The Top Line

With GLP-1s paving the way, a consumer shift is happening across markets for certain branded pharmaceuticals. Now, the CEO of a buzzy pattern-hair-loss biotech is eyeing opportunities in an evolving market that could expand well beyond his own company.

In this week’s episode of "The Top Line," Fierce’s Fraiser Kansteiner chats with Reid Waldman, co-founder and CEO of hair loss-focused biotech Veradermics. With impressive data on its reformulated minoxidil candidate and an upsized IPO earlier this year, Veradermics has generated significant interest in its approach. The company now hopes to tap into an increasingly consumer-minded market for certain drugs, a shift Waldman says could carry over to a range of indications and products.

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• A cut above: Veradermics locks in $256M IPO and shares spike
• Buzzy Veradermics shows its oral minoxidil can tackle female pattern hair loss, too
• Contraline and its male birth control candidate rally $92.5M amid push into 'massive white space' of…
• ‘I’m a lot more optimistic today’: Mike Doustdar tells Fierce about pivotal first year as Novo Nordi…

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Fierce Pharma Week brought thousands of people to Philadelphia for four days of conversations about pharma marketing, commercialization, medical affairs and communications.

In this episode of "The Top Line," Fierce editors share the conversations, trends and moments that stood out from the event. Topics include Genentech’s use of humor and celebrity storytelling to raise awareness of diabetic macular edema, how Novo is navigating the extraordinary attention around GLP-1 drugs, and the growing role of AI in pharma marketing. The team also looks at some of the campaigns honored at the Fierce Pharma Marketing Awards and the creative approaches companies are using to reach patients and healthcare professionals.

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• ‘People like the sincerity of it’: comedian Damon Wayans on humor, relatability and DME awareness in…
• Standout pharma marketing takes the stage at the 2026 Fierce Pharma Marketing Awards
• Panthers and zebras and meerkats, oh my: A peek behind the curtain at Fierce Pharma Week 2026
• Former 'Real Housewives' star Jenn Fessler and CineHealth’s Tracey Yaw break down authentic healthca…
• 'The growth driver of our organization'; Genentech CMO Zoë Lazarre on experimental marketing, AI and…
• Journalist and menopause advocate Tamsen Fadal shines a light on overlooked women’s health topics

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Prediction markets are opening up new ways to bet on biopharma events, from clinical trial readouts to FDA approvals. But they also create a new set of risks for an industry where employees, researchers, contractors and others may have access to confidential information that could give them an edge.

In this episode of “The Top Line,” Fierce Biotech’s Will Maddox talks with David Oliwenstein, a partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman and former SEC enforcement attorney, about how regulators may approach misuse of nonpublic information in prediction markets, why biopharma could face heightened scrutiny and what companies should be doing now to reduce their risk.

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• Betting on biotech: Prediction markets set sights on clinical trials

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Clinical development organizations are facing mounting pressure to do more with increasingly complex protocols, larger data sets and tighter timelines. While automation has improved individual processes, many of the industry's most persistent delays continue to occur between tasks, systems and teams.

In this sponsored episode of The Top Line, host Lauren Ledger sits down with Greg Lever, director of AI and Technology Solutions at IQVIA, to discuss why agentic AI is gaining attention across clinical operations. Lever explains how the conversation is shifting from task automation to workflow orchestration, with AI systems designed to coordinate activities, connect information and help reduce operational bottlenecks.

The episode explores where sponsors can find the greatest opportunities for improvement, what it takes to move from pilots to enterprise-scale adoption, and how clinical roles may evolve as routine work becomes increasingly automated. The discussion also addresses the importance of data connectivity, governance and organizational readiness in building trusted AI programs. Listen now for a forward-looking conversation about how people, processes and intelligent systems could redefine the future of clinical trial execution.

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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 

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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.

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The promise of precision medicine depends on more than scientific innovation. It also depends on whether eligible patients can be identified, tested and connected to the most appropriate treatment. In this episode of The Top Line, host Kelly Hogan is joined by Susanne Munksted, chief growth officer at Diaceutics, and Jordan Clark, chief customer officer, to discuss why many diagnostic-driven therapies still fail to reach their full potential.

Drawing on findings from Diaceutics' practice gap studies, the conversation explores where patients are being lost across the diagnostic pathway and why improvements in testing have not always translated into better treatment decisions. The guests discuss increasing healthcare complexity, expanding biomarker requirements and the challenges clinicians face when making treatment decisions under time pressure.

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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 

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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

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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.

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