The Top Line

Hosted by Fierce Life Sciences

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Episodes

100

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Biopharma and medtech explained. Every week, journalists from Fierce Biotech, Fierce Medtech, and Fierce Pharma recount the latest industry trends and why they matter. We'll analyze the week's biggest business news, from mergers and marketing to drug R&D and device development. Available every Friday morning.

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60 recent

September 11, 202629 min

The future of RAS inhibitors

Revolution Medicines recently made history with the approval of its RAS inhibitor Rasonque for advanced pancreatic cancer. But behind RevMed is an entire field of biotechs working to broaden the reach of RAS-targeting drugs. In this week’s episode of “The Top Line,” Fierce Biotech’s Darren Incorvaia sits down with Verastem Oncology CEO Dan Paterson and Chief Scientific Officer Jonathan Pachter, Ph.D., to discuss the significance of Revolution Medicines’ recent pancreatic cancer approval, Verastem’s work in the RAS-targeting space and how the company is trying to improve on existing approaches. To learn more about the topics in this episode: FDA greenlights Revolution Medicines' pancreatic cancer gamechanger As RevMed preps for ‘historic’ pancreatic cancer launch, questions linger on the ground ASCO: Revolution Medicines confident in RAS leadership as rivals square up AACR: Revolution sees pancreatic cancer win as 'tip of the iceberg' as RAS wave rises Fierce 50 of 2026: Breakthrough honoree Verastem Oncology Fierce 50 of 2026: Breakthrough honoree Revolution Medicines See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

September 4, 202625 min

The people who stayed with the problem

The 2026 Fierce 50 includes people and organizations working on very different problems across biopharma and healthcare, from designing new proteins and developing cancer medicines to protecting vaccine science, improving health literacy and expanding representation in medicine. In this episode of “The Top Line,” Fierce Editor-in-Chief Ayla Ellison looks at the stories behind several of this year’s honorees, including Revolution Medicines’ work targeting RAS, the protein-design research of David Baker, Ph.D., and Michael Osterholm, Ph.D.’s, decision to put plans to step back from public health on hold. The episode also explores the work of Lisa Fitzpatrick, M.D., Hip Hop Public Health, Eric Topol, M.D., and Mary Owen, M.D., and the problems they have chosen to keep working on. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 28, 202621 min

MrBeast, Snapchat, AI and more: Pharma marketing’s pulse check

As Fierce Pharma Week approaches, the Fierce Pharma Marketing team is taking stock of some of the biggest trends reshaping how drugmakers and healthcare agencies reach audiences. In this week’s episode of “The Top Line,” Fierce’s Ben Adams and Zoey Becker discuss how pharma marketing is evolving across social media, creative work and agency strategy. They dig into the changing approach to HIV marketing, pharma’s experiments with platforms including Snapchat, and what a collaboration with MrBeast says about the industry’s efforts to reach new audiences. They also examine how healthcare agencies are putting AI to work, pharma’s return to the winner’s circle at Cannes and why Novo Nordisk built a maze along the River Thames in London this summer. The conversation comes as Fierce Pharma Week approaches Sept. 14-17 in Philadelphia. To learn more about the topics in this episode: YouTuber MrBeast welcomes Amgen to the channel, kicking off pediatric cancer funding effort Inside agency view: Real Chemistry’s Frank Mazzola on audience nuance and rewarding creativity Snapchat creates ad format to support pharma disclosure needs Novo Nordisk asks public to ‘Meet Me in the Middle’ in new obesity experience installation Women’s ‘new health ecosystem’ takes shape on Reddit: report See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 21, 202632 min

What did we learn from Big Pharma’s Q2 results?

Earnings calls are a chance to catch up with the latest developments across Big Pharma and beyond, and last quarter was no different. From the rollout of AI to the oral GLP-1 battle between Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly and new leadership at Sarepta and Sanofi, it feels like the opportunities and challenges for biopharma have never been greater. In this week’s episode of "The Top Line," Fierce Pharma Senior Editor Fraiser Kansteiner and Fierce Biotech Senior Editor James Waldron share their takeaways from another whirlwind season of earnings calls. Alongside a Q2 scorecard breakdown, the Fierce editors discuss how several new CEOs are finding their footing, which drugs appear poised to cross the $1 billion sales threshold in 2026 and more. To learn more about the topics in this episode: Biopharma saw a Q2 sales boom led by Lilly, Sanofi, Regeneron and Astellas Sanofi’s new CEO ‘looking deeply’ at late-stage pipeline as clinical clearout continues Novo CEO has 'no doubt' on eventual share price recovery as Wegovy pill continues to wow Sarepta’s new CEO Michael Severino faces critical milestones to prove growth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 17, 202617 min

How consumerization is reshaping pharma marketing (Sponsored)

Consumerization is changing how patients engage with healthcare, and pharma companies may need to rethink how they approach awareness, diagnosis and commercialization. In this sponsored episode of The Top Line , host Irena Luo is joined by Rachel Stoll, Managing Partner, Growth & Innovation at Princeton10, and Kevin Nalty, Vice President of Strategy at Princeton10, to discuss how evolving patient behaviors are reshaping the healthcare journey. Together, they explore the impact of GLP-1s, telemedicine, AI, wellness technologies and other low-friction healthcare experiences that are raising expectations for convenience and accessibility. The conversation examines emerging gaps between health awareness and clinical diagnosis, the role of wellness tools and health data, and why some patients delay or avoid care altogether. The guests also discuss opportunities for pharma brands to rethink disease awareness, improve navigation to diagnosis and treatment, and borrow engagement strategies from successful consumer platforms that encourage long-term behavior change. Listen to hear practical insights on how brand teams can adapt their commercial strategies, identify hidden friction points and better meet the needs of today's healthcare consumer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 14, 202623 min

