Pharma Sessions

Pharma Sessions

Navigating pharmaceutical launch excellence through strategy, technology and career stories. (And sharing fun moments too!)

Episodes

May 29, 2025 27 mins

In this episode of Pharma Sessions, host Jonathan Kaskey interviews Dr. Adam Laitman about his unconventional path to becoming a medical director in the pharmaceutical industry. 

Dr. Laitman shares insights from his career transition from medical school to industry, highlighting the impact of his background in marketing and editorial work. The discussion covers the various career opportunities within medical affairs, the importance ...

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In this episode of Pharma Sessions, host Jonathan Kaskey discusses career transitions into the pharmaceutical industry, specifically focusing on roles like Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs). The guest, Emet Anceaume is the Director of Field Medical Affairs at Immunovant. 

Emet is a pharmacist by training. She shares her insights on the importance of transferable skills, the challenges and strategies for breaking into pharma, and the d...

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In this episode of Pharma Sessions, hosted by Jonathan Kaskey, Vince Turner shares his insights on integrating creativity into operational environments. The discussion covers Vince's career journey from financial services to pharma, and his operational strategies at Kite. Emphasis is placed on the importance of creativity in solving challenges, the value of building strong relationships, and empowering team members. 

And stay t...

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In this episode of Pharma Sessions, host Jonathan Kaskey talks with Paul Howe, COO at Protega Pharmaceuticals, about the current and evolving landscape of prescription opioids, abuse deterrent technologies, and the role of technology in public health. 

They discuss new strategies to improve outcomes for chronic pain patients while reducing addiction risks.

  •  Introduction and startling data on prescription abuse
  •  Welcome and guest i...
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Bursting the Medical Affairs Bubble: A Conversation on Cross-Functional Collaboration

In this episode of Pharma Sessions, host Jonathan Kaskey talks with Dr. Samin Saeed, a pharmaceutical medical affairs leader with 17 years of industry experience currently at GSK. They discuss the need for medical affairs to move beyond speaking only to themselves and to engage more openly with other functions within pharmaceutical organi...

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In this episode of Pharma Sessions, host Jonathan Kaskey sits down with Steve Cirillo-Thompson, a seasoned Chief of Staff in the pharmaceutical industry, to delve deep into the unique and often misunderstood role of a Chief of Staff. Steve shares his unconventional journey into the medical affairs space, transitioning from political science to consulting, and eventually stepping into various Chief of Staff roles at some of the lead...

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In this episode of Pharma Sessions, host Jonathan Kaskey speaks with Jen Mohawk, Senior Director of Medical Affairs at Apogee Therapeutics. 

They discuss the pressing issue of burnout, its financial implications, and how companies benefit from retaining employees rather than constantly seeking new hires. 

Jen shares her journey from academia to the biopharma industry, driven by her pursuit of a sustainable work-li...

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Future Proofing Medical Affairs: A Conversation with Stephanie Hunter Banks

In this episode of Pharma Sessions, host Jonathan Kaskey speaks with Stephanie Hunter-Banks about the future of the medical science liaison (MSL) role and the evolving healthcare ecosystem. 

Stephanie shares insights on creating a culture of innovation, leveraging big data and AI, and fostering collaboration within pharma companies. 

She re...

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Kaskey's Hierarchy of Needs in Medical Affairs: Steering towards Successful Product Launches

This episode of Pharma Sessions delves into the evolving role of Medical Affairs in pharmaceutical launches, emphasizing its transition from a supportive to a strategic partnership position. 

Stephen Dodge, SVP of Medical Affairs at Madrigal Pharmaceuticals has launched 25 products, and shares insights into the crucia...

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In this episode of Pharma Sessions, host Jonathan Kaskey speaks with Lars Dreesmann, the President and Site Head for Boehringer Ingelheim Fremont about how regulatory affairs can impact patient care.

They explore the challenges and opportunities in the regulatory space, including the impact of technology and AI on regulatory affairs and the potential for collaboration between pharmaceutical companies. 

Lars shares...

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This episode is sponsored by Acceleration Point.

 Pharma Sessions is hosted by Jonathan Kaskey

In this episode Jonathan and Scott Thompson, the Co-CEO of Acceleration Point, discuss the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Medical Affairs. 

Examples of AI use in Medical Affairs include analytics, content creation, and productivity enhancements. 

Scott encourages experimentation with secure, customized AI tools to improve...

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Life is different at a biotech. But is that a good thing?

Like so much in life, the answer is, "it depends."

On this episode I speak with Orlando Granado-Balaez about his journey from being a nurse to transitioning into medical affairs and ultimately thriving in smaller pharmaceutical companies. 

He shares his experiences in different roles within medical affairs, including being the first MSL i...

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The Science of Sleep: Exploring its Role in Performance and Well-being for Medical Affairs

In this episode of Pharma Sessions, Jonathan Kaskey is joined by Dr. Alison Kole, a sleep expert, to discuss the importance of sleep and its impact on personal and professional health. 

They discuss the dangers of insufficient and poor-quality sleep, including poor cognitive and creative function. 

On the other hand...

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In this compelling episode of Pharma Sessions, host Jonathan Kaskey engages in an insightful discussion with esteemed guest Jose Borbolla-Escoboza. Delving into the intricacies of global launch excellence, Jose, a seasoned oncologist, shares his wealth of experience in pharmaceuticals, particularly in Mexico, the UK, and the US. 

Together, they explore the multifaceted process of global launch preparation and the crucial r...

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In this episode of "Pharma Sessions," host Jonathan Kaskey delves into the crucial topic of why negotiation skills are essential in the field of medical affairs. 

Joining him, Megan Vignos, Head of Scientific and Value Communications for US Medical at Biogen.

Together, they explore the importance of negotiation in medical affairs, and how a scientific mindset can aid in building effectiveness. 

...

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In this episode of Pharma Sessions, host Jonathan Kaskey interviews Dr. Huma Qamar, Head of Clinical Development and Medical Affairs at Ocugen, Inc.

With her extensive background in clinical research and medicine, Dr. Qamar has been a pioneer in merging these two fields. Throughout this episode, she shares her invaluable insights on gene therapy, specifically focusing on inherited retinal diseases. Here are the top five th...

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Join host Jonathan Kaskey in this thought-provoking episode of Pharma Sessions as he invites special guest Denise Bronner, Director of Clinical Trial Diversity and Inclusion at Janssen, to delve into critical issues facing the pharmaceutical industry.

Together, they explore the challenges of data sharing, the underrepresentation of non-white individuals in clinical trials, and the need for more inclusive physician training...

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In this episode, host Jonathan Kaskey invites Patrina Pellet to discuss effective time management strategies for medical professionals. 

From calendar audits to time blocking, Pellet shares valuable insights on how to optimize your daily schedule, prioritize your tasks and avoid feeling burnt out. 

Discover the power of color-coding and task tracking to manage your workload efficiently and achieve your goals. 

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We are excited to bring you the latest episode of our podcast series where we tackled the vital role of medical information in the healthcare industry.

Tim Fish is the Sr. Director of Medical Information, Knowledge Management, Med/Promo Review, Scientific Training & Development at Alkermes.

Tim has been in the medical information role for 15 years and shared valuable insights on the importance of receiving and respondin...

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This episode is the second in Pharma Sessions' series of conversations about clinical trial diversity. The first episode was with a former pharma executive turned clinical trial consultant. In this episode we share a different, more community oriented perspective.

Renarda Jones is a clinical trial professional with over 20 years’ experience in clinical research., mainly in Cancer and Alzheimer’s disease research.

Starting as a r...

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