The Pharma Perspective

Most Favored Nation (MFN) drug pricing, pharma tariffs, and China overtaking the US in new drug launches: on this episode of The Pharma Perspective, market access and policy expert Neil Grubert breaks down the forces reshaping how the world prices and pays for medicines. Neil explains what Trump's Executive Order on Most Favored Nation pricing really means, why the US funds an estimated 75% of global pharmaceutical profits, and how tariffs are being used to pressure drug companies and governments. He also unpacks the EU Pharmaceutical Package, Europe's growing launch hesitancy, and the moment when China overtook the US in new medicines brought to market, before closing on what he would change about global drug pricing. Essential viewing for anyone in pharma, market access, HEOR, health policy, or life sciences.

In this episode of The Pharma Perspective podcast, Grant Coren, life science recruiter with over 30 years of experience and founder of his own executive search practice, discusses the state of the pharma job market in 2026, why hiring has slowed across pharma, biotech, and CRO alike, how AI screening tools and applicant tracking systems are changing — and distorting — the recruitment process, why most CVs fail to differentiate candidates and what to do instead, the ethical problems with how many recruiters operate and how job seekers should navigate that, the difference between retained executive search and contingency recruitment, how indirect referencing allows recruiters to vet candidates outside of formal references, why loyalty is no longer rewarded in pharma careers and when job-hopping actually accelerates progression, the personality traits that predict success in different pharma roles, the real impact of ageism in life sciences hiring, and why getting your first job in the industry remains the hardest step of all.

In this episode of The Pharma Perspective podcast, Jerry Avorn , Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and author of "Rethinking Medications," discusses the state of drug regulation in the United States, the problems with accelerated approvals and missing confirmatory trials, how academic detailing can change prescribing behavior more effectively than guidelines, the misuse of surrogate endpoints in drug development, why weak FDA enforcement actually harms pharmaceutical innovation, the absence of cost-effectiveness analysis and health technology assessment in US drug policy, and where he sees hope for reform through state-level drug policy coalitions and evidence-based prescribing initiatives.

In this episode of The Pharma Perspective podcast, Katja Rüdell , one of the world's leading clinical outcome assessment and patient-reported outcomes experts, discusses the role of PROs in drug development, regulatory expectations from FDA and EMA for outcome measure validation, the challenges of developing fit-for-purpose COA instruments, the evolution of patient-centred research in pharmaceutical clinical trials, and best practices for ensuring PRO data meets both regulatory and clinical standards.

In this episode of The Pharma Perspective podcast, Jack Neill-Hall from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) discusses the UK pharmaceutical pricing environment, NICE's cost-effectiveness threshold and appraisal process for NHS medicines, industry transparency through the Code of Practice and Disclosure UK, healthcare budget allocation, and why some medicines never reach UK assessment.

In this episode of " The Pharma Perspective ", I speak with Karl Claxton , Professor of Economics at the University of York and founding NICE Appraisal Committee member, about his open letter to the UK Prime Minister on pharmaceutical pricing for branded medicines, why raising the NICE willingness-to-pay threshold would be catastrophic for NHS patients, and his proposals for fundamentally reforming health technology assessment and how we value pharmaceutical innovation. 💷🏥

Join me in my discussion with Barinder Singh , Founder of PharmacoEvidence, who quit his stable HEOR job in 2020—amid a pandemic and with a baby on the way—to start his own consultancy. In this episode of The Pharma Perspective , we explore how that bold decision turned into a thriving 40+ person company leading NICE submissions with AI-validated methods. We also talk about what it really takes to build an HEOR consultancy, the subjectivity in NICE appraisals, and how AI is reshaping evidence synthesis. A conversation about timing, risk, and self-awareness you won't want to miss.

Join me in my discussion with Peter Wickersham , Pharma Vice President & General Manager with 25+ years of experience, as we explore leadership, career growth, and navigating the evolving pharma industry in the age of AI. In this episode of Pharma Perspectives , Peter shares his insights on the challenges and opportunities shaping pharma today, offering practical advice for professionals interested in health economics, strategy, and the future of healthcare. Whether you're a healthcare professional, consultant, or simply curious about how the pharma world works behind the scenes, this conversation is packed with actionable insights and thought-provoking ideas.