The Refill, by MM+M

Hosted by The MM+M Podcast, Lecia Bushak, Bella Czajkowski, Steve Madden, Jameson Fleming, Jack O’Brien

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766

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Nov 2026

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About the show

MM+M editors Jameson Fleming, Jack O'Brien, Bella Czajkowski, Lecia Bushak, and Steve Madden speak with people of note in and around the healthcare marketing world, and chat about news impacting the sector. New episodes released each week.

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60 recent

November 11, 202646 min

AI is pharma’s pick-your-own-adventure: Drug discovery accelerant or threat to humanity

We’re spending our time on the country’s economic soup du jure: AI. Specifically, we’re examining the responsibilities of pharma brands and their medical marketing agency partners as the technology becomes more and more ingrained in the system. Reporter Bella Czajkowski brings us a conversation with Aris Saxena, co-founder and CEO of Solstice Health , an AI-native medical marketing agency. With our third annual AI Deciphered conference taking place on Thursday here in New York, what better time than now to have Aris make his debut on the show? This week, you get a double dose of AI through Bella’s feature interview with Aris and our panel discussion with editor-at-large Steve Madden during Phase 3. To close out the show, we build on his seminal essay from last month about how pharma must demand watchdogs to police AI properly. (We also have a special guest appearance by 2026 MM+M Agency 100 honoree Bospar ’s CEO Curtis Sparrer .) Let us also remind you of three items we have open in the field: the MM+M Reader Survey is open until December 4, the extended deadline for the 2027 Pinnacle Awards is January 12 and the deadline for the 2027 Women of Distinction program is January 8. Is your team still treating AI like a side experiment while competitors use it to win? Cut through the buzzword fatigue. On November 12th, join hundreds of top marketers in New York City for AI Deciphered, presented by Campaign, MM+M, and PRWeek. Get real-world playbooks from leaders like Reddit’s Rob Gaige and Yahoo’s Matt Sanchez across dedicated tracks built for daily execution. Use code POD for $100 off your pass at aidecipheredsummit.com . Check us out at: mmm-online.com Follow us: YouTube: @MMM-online TikTok: @MMMnews Instagram: @MMMnewsonline Twitter/X: @MMMnews LinkedIn: MM+M To read more of the most timely, balanced and original reporting in medical marketing, subscribe here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

November 6, 202624 min

The 2026 AI Deciphered conference preview by Haymarket Media

On Thursday, November 12, three Haymarket Media publications — PRWeek , Campaign and MM+M — are reuniting for a daylong conference focused on all things AI. Attendees will receive incisive analysis and predictions about a topic that dominates the headlines and has businesses around the world future-proofing their operations. The opening keynote will feature Rob Gaige, the global head of insights at Reddit, and the closing keynote speaker will be Matt Sanchez, president and COO of Yahoo. From 11 a.m. to 3:35 p.m., all sessions will be on individual tracks specifically designed for Campaign, MM+M and PRWeek’s audiences. To preview the third annual AI Deciphered conference are three editorial leads from Haymarket Media: PRWeek executive editor Frank Washkuch , Campaign managing editor Emmy Liederman and MM+M executive editor Jack O’Brien . Register here for tickets to the 2026 AI Deciphered conference and use promo code: POD100 for $100 off. Is your team still treating AI like a side experiment while competitors use it to win? Cut through the buzzword fatigue. On November 12th, join hundreds of top marketers in New York City for AI Deciphered, presented by Campaign, MM+M, and PRWeek. Get real-world playbooks from leaders like Reddit’s Rob Gaige and Yahoo’s Matt Sanchez across dedicated tracks built for daily execution. Use code POD for $100 off your pass at aidecipheredsummit.com . Check us out at: mmm-online.com Follow us: YouTube: @MMM-online TikTok: @MMMnews Instagram: @MMMnewsonline Twitter/X: @MMMnews LinkedIn: MM+M To read more of the most timely, balanced and original reporting in medical marketing, subscribe here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

