentech, Roche, and now at Bristol Myers Squibb, as SVP of worldwide commercial portfolio strategy. Cathi is focused on one goal: shortening the path between creating medical innovation and getting that innovation to patients. Cathi chats with senior editor at Pharmaceutical Executive about her experiences in the past 20+ years and most importantly, the power of cross-functional collaboration, bringing different teams together and tearing down silos that limit the impact new innovations can have for patients.

Cathi joined Bristol Myers Squibb in December 2021 to lead Worldwide Commercial Portfolio Strategy, including responsibility for commercial development of pipeline assets, global marketing of in-line brands, and optimized management of the established brands franchise. She is a seasoned biotechnology leader who spent 22 years in roles of increasing responsibility and scope at Roche/Genentech, primarily in oncology. Her strategic, results-driven mindset led to demonstrated successes building and developing successful teams. Most recently, she led the GI & GU and Cancer Immunotherapy franchises within Roche’s worldwide commercial organization. Cathi led the cross-functional lifecycle & franchise teams for Tecentriq, Roche’s anti-PDL1 program, from the time of its entry into clinic through its global licensing and commercialization. Cathi held a broad range of US sales, marketing, and strategic roles on the Avastin program, and in the cardiovascular and asthma/allergy disease areas.

Cathi holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from UCLA and a Master of Business Administration from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.

The editors of Pharmaceutical Executive bring you the latest commercial insights to master the science of success. Podcast episodes examine current trends, key conferences, and critical topics in the bio/pharmaceutical industry. 

Fran Pollaro talks with Cathi Ahearn, senior vice president, worldwide commercial portfolio strategy, Bristol Myers Squibb about impediments and solutions to break down silos in order to get medications in the hands of patients faster.

Tearing Down Silos to Usher Innovative Medicines to Patients Faster

In his position, Faruk Capan leads thousands of employees around the globe with a focus on bold innovation—one can imagine how excited he is about Chat GPT, which set the record for fastest-growing user base in history. Senior editor Fran Pollaro and Faruk go back and forth about positives, negatives, hopes, and fears attached to generative AI for us as regular humans, and as pharma marketers. The pair delve into content creation, creative, video production, research, sales and marketing…it’s clear that we’re on the precipice of life-changing innovation.

Faruk Capan is the CEO, EVERSANA INTOUCH & Chief Innovation Officer, EVERSANA. Faruk began his first business at age nine and went on to create MSWatch.com, the first and largest online community for people living with multiple sclerosis ­– before founding Intouch in 1999. Today, he leads thousands of employees around the globe with a focus on bold innovation in a people-first environment. He is equally passionate about sports and shoes.

Fran Pollaro talks with Faruk Capan is the CEO, EVERSANA INTOUCH & Chief Innovation Officer, EVERSANA about the arrival of Chat GPT and generative AI in the public consciousness. This is just the beginning.

The Explosive Arrival of Chat GPT and Generative AI

We’re coming out of a period of hyper-accelerated digital and virtual growth, a positive born out of the COVID-19 pandemic — many in the business are wondering how the sales force is going to look, and how they’re going to communicate effectively with HCPs and patients. Pratap Khedkar, CEO of ZS discusses that with senior editor Fran Pollaro as well as the implications associated with the Inflation Reduction Act, the focus and importance of patient-centricity, what we might see in 2023 in the sales & marketing vertical, and more.

Pratap Khedkar was elected CEO of ZS in July 2021. Prior to this, he led the firm’s global pharmaceuticals practice for nine years, as well as a practice focused on the dynamics of healthcare ecosystems. He founded and led its advanced data science capability track, which focuses on AI. He has also served on ZS’s board since 2012.

Pratap has advised numerous leading companies in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries on a wide range of sales and marketing issues, including market access and managed care, using AI for multichannel marketing, marketing mix, sales force strategy and incentive compensation. More recently, his work has focused on developing effective strategies and analytics for changing customers in the new healthcare ecosystem.

A recognized healthcare industry expert, Pratap regularly contributes his insights to publications including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, Business Insider, Fortune, Medical Marketing & Media, NPR, Pharmaceutical Executive and others. His thought leadership work focuses on topics as diverse as healthcare policy; life sciences companies’ new commercial and organizational models; and the evolving relationships between patients, providers and payers and the life sciences organizations that serve them.

Pratap holds a PhD in artificial intelligence from the University of California, Berkeley and a B.Tech in computer science from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.

 bring you the latest commercial insights to master the science of success. Podcast episodes examine current trends, key conferences, and critical topics in the bio/pharmaceutical industry. 

