Top 5 Favorite Articles I Wrote for Pharm Exec in 2017

As we close out 2017, I decided to take a quick look back at some of my favorite articles I wrote for Pharmaceutical Executive this year.

#5: Leading with Patients in Mind: Cynthia Schwalm

My interview with Cynthia Schwalm, the former vice president and president of North American commercial operations for Ipsen, was one of the first executive profiles I did for Pharm Exec when I started. She was a pleasure to talk to on the phone and even more engaging when we met in person for her cover shoot. I had the opportunity to see her interact with her team and how much she cared about them really shined through.

The full article can be read here: http://www.pharmexec.com/leading-patients-mind-cynthia-schwalm

#4: Amazon and Pharma: Is the Hype Real?

This was an example of jumping on an opportunity, and honestly, being in the right place at the right time. I had been poking around looking for an analyst to comment on Amazon’s pharma plans, but I wasn’t finding what I needed-until a conference where I connected with Hussain Mooraj, principal, strategy & operations, US life sciences, Deloitte. He knew the landscape well and could accurately answer all of my questions on top of having a conversation about the pharma industry that I truly enjoyed.

The full article can be read here: http://www.pharmexec.com/amazon-and-pharma-hype-real

#3: Lessons from the Playing Field: Pharm Exec's Emerging Pharma Leaders 2017

When I first heard one of our Emerging Pharma Leaders say that he gains much of his leadership style from horses, I have to admit I was a little perplexed. Having ridden horses since I was a little kid, I knew they were magnificent creatures, but even I was a bit taken aback with his reference.  But, as Mohamed Hamada, country portfolio lead, Women’s Health, Pfizer, explained how also being a professional polo player has helped him learn to stay calm in high-pressure situations-a common occurrence in a volatile industry such as pharma-it made complete sense and was a very interesting comparison.

The full article can be read here: http://www.pharmexec.com/pharm-execs-emerging-pharma-leaders-2017?pageID=4

 #2: Cancer Mission is Personal: Pharm Exec's Emerging Pharma Leaders 2017

From the first phone conversation with Ashley Kalinauskas, the 27-year-old CEO of Torigen Pharmaceuticals Inc., the makers of VetiVax, a veterinary cancer treatment, I knew the article was going to turn out well. You could hear the passion for what she does in every word she spoke. She cared about the impact her company was making on the animal health world and could see the potential it had in the future while also knowing what had to be done in the present to get to that point.

The full article can be read here: http://www.pharmexec.com/pharm-execs-emerging-pharma-leaders-2017?pageID=6

#1 Pediatric, Veterinary Oncologists Call for More Comparative Research

The first Paws for a Cure Summit was an event I attended on my own time for personal reasons and not for business, but less than an hour into the Summit, I knew the information-delivered by expert doctors, both veterinary and pediatric, who worked in academia, pharma companies, and hospitals­–would also make interesting content for Pharm Exec. The similarities between animal health and human health were striking, but so were the problems when it came to research, funding, and commercial development.

The full article can be read here: http://www.pharmexec.com/pediatric-veterinary-oncologists-call-more-comparative-research