November 5, 202629 min

What the 2026 midterms mean for medical marketing

For today’s program we are talking all about the midterms. A historically good night for Democrats could portend rough seas ahead for pharma brands. Undoubtedly, the healthcare focus of the incoming Congress will be on affordability and cost concerns. We’re diving into what the midterm results will likely mean for the healthcare industry, from additional drug pricing reforms to bolstering the ACA to establishing safeguards to prevent more cuts to Medicare. We’re also going to explore the MAHA disappearing act, as the health movement failed to deliver on its vaunted political promise. Also, could we see a return of the Medicare for All discourse? But before we get into that, editor-at-large Steve Madden brings us a conversation with Eversana CEO Mark Thierer about its recent acquisition of Estima Scientific. Is your team still treating AI like a side experiment while competitors use it to win? Cut through the buzzword fatigue. On November 12th, join hundreds of top marketers in New York City for AI Deciphered, presented by Campaign, MM+M, and PRWeek. Get real-world playbooks from leaders like Reddit’s Rob Gaige and Yahoo’s Matt Sanchez across dedicated tracks built for daily execution. Use code POD for $100 off your pass at aidecipheredsummit.com . Check us out at: mmm-online.com Follow us: YouTube: @MMM-online TikTok: @MMMnews Instagram: @MMMnewsonline Twitter/X: @MMMnews LinkedIn: MM+M To read more of the most timely, balanced and original reporting in medical marketing, subscribe here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

October 28, 202646 min

Is pharma measuring media against the wrong metrics?

The 2026 MM+M Media Summit will take place on Thursday here in New York, providing us an opportunity to check in with stakeholders from across the extensive health media landscape. Over the course of our daylong programming, we get updates on the state of play, what strategies and channels are working best for pharma brands and where there is uncertainty or room for improvement. Attendees will also get to hear from opening and closing keynotes featuring entertainment and social giants Disney and Meta , respectively. In advance of the Media Summit, executive editor Jack O’Brien is joined by a veteran of health media in all its various forms and incarnations: Underscore Marketing CEO Lauren Boyer . Boyer, a 2023 Women of Distinction honoree , is on the show to talk about what pharma marketers should actually be measuring as they prepare for a launch. The checklist is extensive, but manageable and keeps drugmakers from measuring their media strategies against imprecise metrics. Boyer also previews what her agency has up its sleeve heading into its 20th anniversary next year. Then, during Phase 3, we go medical marketing trick or treating. Is your team still treating AI like a side experiment while competitors use it to win? Cut through the buzzword fatigue. On November 12th, join hundreds of top marketers in New York City for AI Deciphered, presented by Campaign, MM+M, and PRWeek. Get real-world playbooks from leaders like Reddit’s Rob Gaige and Yahoo’s Matt Sanchez across dedicated tracks built for daily execution. Use code POD for $100 off your pass at aidecipheredsummit.com . Check us out at: mmm-online.com Follow us: YouTube: @MMM-online TikTok: @MMMnews Instagram: @MMMnewsonline Twitter/X: @MMMnews LinkedIn: MM+M To read more of the most timely, balanced and original reporting in medical marketing, subscribe here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

October 26, 202622 min

You can’t bolt on the future: How AI-native agencies are built differently from the start, a podcast sponsored by The Considered+AI and CG Life

The next era of healthcare marketing isn’t on the horizon — it’s already here. Science is advancing, AI is expanding what teams can create and accomplish and clients are under growing pressure to deliver greater impact, faster. CG Life CEO David Ormesher and The Considered+AI founder Dave Hunt join MM+M to take listeners behind the curtain of the next generation of the agency model. Drawing on what they’ve learned from building and working differently, they’ll explore what’s proving successful, what the industry conversation about AI may be missing and what it really takes to move beyond experimentation to change how teams think, create and deliver for clients. Fresh off bringing together two growing agencies, they’ll discuss why this moment calls for a different kind of agency: Nimble enough to keep moving, built around great talent and designed to embrace AI as a cultural and creative opportunity — not simply another technology or platform. Is your team still treating AI like a side experiment while competitors use it to win? Cut through the buzzword fatigue. On November 12th, join hundreds of top marketers in New York City for AI Deciphered, presented by Campaign, MM+M, and PRWeek. Get real-world playbooks from leaders like Reddit’s Rob Gaige and Yahoo’s Matt Sanchez across dedicated tracks built for daily execution. Use code POD for $100 off your pass at aidecipheredsummit.com . Check us out at: mmm-online.com Follow us: YouTube: @MMM-online TikTok: @MMMnews Instagram: @MMMnewsonline Twitter/X: @MMMnews LinkedIn: MM+M To read more of the most timely, balanced and original reporting in medical marketing, subscribe here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

