Market Access Success in Small Biotech | Ray Frost | Ep. 9

Ray Frost shares 20 years of market access expertise, revealing how small biotechs can successfully launch drugs in today's complex US healthcare landscape.
In this episode of BioPharma Unscripted with Marcus Metcalfe, market access veteran Ray Frost discusses building commercial infrastructure from scratch, the critical timing for market access involvement, and why the HEOR partnership is "absolutely critical" for launch success.

KEY TOPICS COVERED
When to hire market access (hint: 18-24 months before launch minimum)
Building vs buying: The unique challenges of small biotech launches
Why one PBM rejection can cost you 60-80 million lives
The evolving role of market access post-IRA
How to educate internal stakeholders on market access value
Real launch failures and lessons learned

CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction and Ray's Career Journey
05:51 The Appeal of Small Pharma Companies
08:52 Importance of C-Suite Buy-in for Market Access
12:26 Launching Products: "Flying the Plane While Building It"
15:23 Defining "Early Enough" for Market Access
18:02 Internal Education and Stakeholder Management
20:52 The HEOR-Market Access Partnership
27:05 Lessons from Launch Failures
33:10 Impact of Payer Consolidation
36:45 Board-Level Market Access Understanding
39:40 The Future of Market Access Post-IRA

Connect with Marcus: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-metcalfe-8938a35/ Marcus helps US & European Biotech & Pharmaceutical clients by providing Interim/Fractional & Advisory consultants for operational & strategic needs.


I also work on selective Executive Search (perm) projects.

I have helped Clients when there is no headcount, when they can't find the right permanent candidate, when they have a spike in business, as an alternative to an external vendor or for those simply needing an extra pair of hands.

If you need a partner with an extensive network in HEOR and Market Access - this is his sweet spot.

He has placed over 120 HEOR and Market Access candidates during my time across US and Europe.


With his business partners, he covers the below functional areas.

• Biometrics • Business Development
• Clinical Research • Drug safety & Product safety
• Engineering • Health Economics
• Medical Affairs • Market Access
• Regulatory Affairs • Compliance/Quality Assurance
• Marketing & Medical • Scientific & Preclinical
• Communications

Podcast produced by www.podforge.co.uk

From Forests to Pharma: Rasmus Jensen on Cultural Intelligence and Career Transformation - Ep. 8

Join Marcus Metcalfe as he sits down with Rasmus Jensen for a captivating conversation about one of the most unconventional career journeys in pharma. Starting with ambitions to become a forest ranger, complete with chainsaw training. Rasmus shares how he transformed his forestry economics background into a successful pharmaceutical career spanning global corporations and dynamic startups.

In this episode, Rasmus reveals crucial lessons on cultural intelligence in international business, the art of clear communication in leadership, and the challenges of transitioning from Big Pharma to startup environments. He candidly discusses his experiences at companies like Novo Nordisk and Johnson & Johnson, before taking the leap into biotech with Camurus, where he started with just "a PC, an office package, and a blank piece of paper."

Listeners will gain valuable insights on navigating cultural differences in global organisations, the importance of gaining commercial experience for career growth, and how to leverage diverse functional expertise in leadership roles. Rasmus also shares a powerful story about learning from failure and using AI tools to enhance cross-cultural communication.
Perfect for pharmaceutical professionals considering career transitions, leaders working in multicultural environments, and anyone interested in building a unique career path in life sciences.

Key Topics Covered

Unconventional career paths in pharma
Cultural intelligence and communication
Transitioning from Big Pharma to startups
Leadership lessons and learning from failure
Building breadth across functional areas
The value of commercial experience
Danish vs international corporate cultures
Using AI for cross-cultural communication

Notable Quotes

"If you want to have a career in Pharma, go close to the business... it gives you a breadth of understanding and more gravity in your arguments."
"You start with a PC, an office package, and a blank piece of paper."
"Some of the failures that one has done in careers... are often the biggest opportunities for learning and development."