A genomics library for the AI era

Having spent 14 years building out its capacity, Regeneron Genetics Center—the genomic research branch of the Tarrytown, New York-based pharma—is a pro when it comes to the sort of target validation work central to the field today. Now, as RGC continues the massive expansion of its genetic database, the center’s unique ability to interpret that trove of data could give it an edge in the age of AI-powered drug development. In this week’s episode of "The Top Line," Fierce’s Fraiser Kansteiner sits down with Andy Deubler, chief business and administrative officer at Regeneron Genetics Center, to discuss the role RGC plays in the larger Regeneron model, as well as where the center could be headed as drug development pushes into new technological frontiers. Aside from the data interpretation advantage RGC believes it holds in the AI era, Deubler also discusses how the unit’s ongoing genetic research has helped deliver recent breakthroughs like the hearing loss gene therapy Otarmeni. To learn more about the topics in this episode: Regeneron ushers in new genetic medicine era with groundbreaking gene therapy approval J. Craig Venter launches genomics startup designed to boost diagnostic insights Genomics inks partnership deal with Greywolf to assess gene datasets How a new tool for large-scale gene editing could power novel genetic medicines In global life sciences, insight isn’t the problem—execution is. Disconnected dashboards, siloed teams and fragmented workflows make it harder to act—consistently, compliantly and at scale. ZAIDYN by ZS closes that gap. ZAIDYN is the Life Sciences Intelligence Platform that embeds intelligence in the flow of work, based on domain expertise and agentic AI across commercial, medical, patient and content work. Trusted by more than 150 life sciences organizations across over 100 countries, ZAIDYN is built for global scale, regulatory compliance and trusted AI—so teams act together across brands, markets and channels. ZAIDYN. Move beyond reporting to intelligent action. Learn more at ZAIDYN.ai See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 10, 202626 min

The next frontier in patient support: Connected data, AI and personalized engagement (Sponsored)

The future of patient support may depend less on how much data organizations collect and more on how effectively they connect, govern and activate it. In this sponsored episode of The Top Line , host Stephanie Butler speaks with ZS principals Asheesh Shukla and Kirti Prakash about the changing role of patient data in life sciences and what it will take to support more personalized engagement at scale. The conversation examines several shifts reshaping the industry, including the move from reactive care to proactive intervention, the growing role of AI-powered experiences and the increasing importance of trust, consent and compliance in patient engagement. As organizations invest in new technologies, the speakers contend that success will depend on creating connected data foundations that can deliver timely, actionable insights across the patient journey. Listeners will hear practical guidance on structuring data for actionability, building AI-ready capabilities and designing governance models that support both innovation and accountability. The discussion closes with a look at where patient services may be headed next and why organizations that prepare now will be better positioned to improve patient experiences and outcomes in the years ahead. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 7, 202620 min

Novo Nordisk’s CFO on the oral Wegovy rollout and beyond

Novo Nordisk’s second-quarter earnings results this week were closely watched by analysts and investors eager to see whether the rollout of oral Wegovy could neutralize concerns about the pharma’s pipeline. Fierce spoke to Novo’s chief financial officer, Karsten Munk Knudsen, to dig into the figures, including the reasons behind the company’s decision to raise its full-year guidance and the launch of oral Wegovy across Europe. In the candid conversation, Knudsen also reflected on Novo’s “rollercoaster” journey in obesity, his approach to pursuing long-term growth for the company and why he’s “still optimistic” about CagriSema despite recent setbacks. To learn more about the topics in this episode: Novo CEO accepts ‘couple of setbacks’ in R&D as CagriSema posts more mixed data Novo CEO has 'no doubt' on eventual share price recovery as Wegovy pill continues to wow ‘I’m a lot more optimistic today’: Mike Doustdar tells Fierce about pivotal first year as Novo Nordisk CEO See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 3, 202615 min

Inside Noble’s connected approach to patient support (Sponsored)

The continued shift toward self-administered therapies is changing how pharmaceutical companies think about patient support. While access and affordability remain priorities, a growing share of industry attention is focused on the patient experience itself, particularly during the critical transition from prescription to successful treatment initiation. In this episode of The Top Line , Adam Shain, Vice President and Head of Business Transformation and Growth and Government Affairs Lead at Noble, an Aptar Pharma company, examines why patient onboarding, device training, and engagement strategies are increasingly being viewed as interconnected components of a broader patient experience. Drawing from Noble's work in self-administration support, Shain discusses the importance of incorporating patient insights into program design, the evolving complexity of at-home treatment models, and the industry's growing focus on adherence and long-term treatment success. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

July 31, 202625 min

Psychedelics, peptides and GLP-1s

Is biotech taking a trip to the world of psychedelic drugs? Why is Novo Nordisk going after Eli Lilly’s Zepbound ads? And what are peptides? This week on "The Top Line," Fierce's Zoey Becker, Will Maddox and Kevin Dunleavy chat about some of the biggest recent stories. From a psychedelics acquisition that could spark more movement in the emerging field to an advisory committee meeting on peptides shrouded in political controversy to a lawsuit between the two major obesity drugmakers, we’ll catch you up on the latest developments shaking up the biopharma world. To learn more about the topics in this episode: ‘A rising tide scenario’: Why other Big Pharmas could follow Lilly into psychedelics UPDATE: Peptides favored on 1st day of closely watched FDA compounding adcomm Peptide adcomm Day 2: Emideltide voted down in panel's 1st pushback Novo Nordisk files lawsuit accusing rival Eli Lilly of running ‘false and misleading’ GLP-1 ads Novo escalates Lilly false advertising suit with planned bid to halt comparative ads See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.