October 21, 202659 min

Introducing The Refill by MM+M

Hello and welcome to The Refill by MM+M! We’re making some long overdue updates to the podcast. First, it has a new name. Second, it has new cover art, courtesy of our dynamic design duo of Sean Ayling and David Lee. Third, it has new sonic branding from our musically-inclined producer Bill Fitzpatrick. Finally, perhaps most importantly, we have a new multimedia studio in our New York office, which you’ll get to see a lot more of in interview clips posted on our social media accounts. Otherwise, the high level of audio journalism content remains the same. There will be some other changes to the show as we plan on experimenting with different formats, but you can always expect an episode in your podcast feed every Wednesday morning. Please like, rate and review us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Also, subscribe to our YouTube channel: @MMM-online and follow us on TikTok , Instagram , X and LinkedIn . We hope you enjoy our debut episode featuring Omnicom Health CEO Dana Maiman in conversation with editorial director Jameson Fleming . After that interview, we’ll bring you to our revamped Trends segment, which will now be known as “Phase 3.” Think of it as a late-stage deep dive into a specific topic of interest to medical marketing. This week, we’re talking about MAHA and the midterms. Is your team still treating AI like a side experiment while competitors use it to win? Cut through the buzzword fatigue. On November 12th, join hundreds of top marketers in New York City for AI Deciphered, presented by Campaign, MM+M, and PRWeek. Get real-world playbooks from leaders like Reddit’s Rob Gaige and Yahoo’s Matt Sanchez across dedicated tracks built for daily execution. Use code POD for $100 off your pass at aidecipheredsummit.com . Check us out at: mmm-online.com Follow us: YouTube: @MMM-online TikTok: @MMMnews Instagram: @MMMnewsonline Twitter/X: @MMMnews LinkedIn: MM+M To read more of the most timely, balanced and original reporting in medical marketing, subscribe here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

October 14, 202646 min

Noom reminds us weight regain doesn't care. Plus, we reflect on five years since Dopesick was released.

If you’re watching TV, you’re seeing Noom’s ads. Nestled between Keke Palmer dancing in support of Verizon’s phone plans and the unsettling omnipresence of Liberty Biberty are the weight loss company’s ads featuring chief wellness ambassador Rebel Wilson. The Pitch Perfect star has long been a partner to the brand and a star in its bubbly advertising, which blankets linear TV, especially during live sports broadcasts. But now Noom has released another GLP-1-focused ad with a haunting hook just in time for Halloween. As an outgrowth of its Losing for Keeps campaign, Noom recently released a 30-second PSA-style ad titled “Weight Regain Doesn't Care.” It’s a cheeky spot certain to get major play throughout the next month, which is why we have Noom CEO Geoff Cook back on the show this week. In conversation with executive editor Jack O’Brien, Cook discusses “Weight Regain Doesn’t Care,” the impact of the broader Losing for Keeps effort, the role of celebs in GLP-1 marketing and what other examples of GLP-1 advertising have impressed him. Then, during Trends, we reflect on the five-year anniversary since Dopesick was released and medical marketing’s ignominious legacy fueling the opioid epidemic. Is your team still treating AI like a side experiment while competitors use it to win? Cut through the buzzword fatigue. On November 12th, join hundreds of top marketers in New York City for AI Deciphered, presented by Campaign, MM+M, and PRWeek. Get real-world playbooks from leaders like Reddit’s Rob Gaige and Yahoo’s Matt Sanchez across dedicated tracks built for daily execution. Use code POD for $100 off your pass at aidecipheredsummit.com . Check us out at: mmm-online.com Follow us: YouTube: @MMM-online TikTok: @MMMnews Instagram: @MMMnewsonline Twitter/X: @MMMnews LinkedIn: MM+M To read more of the most timely, balanced and original reporting in medical marketing, subscribe here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

October 8, 202616 min

Betting on people: The future of healthcare marketing, a podcast sponsored by Omnicom Health

Healthcare marketing has evolved dramatically over the past several decades, from TV and traditional advertising to search, social, mobile, data and now AI. Each shift has changed how the industry works, but one thing has remained constant. It takes talented people to turn new tools and technologies into meaningful, impactful work. Jennie Fischette, CEO of Remedy Edge, and Kathleen Nanda, chief creative officer of Olixir will explore what the next era of healthcare marketing will demand from agencies. They will dive into how the talent shaping the industry is evolving across creative, science, strategy, technology and patient experience, and why investing in people and creativity may matter more than ever. Is your team still treating AI like a side experiment while competitors use it to win? Cut through the buzzword fatigue. On November 12th, join hundreds of top marketers in New York City for AI Deciphered, presented by Campaign, MM+M, and PRWeek. Get real-world playbooks from leaders like Reddit’s Rob Gaige and Yahoo’s Matt Sanchez across dedicated tracks built for daily execution. Use code POD for $100 off your pass at aidecipheredsummit.com . Check us out at: mmm-online.com Follow us: YouTube: @MMM-online TikTok: @MMMnews Instagram: @MMMnewsonline Twitter/X: @MMMnews LinkedIn: MM+M To read more of the most timely, balanced and original reporting in medical marketing, subscribe here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

