The Top Line

Fierce Life Sciences•www.fiercepharma.com

Biopharma and medtech explained. Every week, journalists from Fierce Biotech, Fierce Medtech, and Fierce Pharma recount the latest industry trends and why they matter. We'll analyze the week's biggest business news, from mergers and marketing to drug R&D and device development. Available every Friday morning.

Last refreshed: August 17th, 2025 at 2:55 AM ⓘ

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Episodes

The most anticipated drug launches of 2024

This week on “The Top Line,” we explore the most anticipated drug launches of 2024. Editor-in-Chief Ayla Ellison engages in a conversation with Fierce Pharma Marketing Senior Editor Ben Adams about the drugs likely to launch this year with the most significant sales potential by 2028. To learn more about the topics in this episode: Top 10 most anticipated drug launches of 2024 BMS unwraps $14B deal for Karuna, adding a schizophrenia drug awaiting FDA OK Bristol Myers Squibb has targeted launch p...

Feb 09, 2024•11 min

[Sponsored] Turning information into outcomes with MedThink Communications

Should physicians consider the psychological status of patients more when developing and delivering treatment plans? What knowledge barriers are there to this? And how can these barriers be overcome? These questions lie at the heart of what John Kane has been pursuing as a healthcare communications and education expert for more than 30 years. As Managing Director of MedThink Communications, having run his own agency for 17 years, he works with the simple mission to "turn information into outcome...

Feb 05, 2024•20 min

[Sponsored] Talking technology and collaboration with Cytiva

In this episode, Dr. Beate Mueller-Tiemann, Chief Technology Officer at Cytiva, joins Fierce Life Sciences’s Stephanie Butler. Having spent almost all of her career working within large pharmaceutical enterprises such as Sanofi and Bayer, Beate made the switch to Cytiva in the early part 2023. Her role at Cytiva involves overseeing teams which create and bring high-quality products and innovative manufacturing and R&D processes closer to patients. Beate also keenly supports female talents th...

Feb 05, 2024•7 min

Navigating the future of medical AI

While generative AI has dominated the spotlight in the past year, machine learning programs have already been significantly impacting patients and physicians for several years. The question now arises: how will the emergence of programs like ChatGPT, coupled with increasing calls to scrutinize their safety, influence the adoption of new AI programs and diagnostics in healthcare? This week on “The Top Line,” Fierce’s Conor Hale interviews Peter Shen, the North American head of digital health at S...

Feb 02, 2024•20 min

Closing the $1 trillion women’s health gap

While it’s a known fact that women, on average, live longer than men, a recent report unveils a nuanced reality—women also spend more of their lives grappling with poor health. This week on “The Top Line,” Ayla Ellison, editor-in-chief of Fierce Healthcare and Life Sciences, explores the root causes behind this disparity and the multifacted nature of the women’s health gap. She's joined by one of the lead authors of the report, Valentina Sartori, Ph.D., and a contributor to the report, Kelle Mol...

Jan 26, 2024•20 min

A closer look at the bounty of new drug approvals in 2023

At Fierce Pharma, the arrival of a new year is synonymous with the release of our annual special report on drug approvals. This week on “The Top Line,” Fierce Pharma’s Eric Sagonowsky and Kevin Dunleavy, both instrumental in creating the special report, are breaking down the numbers and sharing key insights into the landscape of drug approvals in 2023. To learn more about the topics in this episode: 2023 drug approvals: After a down year, FDA signs off on a bounty of new meds, including 7 from P...

Jan 19, 2024•13 min

The year in biotech

This week on "The Top Line," Fierce Biotech staff writer Gabrielle Masson and senior editor Annalee Armstrong look back at the year in biotech, which was defined by massive layoffs across the industry. They also discuss their favorite stories of the year, including an appearance from a popstar whose reputation precedes her. To learn more about the topics in this episode: Biotechs end year 'trading for nothing' as investors mull 'what is IPO-able today?' Fierce Biotech Layoff Tracker 2023 Editor'...

Dec 22, 2023•9 min

[Sponsored] Addressing the evolving needs of pharma for CDx development

Paul Beresford and Lou Welebob of Agilent Technologies discuss how partnerships are vital in addressing the evolving needs of pharma for complex diagnostics and CDx development. Discussions center around the importance of working with pharmaceutical companies to drive medical innovation and improve patient outcomes, helping to speed up the process of bringing the right treatments to the right patients at the right time. Topics discussed include the importance of broadening technological focus on...

Dec 20, 2023•20 min

A closer look at the Fierce 50

Earlier this year, Fierce Healthcare, Fierce Pharma and Fierce Biotech recognized 50 individuals and companies that are pushing the industry forward. The Fierce 50 honorees range from tech innovators to researchers developing novel therapies to providers on the frontlines of changing care. This week on "The Top Line," senior editor Paige Minemyer sat down with staff writers Dave Muoio and Anastassia Gliadkovskaya as well as senior editor Heather Landi to discuss a few of the honorees in more det...

Dec 15, 2023•31 min

Turning down the toxicity of nature’s most powerful antifungal

The antifungal agent Amphotericin B is highly effective against a wide range of deadly fungi and resistance is rare, even after decades of use. But it comes with a virtual guarantee of kidney damage, earning it the nickname “Ampho-terrible.” Now, a better alternative might be on the way. Fierce Biotech Research’s Helen Floersh spoke with Martin Burke, M.D., Ph.D., a chemistry professor and researcher at the University of Illinois and the founder of antifungal startup Sfunga Therapeutics, to get ...

Dec 08, 2023•28 min

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