pharmaphorum Podcast

Advancing the frontier of cancer diagnostics: Post-ASCO with Eric Matthews

Caris Life Sciences was founded in 2008 with a simple but powerful purpose – to realise the potential of precision medicine and help improve the lives of as many people as possible.
In a post-ASCO pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh spoke with Eric Matthews, chief business officer at Caris Life Sciences, about advancing the frontier of cancer diagnostics and treatment with breakthroughs in AI-driven pathology, real-world clinico-genomic data, and more.
These other ASCO 2025 and post-ASCO conversations can be found here.
You can also listen to episode 198a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Compliance baked into the design core: On AI in life sciences with Florian Schnappauf

When it comes to artificial intelligence, the tables are turning and there is a shift in considering it a hype to understanding that AI is a real necessity. And 2025 is becoming a turning point wherein practical, embedded AI begins to scale.
In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Florian Schnappauf, VP, enterprise commercial strategy Europe, at Veeva Systems.
The conversation covers commercial model evolution, precision engagement, the importance of quality data in a personalisation strategy, and – of course – compliance.
You can also listen to episode 197a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Putting patients and their families first: Dr Corina Dutcus, post-ASCO 2025

At ASCO 2025, Eisai presented data from its oncology portfolio, including in hepatocellular carcinoma and endometrial cancer.
In a post-Congress conversation, web editor Nicole Raleigh spoke with Dr Corina Dutcus, senior vice president and oncology global clinical development lead at Eisai, who discussed the data and the company’s continued commitment to innovation in the oncological field.
Tune in to this and other ASCO 2025 conversations here.
You can also listen to episode 196a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Enhancing anti-tumour activity: A post-ASCO conversation with Dan Schmitt

Metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (mPDAC) is a highly aggressive, lethal form of pancreatic cancer that accounts for more than 90% of pancreatic cancer cases.
At ASCO 2025, Actuate gave an oral presentation on positive Phase 2 combination data for elraglusib, highlighting its potential to enhance anti-tumour activity by targeting key resistance pathways and immune mechanisms in previously untreated patients with mPDAC.
In a post-ASCO pharmaphorum podcast, Dan Schmitt, CEO of Actuate, discussed the data, as well as the Congress as a whole, and his hopes for the future of oncology more generally.
You can also listen to episode 195a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Redefining the Future of Melanoma Treatment: Scancell's Bold Step Forward

Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the UK, accounting for around 4% of all new cancer cases. While immunotherapy is a standard treatment for advanced melanoma patients, only about half of patients respond well, leaving the rest at risk of disease progression and metastases.
In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Phillip L’Huillier, CEO of Scancell, about how the company develops novel immunotherapy products for the treatment of multiple cancers, as well as its recently announced partnership with the NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad, and latest data release from the Phase 2 clinical SCOPE study in melanoma.
L’Huillier discusses their melanoma-specific vaccine, and more broadly this pivotal time in immuno-oncology and possibilities on the near horizon.
You can also listen to episode 194a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Why Datavant bought Aetion, and what comes next, with Arnaub Chatterjee

Back in May, health data company Datavant announced its plans to acquire Aetion, creating a formidable player in the real-world data space. Now that the acquisition has closed, the pharmaphorum podcast welcomes Arnaub Chatterjee, president and general manager of life sciences at Datavant, to discuss what that integration will look like -- and what the implications are for the pharma industry.
Chatterjee discusses how the acquisition came about and what the strategic fit looks like between the two organisations, as well as how they will complement each other going forward.
While the focus is on the news and what it means, Chatterjee and host Jonah Comstock also delve into some larger topics around real-world data in life sciences – how it’s being used, how regulators are responding to it, some of the biggest roadblocks holding the space back, and what the competitive landscape looks like. And Chatterjee shares his vision for what the future of data discovery, linkage, and analytics in life sciences could look like.
Tune in for the full discussion on this exciting industry development.

Post-ASCO 25: Pamela Tenaerts on CGTs and digital-first long-term follow-up

When it comes to CGTs, long-term follow-up care is an issue that makes patient access to these novel investigative treatments extremely limited, given the 15 years that patients must still engage with the trial after receiving the medication.
In a post-ASCO 2025 conversation, pharmaphorum web editor Nicole Raleigh spoke with Dr Pamela Tenaerts, chief medical officer at Medable, about the company’s new digital-first model to handle long-term follow-up care for cell and gene therapy cancer trials.
Tenaerts explains how the company’s approach prioritises patient comfort, simplifies trial execution, and enhances patient engagement, and is designed specifically for sponsors, CROs, clinical ops leaders, and healthcare providers
You can also listen to episode 193a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Immune mediation, B-cell depletion, and female leadership – with Aoife Brennan

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, Aoife Brennan, CEO of Climb Bio, discusses the treatment of immune-mediated diseases.
Climb Bio is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapeutics for immune-mediated diseases, and Brennan talks about the potential of B-cell depletion therapies, as well as the challenges and opportunities in developing novel biotechnology.
Brennan also speaks to being a female leader in this field.
You can also listen to episode 191a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Ben Sidders on integrating causality in AI for R&D success

For AI to truly revolutionise drug discovery, it must move beyond pattern recognition and predictive analytics to include causality, which is essential for technical and regulatory success in drug discovery.
In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Ben Sidders, chief scientific officer at Biorelate, a company leveraging advanced data science methods to transform the focus and impact of drug discovery and development.
Sidders discusses how integrating causality in AI for biotechnology can drive greater R&D success, and more generally about how AI can contribute meaningfully and transparently to the advancement of biotechnology and drug development.
You can also listen to episode 191a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

On nuclear medicine and oncology, SHINE technologies

Radiopharmaceutical therapy has attracted increasing attention in the treatment of refractory diseases that are not sensitive to current therapies, such as in oncology.
In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Greg Piefer, founder and CEO of SHINE Technologies, a nuclear fusion company mastering more immediate applications of fusion – such as in producing cancer-fighting medicine.
Piefer provides an overview of the nuclear medicine field and discusses clinical research that demonstrates that radiopharmaceuticals substantially improve the overall survival of patients with certain types of cancer. Additionally, the conversation touches upon why the US is so very behind in developing and commercialising these therapies.
You can also listen to episode 190a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.