Chapters

00:23 - Rasmus's unexpected origin story as a forestry student
06:58 - Career advice on getting close to the business
10:50 - The reality of joining a startup
18:09 - Discussion on clarity in leadership
31:08 - Cultural blindness and learning from failure
42:00 - Advice for broad career development

Connect with Marcus: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-metcalfe-8938a35/ Marcus helps US & European Biotech & Pharmaceutical clients by providing Interim/Fractional & Advisory consultants for operational & strategic needs.


I also work on selective Executive Search (perm) projects.

I have helped Clients when there is no headcount, when they can't find the right permanent candidate, when they have a spike in business, as an alternative to an external vendor or for those simply needing an extra pair of hands.

If you need a partner with an extensive network in HEOR and Market Access - this is his sweet spot.

He has placed over 120 HEOR and Market Access candidates during my time across US and Europe.


With his business partners, he covers the below functional areas.

• Biometrics • Business Development
• Clinical Research • Drug safety & Product safety
• Engineering • Health Economics
• Medical Affairs • Market Access
• Regulatory Affairs • Compliance/Quality Assurance
• Marketing & Medical • Scientific & Preclinical
• Communications

Podcast produced by www.podforge.co.uk

Value-Based Healthcare: Lessons from a HEOR Expert | BioPharma Unscripted! Ep.7

Join Marcus Metcalfe as he speaks with Colette Mankowski, a veteran in Health Economics, Outcomes Research & Market Access with over 25 years of industry experience. In this candid conversation, Colette shares her unconventional journey into health economics, her career trajectory at Astellas, and her transition to independent consulting and mindfulness coaching.

Colette explains how she rose from medical information to become Executive Director of a 25-person regional HEOR team, while providing valuable insights on the evolution of health economics in pharmaceutical decision-making. She discusses why health economics should be integrated from Phase 1 trials, the importance of value-based evidence, and how the US pharmaceutical market is changing through the Inflation Reduction Act.

Beyond her technical expertise, Colette opens up about leadership values, the importance of psychological safety in teams, and how mindfulness techniques have transformed her approach to challenges in her career and personal life.

In this episode you'll learn:

How health economics evolved from an overlooked function to a strategic necessity
Why value-based pricing requires early HEOR integration in drug development
The challenges and rewards of transitioning to independent consulting
How mindfulness can address mental health challenges in high-pressure environments
Colette's plans to demystify HEOR and market access through educational content
The critical attributes of effective leadership in pharmaceutical organisations
How pharmaceutical companies can strategically use interim consultants

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and reconnection
01:28 Colette's unconventional entry into pharma
03:45 Career trajectory at Astellas
05:30 The evolution of health economics in pharma
07:55 Explaining the importance of early HEOR integration
10:42 Value-based pricing and evidence generation
12:35 Leadership influences and psychological safety
15:20 The challenge of failure in pharmaceutical development
17:30 US healthcare system and regulatory changes
19:15 Transition to interim consulting
21:08 Mental health challenges in career transitions
22:45 Introduction to mindfulness techniques
24:30 Demystifying health economics through content
27:10 Final thoughts on connection and transformation

Connect with Marcus: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-metcalfe-8938a35/ Marcus helps US & European Biotech & Pharmaceutical clients by providing Interim/Fractional & Advisory consultants for operational & strategic needs.


I also work on selective Executive Search (perm) projects.

I have helped Clients when there is no headcount, when they can't find the right permanent candidate, when they have a spike in business, as an alternative to an external vendor or for those simply needing an extra pair of hands.

If you need a partner with an extensive network in HEOR and Market Access - this is his sweet spot.

He has placed over 120 HEOR and Market Access candidates during my time across US and Europe.


With his business partners, he covers the below functional areas.

• Biometrics • Business Development
• Clinical Research • Drug safety & Product safety
• Engineering • Health Economics
• Medical Affairs • Market Access
• Regulatory Affairs • Compliance/Quality Assurance
• Marketing & Medical • Scientific & Preclinical
• Communications

Podcast produced by www.podforge.co.uk