Pharmaverse Podcast

Season 2, Episode 17: Ode To The Oncopig with Jessicca Rege Welcome to The Pharmaverse Podcast, your go-to destination for insights in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. In this episode, host Michael Pietrack sits down with Jessicca Rege, PhD, CEO of Seuss Clinicals, to discuss pioneering approaches in preclinical oncology research using the Oncopig cancer model. Jessica shares her experience leading innovative pharma projects, her thoughts on disruptive and transformational leadershi...

Season 2, Episode 16: Breaking Barriers with Jacob Becraft Join Michael Petrack on the Pharmaverse Podcast as he interviews Jake Becraft, CEO & Co-founder of Strand Therapeutics! Discover how Jake is transforming cancer treatment with programmable mRNA therapies. Hear about his journey from a small town in Illinois to MIT, how jiu-jitsu shaped his leadership, and the lessons of team-building, failure, and innovation. Learn about Strand’s breakthroughs, including the game-changing abscop...

🎧 Season 2, Episode 15 | What’s In a Name? Featuring Raj Devraj In this insightful episode of The Pharmaverse Podcast, host Michael Pietrack welcomes Raj Devraj, a seasoned leader in the pharmaceutical industry, to explore the power of identity, legacy, and what’s truly behind a name. From cultural influences to leadership values, Raj shares stories from his personal and professional journey—offering a unique lens into the people-first mindset that defines authentic pharma leadership. 💬 Dis...

Season 2, Episode 14: Leading Across Generations with Claudio Pasquinelli In this heartfelt and insightful episode, we sit down with Claudio Pasquinelli, MD, the recently retired Vice President of Clinical Science at Takeda. With over 25 years of experience in pharma and a background in clinical medicine, Dr. Pasquinelli shares profound lessons on leadership, generational mentorship, and navigating career transitions — including what “retirement” really means. 🔹📕 Highlights Include: ▪️Dr. ...

On this episode of The Pharmaverse Podcast, Art Krieg, the President of Zola Therapeutics, tells Michael that vision, endurance, resilience, and a whole lot of grit are needed to run a biotech. Krieg has faced the rugged terrain and uphill climbs that come with building science-based companies. But just like a marathoner, he’s never stopped putting one foot in front of the other. 🎧 In this episode, Art and Michael discuss: ✅ The parallels between biotech leadership and long-distance r...

Welcome back to another great episode of the Pharmaverse Podcast! This week our host Michael Pietrack interviews Jiten Pant, founder and CEO of NOBiotics, a company focused on the therapeutic properties of nitric oxide. Jiten shares his inspiring journey from humble beginnings in India to becoming a leader in the biotechnology field. Learn from story of NOBiotics and Jiten's childhood and journey as an immigrant Founder and CEO. "You can be a leader even without a title." He discusses ...

This week our host Michael Pietrack interviews Josh Schwartz, MD MBA, Vice President of Medical Affairs North America at BeOne ( formerly BeiGene.) They discuss the importance of leadership in the pharmaceutical industry, focusing on developing others, the journey from individual contributor to manager, and the qualities that make an effective leader. Schwartz shares insights on mentorship, the coaching tree concept, and the five Cs of leadership: caring, communication, culture, challen...

Welcome back to the Pharmaverse Podcast! In episode 2 of Season 2, our host Michael Pietrack interviews Rob Abbott, CEO of ISPOR, discussing the significance of Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) in the pharmaceutical industry. There is a LOT to learn here, so buckle up for a great episode! They explore ISPOR's role in influencing health policy, the implications of the Inflation Reduction Act, and the balance between drug affordability and innovation. Abbott emphasize...

We are thrilled to be bringing you our very first episode of season 2!! Thank you to all our longtime subscribers, and everyone who has been following along as we have grown this podcast! In today’s episode of the Pharmaverse podcast, host Michael Pietrack interviews Dave Latshaw PHD, MBA, the brilliant CEO and co-founder of BioPhy, about the transformative role of AI in drug discovery and development. They discuss the differences between predictive and generative AI, the impact of AI on job...

Welcome back to the incredible Pharmaverse podcast where we sit down with the brightest stars in Pharma. In this episode of the Pharmaverse podcast, host Michael Pietrack interviews Pritesh Gandhi, CEO of TellBio, discussing his journey in the pharmaceutical industry, the challenges currently facing the sector, and the importance of communication and leadership. Pritesh shares insights on the impact of COVID-19 on clinical trials, the future of pharma amidst economic pressures, and the role o...

Welcome back to the Pharmaverse! 💉 In this episode of the Pharmaverse podcast, host Michael Pietrack interviews Melissa Mims, the AVP of US Medical Affairs with Merck Oncology. Melissa shares her journey from drug discovery to field medical affairs and offers insights on leadership and team culture. She emphasizes the importance of building peer-to-peer leadership and establishing trust with team members. Melissa also discusses the need for leaders to listen, take feedback, and communicate t...

Welcome back to the Pharmaverse! Today's episode is a special one. Michael Pietrack our host sits down with THE Mark Cuban, world famous entrepreneur, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, a 'shark' on the beloved series Shark Tank, and most excitingly for our viewers, the co-founder of Cost Plus Drug Company. In this episode we discuss the need for transparency in the drug pricing landscape and how his company is disrupting the market. He explains that Cost Plus Drugs is a completely transparent ph...

In this special edition of the Pharmaverse podcast, host Michael Pietrack sits back down with Howard Matalon, an employment attorney and executive coach, about the recent FTC rule that may change the landscape of non-competes. Tune in to hear a deep dive on non-competes! The FTC rule, which goes into effect on September 4, 2024, declares non-competes to be an illegal restraint of trade. However, the rule has faced legal challenges and its fate is uncertain. Matalon advises senior executives t...

In this episode, Eva Gallagher, VP and Head of Medical Affairs at Agios, shares her insights on building teams and creating a supportive culture in the pharmaceutical industry. She emphasizes the importance of having a good relationship with your manager and the benefits of following a manager to a new company. Eva also discusses her recipe for building high-performing teams, which includes effective communication, camaraderie, and understanding each team member's motivations. She highlights ...

Welcome back to the Pharmaverse podcast! In today's episode our host Michael Pietrack sits down with Gwendolyn Binder, President of Science and Technologies at Cabaletta Bio, shares her insights on leadership. She discusses how she became an accidental leader and the importance of focusing on advancing the ball for patients rather than personal recognition. Binder emphasizes the need for leaders to embrace uncertainty and have an entrepreneurial attitude. She also highlights the importa...