The MM+M Podcast

Quita Highsmith is the VP of population health at Genentech, but more importantly, she’s a friend of The MM+M Podcast. In her third appearance on the show, she discusses Genentech’s All Eyes on DME campaign featuring comedian Damon Wayans. Launched this spring, All Eyes on DME is the drugmaker’s pop culture-focused way to talk about a condition in diabetic macular edema that is both often overlook...

Biopharma leaders are being asked to move faster, do more and compete in an AI-transformed world. The old agency model, building moats around capability and renting it back to clients, is cracking under that pressure. In this podcast, Woven Health Collective argues that the best agency partners in 2026 help build client capability, not dependency. They make the case for where real agency value liv...

ASCO is the preeminent cancer conference, bringing every oncology stakeholder to Chicago for a weekend of breakthrough presentations, pertinent health discussions and a bevy of brand activations. Additionally, MM+M will be on the ground there, represented by pharma editor Lecia Bushak . Ahead of ASCO, Lecia chatted with Illinois CancerCare’s Kimberly Ku, MD . A triple board-certified physician, Ku...

Before the full datasets arrive, the signals are already there for those who know how to read them. Ben Murray, associate medical director at BGB Group, offers an expert preview of ASCO 2026, covering bispecifics, ADCs, earlier-stage treatment shifts and progress in historically difficult-to-treat tumors. Check us out at: mmm-online.com   Follow us:  YouTube: @MMM-online TikTok: @MMMnews Instagram...

In about five weeks, adland will take over a small resort city in the south of France for a weeklong industry bonanza. The 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is on the horizon, slated for the last full week of June, and rest assured, the medical marketing community will be there in force.  Nearly one month ago, the juries for Health & Wellness Lions and the Pharma Lions were an...

The U.S. remains mired in a severe mental health crisis, though there is one encouraging data point to consider. In 2024, the year with the most recent, available data, there were 48,824 suicide-related deaths – representing a 1% year-over-year decrease. Considering the challenges with access and affordability as it relates to behavioral health care, coupled with longstanding stigma against talkin...

Healthcare marketers know traditional channels, but what comes next? From DOOH and CTV to live environments, sports partnerships and premium content integrations, brands are testing beyond traditional media within the confines of compliance. Join us as we unpack why experimentation is accelerating, what “safe” expansion really looks like in a regulated environment and how leading pharmaceutical br...

Welcome to the MM+M Podcast — a RevHealth conversation where the gloves are off and the usual agency playbook is up for debate. This isn’t about polished answers or safe perspectives. It’s about what’s actually working in health, and what’s not. The uncomfortable truths about agency models, the real impact of AI, why some partnerships fail, and what it truly takes to drive behavior change in a sys...

Consumers and patients expect more from their healthcare interactions, therefore reaching the right audience is critically important. But to drive real world outcomes, pharma marketers must also shift focus toward meaningful patient-first engagement. AI can help bridge this gap, turning messy, scattered data into actionable insights that can help marketers reach the right audience with the right m...

Few people outside of the industry know about all of the major players – be they drugmakers, medical marketing agencies, health media companies or patient advocates – let alone the intricate dynamics between them. Unless you’re raised in the industry, medical marketing doesn’t come across your radar on a daily basis. Luckily, this week’s guest is a leader who was born and raised in the industry an...

"Point-of-care” channels are quickly becoming a must-have in the pharma media mix, but new vendors and bold claims are making it harder for marketers to trust their media investments will deliver reach, impact and brand conversion. This podcast breaks down what point of care should actually look like, why getting it right makes such a big difference and how it can drive better outcomes for both ma...

Demand today is shaped long before any clinical interaction, with influencers across both HCP and consumer ecosystems playing a central role in driving awareness, trust and action. Cash pay care is leading a model where providers, patients and brands operate as interconnected sources of influence. This podcast explores how to navigate and activate influence holistically, and what it takes to compe...

The industry-wide debate about how pervasive and deep-seeded vaccine skepticism is in America got an unexpected jolt last week.  A poll conducted by Public First on behalf of Politico found that 46% of adults believe the facts on vaccines are still up for debate and it is damaging to enforce their uptake. Yet not everyone has bought into Politico’s findings, with some expressing skepticism about t...