Pratap Khedkar, CEO of ZS, a management consulting and technology firm focused on transforming global healthcare, shares his perspective on what 2023 holds for the sales and marketing vertical.

In Flux: The Sales & Marketing Outlook for 2023

Pharma can embrace product iteration over one-time launches—and enhance agility and responsiveness through effective roadmaps, feedback integration, and communication strategies.

How to Get Product Iteration Right in Healthcare

Connect Biopharma partners with the Jovante Woods Foundation to enhance asthma education and awareness, aiming to prevent acute attacks and save lives.

Connect Biopharma Partners with NFL Legend Ickey Woods and the Javonte Woods Foundation to Improve Asthma Education 

Oikos Fusion offers a nutrient-dense dairy drink designed to support muscle mass and digestive health during weight loss journeys.

Oikos Announces GLP-1 Inspired Drink Designed for Retaining Muscle Mass During Weight Loss 

One of the most significant drawbacks for a brand when partnering with individual medical journal platforms is the limitation in reach and scalability they possess.

From Scatter to Scale: Rethinking Marketing/Programmatic Strategy for Amplified HCP Reach and Engagement

The actor was diagnosed with the disease at 46-years-old.

Guardant Partners with James Van Der Beek on Colorectal Cancer Screening Campaign

Reverse Merger Offers Vyome Cost Effective Route to Go Public

, Shiladitya Sengupta, founder of Vyome Therapeutics, discussed the company’s strategic decision to go public through a reverse merger with Reshape Life Sciences, its approach to engaging US investors despite its strong Indian biotech roots, and its focus on developing innovative therapies for immuno-inflammatory diseases. Sengupta detailed how the company is leveraging deep networks in India, repositioning existing drugs to address unmet medical needs, and advancing a robust pipeline of treatments aimed at transforming patient care, while also exploring broader opportunities in med tech and AI.

Pharmaceutical Executive: What led Vyome to pursue a reverse merger with ReShape Lifesciences rather than a traditional IPO?

We wanted to go public, and we felt this was a more efficient and cost-effective way to do so. It required finding a clean shell with no baggage, which took some time. ReShape ultimately fit that requirement. Yes, we had to build up the Vyome brand afterward, but in my mind, it was a simpler and more efficient route.

We also had investors ready to come on board, so there was no pressure to follow the traditional IPO path. That’s the main reason we chose a reverse merger.

The company opted for a reverse merger with Reshape Life Sciences rather than a traditional IPO as a more efficient, cost-effective way to go public. The availability of a clean shell without any liabilities made the process attractive, allowing the company to focus on building its brand, Biome, while leveraging a ready pool of investors without the pressure of a conventional IPO route.

Communicating to U.S. investors about the company’s Indian biotech connections will emphasize its status as a U.S.-registered company with an Indian subsidiary. The leadership brings deep local knowledge, regulatory experience, and extensive networks across biotech, pharmaceutical, med tech, AI, and healthcare sectors in India. This includes co-founders with government and industry leadership roles and access to patient populations and medical data, which the company plans to leverage gradually to capture untapped opportunities. The approach is long-term, focused on steady growth rather than short-term gains.

The company’s lead programs focus on immuno-inflammatory diseases. Its primary asset is nearing the completion of a Phase II trial for malignant fungating wounds, a severe condition affecting 10% of advanced cancer patients with no currently approved therapies in the U.S. The development strategy emphasizes repositioning drugs with proven mechanisms in other indications to reduce risk and cost while targeting unmet medical needs. A preclinical program for uveitis is underway, developing a topical eye-drop formulation to replace systemic immunosuppressive therapy, reducing side effects and improving patient outcomes.

Over the next 12–18 months, milestones include initiating pivotal trials for malignant fungating wounds, pursuing geographic development of a Phase III-ready acne asset in Asia, and filing an IND for additional pipeline programs. The company also aims to expand strategically into med tech and AI through partnerships, reflecting its broader vision of leveraging its Indian network and technology access to build a multi-faceted, high-value healthcare platform.

Videos

Shiladitya Sengupta, founder, Vyome Therapeutics, explains how the company leveraged a reverse merger with ReShape Lifesciences to streamline its path to going public while minimizing costs and complexity.

Emrelis Could Establish AbbVie as a Competitor in MET-High NSCLC Treatment

, Neha Anand, Analyst, Biopharma Intelligence Services, Citeline, discussed how AbbVie’s newly approved antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), Emrelis, differentiates itself in a rapidly evolving oncology landscape. With rising competition in the ADC field—particularly in solid tumors—Anand highlighted Emrelis’ unique target, mechanism of action, and strategic positioning as key factors that set it apart. She also provided insight into what the approval signals about the FDA’s current regulatory posture, the potential impact on investor interest, and what a successful Phase III trial could mean for AbbVie’s long-term growth in precision oncology.

