As 2025 closes, biopharma and healthcare are learning to live on shifting ground. In this special year-end episode of "The Top Line," Fierce reporters take stock of a year defined by federal research cuts, vaccine policy fights and leadership churn at the FDA, then push the conversation forward into the questions that will shape 2026. The through line is that uncertainty has become an operating environment, and the industry is recalibrating in real time.

Fierce Biotech’s Gabrielle Masson, joined by Darren Incorvia, traces how funding decisions can narrow the pipeline years before the consequences are visible. Fierce Pharma’s Fraiser Kansteiner sits down with Angus Liu and Eric Sagonowsky to unpack the new center of gravity inside federal agencies, where vaccine recommendations, review norms and new FDA pilots are colliding with questions about capacity and outside influence. From there, Ben Adams and James Waldron bring the lens to Europe, where Jefferies in London captured a cautiously optimistic market still wrestling with tariffs, pricing pressure and investment hesitation. The episode closes with Fierce Healthcare’s Heather Landi and Paige Minemyer sharing their outlook on 2026, from the fight over ACA subsidies and Medicaid headwinds to the next phase of AI adoption, where the promise is real but the payoff may be slower, messier and more uneven than the hype suggests.

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• 'Unprecedented turmoil' engulfing FDA threatens public health: mRNA coalition speaks out
• FDA names Tracy Beth Høeg, fresh from vaccine safety probe, as acting head of drug center
• A dozen former FDA commissioners blast Prasad's proposed vaccine policy changes
• In letter to Makary, biotech CEOs push for FDA stability and say volatility threatens US innovation
• NIH grant cuts have disrupted hundreds of clinical trials, study finds
• 'Alternative history' of the NIH shows how a 40% budget cut may thwart new medicines
• House passes healthcare affordability bill without subsidy extension
• AMA: A look at concentration in commercial insurance, MA markets
• 2025 Outlook: Hospital finances show signs of stability, but rising costs will be a major headwind

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Walgreens is emerging as a real-world evidence partner for the biopharma industry, according to a new episode of The Top Line, sponsored by Walgreens. In the conversation, Deepak Kuletha, who leads data management and analytics for the company’s biopharma services division, explains how Walgreens’ 9 million daily interactions and nationwide footprint generate rich insights into patient behavior, access barriers and therapy performance in the real world. Kuletha shares examples of how Walgreens helps pharma partners optimize drug launches, identify early adoption patterns, uncover affordability challenges and improve patient support programs—ultimately enabling faster, evidence-based decision-making.

As real-world evidence grows more complex, Kuletha highlights how Walgreens’ advanced data management, privacy safeguards and emerging analytics tools—including machine learning and AI—help cut through the noise. These capabilities allow the pharmacy chain to synthesize de-identified data into actionable insights that reveal adherence risks, surface gaps in treatment understanding, and support earlier interventions. For life sciences professionals looking to understand how retail pharmacies are shaping the future of evidence generation, the episode offers a compelling inside look at the collaboration opportunities ahead. Listen to the full conversation to hear how Walgreens is turning scale into smarter, proactive patient care.

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Uncertainty reigned early this year with the inauguration of President Donald Trump and his threats to impose tariffs and slash prescription drug prices. But as players in the biopharma industry have gotten a better handle on the impact of these measures and the overall investment landscape, valuations have become more predictable and dealmakers have focused on larger, lower-risk acquisitions. The recent trends bode well for the business development landscape in 2026 and beyond.

In this week’s episode of “The Top Line,” Arda Ural, EY Americas life sciences sector leader, joins Fierce Pharma’s Kevin Dunleavy to discuss the dealmaking landscape in the biopharma industry. They dig into the Federal Trade Commission’s scrutiny of M&A transactions, revitalized therapeutic areas, artificial intelligence investment and the emergence of China as an innovation powerhouse.

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• 2025 M&A up in value and deal count after year of 'conservatism and recovery': Leerink Partners
• After a 'reset' year for M&A, expect bigger deals in 2025: reports

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In this episode of Health Matters, GCI Health’s Ryan Kuresman and Health@WPP’s Wendy Lund explore the fast-shifting landscape of cancer care with Pam Traxel of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. Traxel outlines the growing complexity facing patients—from navigating an expanding range of treatment options to managing rising costs.

The conversation also examines the evolving role of patient advocacy and the partnerships needed to drive meaningful change. Traxel emphasizes the importance of integrating lived experiences into policy, improving the credibility of patient-facing communication and strengthening early, ongoing collaboration between biopharma, policymakers and advocacy organizations. For healthcare and life sciences professionals seeking deeper insight into how access, innovation and policy must intersect to improve patient outcomes, this is a must-listen episode.

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Research shows that women remain woefully underrepresented at the highest levels of leadership in the life sciences industry. Those who have broken through that glass ceiling, however, are not only doing groundbreaking work in pharma, biotech, medtech and beyond but also reframing what it means to be a leader in the sector—as evidenced by the often-unconventional career paths and management philosophies of the 10 women featured in this year’s Fiercest Women in Life Sciences report.

In this week’s episode of “The Top Line,” Fierce’s Andrea Park and Gabrielle Masson dive into the report, highlighting several honorees’ paradigm-busting approaches to leadership, mentorship and building inclusive teams.

