The Top Line
The Top Line
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.Social links:
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GSK’s first lung cancer approval, a new IPO path and more
This week on "The Top Line," Fierce Healthcare and Life Sciences' editor-in-chief steps behind the microphone for a solo episode highlighting several of the biggest stories in biopharma. The episode covers GSK’s first lung cancer approval following its acquisition of Nuvalent, Axiom Biosciences’ u…
11:07
Why modern clinical trials need a finance-first strategy (Sponsored)
Clinical trial success depends on more than scientific rigor and operational execution. It also depends on the financial systems that support every stage of a study. In this episode of The Top Line, Zahiah “Zee Zee” Gueddar, senior director of commercial strategy for the Clinical Trial Financial Su…
17:29
5 emerging biotech hubs
Boston. San Francisco. Beijing? The global biotech industry has long been concentrated in a handful of cities. But which emerging hubs could become dominant forces in biotech in the decades ahead? In this week’s episode of “The Top Line,” Fierce Biotech’s Darren Incorvaia and Will Maddox discuss a…
24:30
Decision readiness is the next AI advantage (Sponsored)
AI is reshaping how organizations compete, but more data and more tools do not automatically lead to better decisions. In this episode of The Top Line, Justin Masterson, senior vice president of human sciences at The Directions Group, challenges leaders to look beyond AI adoption and focus on the d…
18:19
A $10B deal, China trial scrutiny and highlights from ADA 2026
This week on "The Top Line," we’re covering some of the biggest stories across biopharma before turning to one of the industry’s major scientific meetings of the summer. First, we discuss Vertex’s $10 billion acquisition of Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, the company’s largest deal to date, and what it…
24:20
The deal before the deal
Big Pharma dealmaking has picked up, but the biotech path to a signed agreement is still anything but simple. In this episode, recorded at Fierce Biotech Week, Senior Editor James Waldron leads a discussion on the evolving BD&L landscape across pharma and biotech. He is joined by Kaleem Chowdhury…
41:30
FDA Breakthrough Therapy and RMAT: Strategic Decisions That Can Accelerate Oncology Development (Sponsored)
In this sponsored episode of The Top Line, host Stephanie Butler is joined by Sheila Plant, vice president of regulatory affairs at Allucent, to examine how FDA Breakthrough Therapy and RMAT designations can support more strategic oncology development. Although both pathways are intended to speed…
20:26
Ipsen R&D chief on pipeline discipline, partnerships and 2026 milestones
In this episode of “The Top Line,” recorded on site at Fierce Biotech Week in Boston, Fierce’s Ayla Ellison sits down with Christelle Huguet, Ph.D., executive vice president and head of R&D at Ipsen, to discuss how the company is building its pipeline through external innovation while maintaining i…
15:08
Why MRD is becoming central to oncology drug development (Sponsored)
In this sponsored episode of The Top Line, experts from Myriad Genetics join host Stephanie Butler to examine how tumor-informed molecular residual disease, or MRD, testing is beginning to redefine what early insight can mean in oncology drug development. As biomarker-driven therapies become more p…
18:38
Behind the headlines of ASCO 2026
Each year, the global oncology community flocks to Chicago to convene at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting for a weekend of buzzy data drops, practice-changing posters and insightful sessions. In this week’s episode of "The Top Line," Fierce Biotech and Fierce Pharma’s D…
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