Pharmaceutical Executive: If the Phase III trial meets its endpoints, what could Emrelis mean for AbbVie’s long-term positioning in solid tumor treatment markets, especially given increasing competition from companies like Daiichi Sankyo, Seagen, and ImmunoGen?

If the ongoing Phase III trials confirm Emrelis’ efficacy and safety, it could significantly strengthen AbbVie’s long-term positioning in the solid tumor treatment market—particularly in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), where ADC competition is intensifying. A successful outcome would support full FDA approval and potentially establish Emrelis as the standard of care for MET-high NSCLC patients.

This would give AbbVie a distinct foothold in precision oncology, setting it apart from competitors like Daiichi Sankyo, Seagen, and ImmunoGen, which are more focused on targets like HER2 and Trop-2. It also marks a strategic move for AbbVie into solid tumor oncology, an area where it has historically lagged behind its peers.

Moreover, success with Emrelis could open doors for combination regimens with other immuno-oncology agents or expansion into other MET-overexpressing tumors—broadening the franchise. Importantly, it would also validate AbbVie’s internal ADC development capabilities and enhance its competitive edge in oncology.

 Emrelis stands out in the crowded antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) space by targeting a highly specific biomarker—C-MET overexpression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)—rather than pursuing broader tumor indications. Unlike ADCs such as those targeting HER2 or TROP2, which are used in breast or gastric cancers, Emrelis is designed for a niche patient subgroup with high C-MET protein levels but without MET gene mutations, a population with limited treatment options. This precision-targeting approach, combined with the use of the MMAE payload via a cleavable linker (which disrupts microtubules rather than causing DNA damage like some other ADCs), sets Emrelis apart both clinically and mechanistically.

The FDA’s accelerated approval of Emrelis signals a growing willingness to support biomarker-driven ADCs in solid tumors, particularly when addressing unmet needs. It reflects confidence in ADC safety and efficacy profiles and aligns with broader trends favoring precision medicine.

Emrelis is especially well-positioned to serve NSCLC patients representing roughly 25% of EGFR wild-type cases who overexpress C-MET but lack actionable mutations. While NSCLC remains the primary focus, success here could pave the way for expansion into other C-MET–driven solid tumors.

From an industry perspective, Emrelis’ approval is likely to fuel both investor enthusiasm and R&D momentum. For large pharmaceutical companies, it offers a blueprint to diversify oncology pipelines beyond traditional small molecules or immunotherapies. For biotechs, it validates the potential of novel ADC designs targeting underexplored antigens.

If Phase III trials meet their endpoints, Emrelis could become a new standard of care in C-MET high NSCLC and mark a strategic shift for AbbVie, establishing its credibility in solid tumor oncology and reinforcing its in-house ADC capabilities amidst rising competition from companies like Daiichi Sankyo and ImmunoGen.

Neha Anand, Analyst, Biopharma Intelligence Services, Citeline, explains how positive Phase III results for Emrelis may position AbbVie as a key player in MET-high non-small cell lung cancer, expanding its presence in precision oncology and antibody-drug conjugates.

Using AI and RWD to Drive Creative Decision-Making

Pharmaceutical Executive: How do agencies use RWD to drive creative decision making?

A lot of RWD consists of quantitative information. Our database of claims has about 60 million claims in it. If you talk about those as individual data elements, you can get into the trillions. That’s impressive, but it’s meaningless unless someone understands what it is.

Where AI and brand translation comes in is the ability of AI to translate across disciplines. Administrative overhead increases on the amount of resources it takes to run any sort of organization. You must manage huge amounts of information coming in that must be interpreted differently across elements of the business.

A writer that I like compared the invention of AI to the invention of the filing cabinet, which doesn’t sound super exciting. The filing cabinet is not magical, but it enables making the same information standardized and accessible across an entire enterprise. That’s where I think an agency’s ability to translate comes in, and certainly AI will be an empowering factor to this.

I have an example from inside the lab. One of my peers took our full documentation database, everything that we use to educate clients on how to use the reports on our platform and our APIs, and he put a LLM on top of it. He essentially created a search and summarization feature for any question you could think of about how the platform works. That was just a beta test, so we’re not rolling something like that out anytime soon, but it is an example of an agency’s ability to turn analyst reports into a coherent strategy and a set of tactics that will form the creative development and media deployments.