To learn more about the topics in this episode:

• 2025's Fiercest Women in Life Sciences

• 4 reasons life sciences still fail women at the top, despite a female-majority workforce: report

• GSK's Emma Walmsley to step down as CEO in shock move, giving way to commercial lead Luke Miels

• Merck KGaA, grappling with geopolitical tensions, ⁠reveals CEO transition

• Takeda taps Julie Kim to take over for retiring CEO Christophe Weber 

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Bayer is reshaping its pharmaceutical business with a new operating model designed to enhance collaboration and bring research & development and commercialization closer together. In a recent episode of The Top Line podcast, Bayer executives Christine Roth, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Product Strategy and Commercialization, and Dr. Yesmean Wahdan, Head of Medical Affairs for the United States and North America, discussed how the company’s Dynamic Shared Ownership framework is driving faster innovation and helping accelerate the development of new therapies for patients. The model removes traditional hierarchies, empowers cross-functional teams and encourages real-time collaboration across departments. 

Roth and Wahdan said the approach has already shortened regulatory timelines, reduced resource use and helped deliver treatments to patients sooner. By embedding commercial insights early in the research process, Bayer teams can anticipate market needs and focus on the greatest areas of unmet medical demand. The leaders said the company’s collaborative culture keeps patient benefit at the center of decision-making. To learn more about how Bayer’s model is transforming its pipeline, listen to the full episode of The Top Line. 

See more from Bayer’s Christine Roth and Dr. Yesmean Wahdan on their LinkedIn profiles below: 

Christine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-roth-34b07b18/ 

Yesmean: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yesmean-h-wahdan-md-71409b199/ 

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In this episode of The Top Line, Fierce’s Chris Hayden speaks with Foresight Diagnostics co-founders Dr. Jake Chabon and Dr. Max Diehn about how their company is delivering the next generation of minimal residual disease (MRD) detection in cancer care.

Born from research at Stanford University, Foresight’s PhasED-Seq technology delivers ultra-sensitive detection—down to parts per ten million—enabling clinicians to identify microscopic traces of cancer that traditional imaging misses. The discussion explores how Foresight’s MRD platform, CLARITY, can have the ability to support more confident decision-making, from determining curative success in early-stage cancers to guiding consolidation treatment in lymphoma.

Chabon and Diehn highlight the company’s biopharma collaborations, clinical trial integration, and evidence-driven approach to guideline inclusion. They also look ahead to a future where MRD testing becomes central to oncology surveillance, accelerating therapy approvals and complementing genomic and digital pathology tools to advance precision medicine.

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In this week’s episode of "The Top Line," we take a deep dive into the top-line performance of the biopharma industry in the third quarter. 

After a slow start to the year, U.S. drugmakers in particular have recovered, led by Eli Lilly. We examine which companies are hot and which are not. We also look at trends that emerged in the third quarter, such as the shortfall in vaccine sales, especially in the U.S., and companies’ sales projections for the rest of the year.

Fierce Pharma’s Kevin Dunleavy and Eric Sagonowsky discuss their observations from the third quarter and put the industry’s performance in perspective compared with previous quarters. They also examine the biopharma outlook for the fourth quarter. 

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• Q1 biopharma layoff trends, plus expectations for Q2
• 7 top pharmas posted revenue declines in Q1. The common thread? All are US firms
• Several US pharma giants stage Q2 sales turnaround after subpar results earlier in year

  

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As the prospect of import tariffs and drug price reform marshals billions of biopharma investment dollars into the U.S., the feasibility of rapid domestic manufacturing buildouts could hinge on a new program cooking at the FDA. How that program, dubbed PreCheck, will work in practice—and on what timeline—are key questions as the U.S. looks to bolster its local pharmaceutical production base.

This week on “The Top Line,” we dive into comments from a recent public meeting on the industry’s hopes for PreCheck, which is being designed to streamline the process by which new biopharma manufacturing facilities are built in the U.S.

Fierce Pharma’s Fraiser Kansteiner sits down with Christopher Shilling, chief regulatory officer at gene therapy CDMO Forge Biologics—who attended the meeting—to offer an on-the-ground perspective and explore the aspects of the plan that could have the biggest impact on manufacturers. Shilling also outlines what he sees as FDA’s next steps, plus regulatory considerations that could most benefit CDMOs and the broader industry.

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• Amid tariff-fueled onshoring push, Trump signs order to boost US stockpiling of certain drug ingredients
• FDA launches generics pilot program, advances facility PreCheck proposal in bid to incentivize US drug manufacturing
• Amid pharma's US investment spree, FDA unveils new program to streamline domestic plant build-outs
• Trump signs executive order to boost US drug manufacturing amid threat of tariffs

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The healthcare marketing landscape is evolving fast — shaped by regulatory shifts, patient empowerment, and the rise of digital health marketplaces. In this episode of The Top Line, sponsored by Havas Media Network, host Chris Hayden sits down with Holly Dunn, Managing Partner of Performance at Havas Media Network, to explore how pharma brands can redefine patient engagement for a more connected, equitable future.

Dunn explains how first-party data, AI-driven intent signals, and curated health marketplaces are enabling more compliant, transparent, and human-centered campaigns. She also discusses the growing role of healthcare creators, the fight against misinformation, and strategies to ensure high-quality, privacy-safe engagement across the patient journey.

If you’re in pharma or biotech marketing, this conversation offers critical insight into how leading brands are building trust and equity in an increasingly complex environment.

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