October 7, 202641 min

Why medical affairs is the next frontier for pharma brands

MM+M stands for “Medical, Marketing and Media,” representing the primary pillars of our coverage. But maybe there’s room for a fourth pillar, or at least a tweak to the first one: “Medical Affairs.” Today’s episode is going to delve into medical affairs, which have risen in prominence over the past decade to become a key function for drugmakers and their agency partners. As today’s guests will discuss in greater detail, medical affairs is at the center of the venn diagram between R&D and commercial teams I’m pleased to be joined by Renu Juneja , ADPAL president and former medical affairs lead at Johnson & Johnson, as well as my fellow Haymarket Media colleague Tammy Chernin , SVP of strategic and scientific services at PRI Healthcare Solutions . These two walk us through where medical affairs stands in 2026, why pharma companies are increasingly prioritizing it for their business and where there is room for improvement as its profile continues to ascend. As for Trends, I’ll be joined by editor-at-large Steve Madden and reporter Bella Czajkowski to talk about Breast Cancer Awareness Month, including newly launched initiatives , reupped ad campaigns as well as the evolving narrative around cancer care. Music: “Deep Reflection” by DP and Triple Scoop Music. Is your team still treating AI like a side experiment while competitors use it to win? Cut through the buzzword fatigue. On November 12th, join hundreds of top marketers in New York City for AI Deciphered, presented by Campaign, MM+M, and PRWeek. Get real-world playbooks from leaders like Reddit’s Rob Gaige and Yahoo’s Matt Sanchez across dedicated tracks built for daily execution. Use code POD for $100 off your pass at aidecipheredsummit.com . Check us out at: mmm-online.com Follow us: YouTube: @MMM-online TikTok: @MMMnews Instagram: @MMMnewsonline Twitter/X: @MMMnews LinkedIn: MM+M To read more of the most timely, balanced and original reporting in medical marketing, subscribe here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

September 30, 202645 min

Previewing the 2026 MM+M Awards with Jury Chair Jen Clifford of AstraZeneca

The biggest night in medical marketing returns on Thursday. The 2026 MM+M Awards will take place at Cipriani Wall Street on October 1, and honestly, it will probably be the biggest night in the 60-year history of MM+M when it’s all said and done. We’re set to bestow honors for the top ad campaigns and educational initiatives, for the lead agencies by category as well as for a pair of leaders who have spent decades of their respective careers pushing medical marketing forward. The centerpiece of the night will also be remarks delivered by Platinum Award honoree Gabrielle Union , a partner of Bayer, Knix and Clearblue alongside her out-loud advocacy about living with adenomyosis, menopausal, perimenopausal and mental health challenges. There’s so much exciting stuff in the works and executive editor Jack O’Brien is joined by this week’s guest, 2026 MM+M Awards jury chair Jen Clifford of AstraZeneca. Jen is here not only to preview our big night of glitz and glam, but also to discuss overseeing the judging process for the awards and offer best practices for how to most effectively nominate work for the 2027 MM+M Awards. Following that conversation, I’m joined by pharma editor Lecia Bushak and reporter Bella Czajkowski to talk about the throughline from a few pharma ads of the post-Untitled Letter era, featuring appearances by Ardelyx, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly. Is your team still treating AI like a side experiment while competitors use it to win? Cut through the buzzword fatigue. On November 12th, join hundreds of top marketers in New York City for AI Deciphered, presented by Campaign, MM+M, and PRWeek. Get real-world playbooks from leaders like Reddit’s Rob Gaige and Yahoo’s Matt Sanchez across dedicated tracks built for daily execution. Use code POD for $100 off your pass at aidecipheredsummit.com . Check us out at: mmm-online.com Follow us: YouTube: @MMM-online TikTok: @MMMnews Instagram: @MMMnewsonline Twitter/X: @MMMnews LinkedIn: MM+M To read more of the most timely, balanced and original reporting in medical marketing, subscribe here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.