Ted Sweetser discusses turning information into usable datasets and pulling insights from them.

Using RWD to Create Personalized Engagement

Pharmaceutical Executive: How can agencies harness real-world data (RWD) to drive smarter, more personalized engagement?


 When we think about RWD, we think about claims data and healthcare observations that have been de-identified and rendered HIPPA compliant, but still allow you to get a really fine-tuned understanding about what patient challenges are, what drives decision-making, and what obstacles they may face in obtaining care.

I gravitate towards being able to go past persona-driven strategies where market research is involved much earlier in the pre-commercial or early-launch phases and things are boiled down to broad set of archetypes. We’re able to actually describe those markets in far more detail. That means that agencies should be able to shape messaging that reflects the needs and cares of the given constituency.

We think about this in healthcare in the research side of the business. This includes getting communities to have access to care. There’s a pretty well-established link in getting somebody a healthcare provider that looks like them and is able to reflect their sensitivities and concerns. A notable and unfortunate example of that is the historical record of African Americans reporting pain symptoms and not necessarily being believed by HCPs.

Being able to match the needs of the population with the brands that you’re promoting is an area where RWD can be incredibly essential.

Ted Sweetser discusses how more accurate datasets are solving problems related to getting communities access to better healthcare.

Overcoming Pharma Marketing Challenges with AI

Pharmaceutical Executive: How is AI helping to overcome the challenges pharma marketing teams are facing?


 There’s a brewing issue in the viewability space. For anyone not aware of what that term means, viewability consists of the metrics around validating that a person has seen an advertisement, the time that they’re seeing, and the quality of the placement where a given ad is served. This is something that’s been up in the air since last year when Oracle shut down Moat, which was one of the three major viewability providers. There’s been a lot of talk about the way performance functions in this space for ages. That left IAS and Double Verify as two vendors of this service.

People have objected to things like cutting out large amounts of media inventory that was specifically related to news. Some felt this painting with too broad of a brush in determining what shouldn’t qualify.

There is innovation in this space. There are services leveraging a lot of AI, and one of the more popular trends in recent years of using AI is agentic models that can behave autonomously and crawl across the full span of the internet at a much faster pace and making brand safety decisions that are specific to the needs of an individual brand’s objectives. These models promise to do all sorts of interesting things in regard to shifting what we think of as media and where an impression can be served, hopefully for the better.

It's certainly a big change. It really matters for pharma because, aside from direct response messaging, a huge amount of the spend is going into branding, which has different KPIs than just trying to get a number of clicks on a page. You want to make sure that your message is hitting enough of the population with enough frequency to reinforce the message your brand is putting out there.

Ted Sweetser discusses how the technology is providing greater insight into how marketing materials are being viewed.

How AI is Shaking Up Pharma Marketing

Pharmaceutical Executive: How is artificial intelligence shaking up the pharma marketing space?


 The first top level one that everyone is paying attention to right now (because it’s the most visually engaging) is the ability of art related large-language models to create new forms of content. We saw everyone get excited when OpenAI released an update that allowed users to create Studio Ghibli inspired art, which turned into a meme.

More broadly, people are saying that if they can increase the amount of content that they can generate exponentially by using AI that’s been trained on licensed data sets that are permitted for those uses, there’s a whole world of new, specific messaging to create. That feeds into the personalization, which is a huge part of omnichannel branding, messaging, and building a relationship directly between brands and consumers.

While that’s very exciting in the space generally, pharma is beholden to a higher standard. We’re all familiar with the MLR process of legal review to make sure that everything works. We were at this year’s MM&M Transform conference hearing from a number of creatives about the number of possibilities raised from this space.

A consistent theme was that people can create as much new content as they want, but it still needs to go through thorough vetting to ensure that nothing is being misrepresented about the impact of the drug and that it meets with FDA standards. While it is very exciting, it’s something that’s still further down the line, although it is a factor that agencies are going to be thinking about when it comes to the way that they approach creative.

Ted Sweetser discusses how the technology is expanding the amount of content that can be created.

Amy Hessels, Bayer‘s vice president of marketing, talks about how to engage younger demographics and how the "Your Decision" campaign contributes to broader conversations about women's reproductive autonomy and healthcare access.

Resonating with Younger Demographics While Maintaining Medical Accuracy & Sensitivity

Amy Hessels, Bayer‘s vice president of marketing, talks about how to engage younger demographics and how the Your Decision campaign contributes to broader conversations about women's reproductive autonomy and healthcare access.

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