Pharma brands invest millions to bring specialty medications to market — and then watch patients abandon therapy before it begins. The culprit is friction within the prescribing workflow: prior authorization requirements that providers don’t anticipate, scripts sent to a pharmacy that can’t fill them and administrative complexity that makes physicians hesitant to prescribe in the first place. DrFi...

Recorded on the heels of SXSW 2026, this MM+M x GSW podcast explores the cultural, technological and creative signals shaping the future of health marketing. Jennifer Batey, EVP of integrated strategy, and Bryan Roman, EVP and experience director at GSW, powered by Syneos Health, unpack the biggest themes emerging from Austin, from the evolving role of AI and immersive brand experiences to the gro...

We introduce "cognitive efficacy" — the bridge between accurate information and usable understanding amid overload. Clinical evidence shows what a therapy can do; cognitive efficacy ensures people understand it, choose it and follow through in the moments that matter. Check us out at: mmm-online.com   Follow us:  YouTube: @MMM-online TikTok: @MMMnews Instagram: @MMMnewsonline Twitter/X:...

Almost one year ago , we had Publicis Health Media CEO Andrea Palmer on the podcast to preview the agency’s two-day HealthFront conference. We then spent the Trends segment analyzing the impact of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on pharma manufacturers and vaccine policy. This week, Andrea returns to the show to preview the agency’s two-day HealthFront conference. Then, we will spend the Trend...

Assembled Intelligence and InVibe surveyed 150 U.S.-based physicians across 12 specialties to understand how healthcare professionals find, evaluate and act on clinical information in an increasingly fragmented digital environment. The  research  reveals a four-stage digital journey, a conditional and growing role for AI tools and a meaningful generational divide in how physicians approach new tec...

What makes a healthcare brand stick? In this episode, VCCP Health unpacks CHESS moves: Character, Humor, Emotion, Surprise and Sonic Branding, and how they help brands move beyond awareness to become truly memorable. We explore how building memory structures, not just messaging, drives trust, behavior change and long-term brand impact. Check us out at: mmm-online.com   Follow us:  YouTub...

Over the past week, everyone has had launches on the brain – thanks largely to the Artemis II rocket and its ongoing lunar flyby mission. However, there are a couple of health-related launches that are the focus of this week’s episode. First up is the launch of HayloARC , a health-focused demand-side platform – better known as a DSP. HayloARC is available for use by advertisers and medical marketi...

At one point in time not too long ago, Weight Watchers was the legacy name in weight loss treatment. Armed with an endorsement from board member Oprah Winfrey , everything was turning up Weight Watchers – until it wasn’t.. Usurped by powerful weight loss drugs manufactured by Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk – along with ascendant telehealth firms like Ro, Hims & Hers, and Noom – Weight Watchers went in...

The world of pharma marketing continues to evolve with multiple ongoing challenges: creating more results with less resources, navigating political and economic uncertainties, overcoming a less than favorable industry public perception and adapting to the ever-present impact of AI. What remains in place throughout all of these variables is the client and AOR relationship. In this podcast we discus...

If you followed along with managing editor Jack O’Brien ’s live blog from SXSW last week , you’ll know that he spoke with a number of key medical marketing leaders on the ground in Austin. Those takeouts, including insights from Amgen, Marina Maher Communications and Compass Pathways, will be featured in next week’s podcast. For this week’s pod, we have an important conversation further tying in p...

In this episode of our ongoing series celebrating MM+M’s 60th Anniversary, editor-at-large Steve Madden sits down with David Paragamian, CEO of Health Monitor Network, to explore the principles that drive successful leadership in the pharmaceutical and marketing industries. Paragamian shares insights from his professional journey to explain why intentionality is the secret to effective recruitment...

Ahead of SXSW, this interview with Justin Freid, chief media & innovation officer explores CMI Media Group's insights into the emerging technologies and cross-industry innovations set to reshape healthcare marketing and patient engagement. It specifically addresses how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing media planning, personalizing experiences and enhancing communication with healthcare p...