RealPharma: Conversations with Pharma Pathfinders

🎙️ Beyond Survival: Why Empathy Is the Missing Prescription in Pharma
Episode Summary:

In this no-holds-barred conversation, Na-Ri Oh and Ian Wendt sit down with Matthew Zachary—brain cancer survivor, founder of Stupid Cancer, host of Out of Patients, and a relentless disruptor in patient advocacy.

At 21, Matthew was diagnosed with brain cancer and faced a life-altering decision: take chemotherapy and lose his identity as a musician, or reject treatment and risk everything. That decision became the first of many moments where he saw the cracks in the healthcare system—specifically, the glaring absence of empathy.

Now, nearly three decades later, Matthew shares how his experience transformed into a mission to fix what’s broken: in pharma, in media, in patient engagement—and in how we talk about what matters most.

This isn’t your typical Pharma Podcast. It’s a masterclass in calling out BS, rethinking metrics that matter, and re-centering real human lives in healthcare strategy.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

🎹 The life-defining decision Matthew made at 21—and why he turned down chemo

💊 How a lack of empathy almost cost him everything

🧠 The problem with patient engagement that’s all talk and no trust

🎤 The rise of Stupid Cancer and the “Howard Stern of Healthcare” era

📺 Why DTC ads may be a $28 billion distraction

🧵 The missing link between pharma marketers and patient communities

🔥 How compliance is killing creativity—and what to do about it

🗳️ Why Matthew is building a voter movement out of patient voices

Memorable Quote:

“If there is no empathy, there is no conversation.” – Matthew Zachary

Mentioned in the Episode:

Stupid Cancer

Out of Patients Podcast

Matthew’s upcoming book: We the Patients: How to Understand, Navigate, and Survive America’s Healthcare Nightmare

WeThePatients.org

Guest:

Matthew Zachary (@MatthewZachary)

 

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🎙️ Real Pharma – Episode Title: Breaking the Silence: Why Pharma Needs to Speak Up
Hosts: Na-Ri Oh & Ian Wendt
Guest: Brian Reid, Founder & Principal at Reid Strategic

🔍 Episode Summary:
In this episode of Real Pharma, Na-Ri and Ian sit down with Brian Reid—a healthcare communicator, strategist, and former journalist who's worked across government, pharma, and media—to explore a provocative question: Why is the pharmaceutical industry so quiet when it comes to telling its own story?

Together, they unpack the communication failures shaping drug pricing, PBMs, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), biosimilars, and the broader healthcare system. Brian argues that the problem isn’t a lack of data or platforms—it’s a lack of courage, clarity, and commitment to narrative.

From the importance of speaking up in a noisy media environment to the myth of reputational risk, this conversation is a must-listen for anyone in life sciences, policy, or healthcare storytelling.

🧠 What You’ll Learn:

Why pharma’s “default to silence” is damaging public trust—and what the industry can do instead

The communications trap around complex topics like PBMs, pricing, and benefit design

How public perception problems could have been avoided with smarter storytelling (hello, Hep C)

Why simplicity is power—and how “pharm-to-table” and Mark Cuban are reframing the narrative

The case for overcommunication in the face of misinformation and AI-driven “slop”

Why the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan was a missed communication opportunity—and how to fix it

🔊 Quotable Moments:

“We're in a 30-year experiment of what happens when pharma steps back from the policy debate—and the results are in.” – Brian Reid

“I just want pharma to beat Bigfoot in public trust. That’s my goal.” – Brian Reid

“When in doubt, just shout. Say something. Do something.” – Na-Ri Oh

“It’s not always about having the perfect message—it’s about showing up and making the case.” – Ian Wendt

🧭 Resources Mentioned:

Cost Curve – Brian Reid’s daily newsletter on healthcare policy: ReidStrategic.com

KFF’s piece on complexity as a barrier to affordability

Examples from Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs and Eli Lilly CEO Dave Ricks’ public podcast appearances

👥 Connect with Brian Reid:

💼 Website: ReidStrategic.com

📬 Newsletter: Cost Curve

💬 LinkedIn: Brian Reid

Episode Title: Formulation as Strategy: Why CDMOs Matter More Than Ever

Guest: Elizabeth Hickman, President & CEO, Austin Pharmaceutics

Episode Overview
In this episode of RealPharma, hosts Nari Oh and Ian Wendt sit down with Elizabeth Hickman, President and CEO of Austin Pharmaceutics, to unpack one of the most critical—and often misunderstood—elements of drug development: formulation and the evolving role of CDMOs.

As drug molecules become more complex and solubility challenges grow, CDMOs are no longer just manufacturing vendors. They are strategic partners helping biotech and pharma companies bridge the gap between discovery and commercialization. Elizabeth shares her journey from commercial pharma leadership to running a science-driven CDMO, and explains why formulation decisions made early can determine whether a promising molecule ever reaches patients.

🔍 Key Topics Covered

The expanding role of CDMOs
Why CDMOs are shifting from executional partners to strategic extensions of pharma and biotech teams.

Why formulation is make-or-break
How solubility and bioavailability challenges derail up to 80% of modern drug candidates—and why these issues must be addressed early.

From “undruggable” to developable
How AI-driven discovery and structure-based drug design are unlocking new targets while creating new development hurdles.

Inside Austin Pharmaceuticals’ approach
A look at Austin’s proprietary Kinetisol® technology and how amorphous solid dispersion can improve bioavailability, scalability, manufacturability, and sustainability.

Small biotech vs. big pharma dynamics
What early-stage companies should look for in a CDMO partner—and the most common mistakes teams make when selecting one.

Patient impact starts with formulation
How pill burden, dosing frequency, and manufacturability directly affect adherence, cost, and competitiveness.

The future of CDMOs
Reshoring, cost pressures, AI adoption, and the growing need for talent with both scientific depth and entrepreneurial mindset.

💡 Memorable Takeaways

“Formulation is where promising molecules either become viable drugs—or stall out.”

Solving in-vivo performance alone isn’t enough; scalability and manufacturability must be designed in from day one.

The best CDMO relationships are built on transparency, urgency, and shared long-term vision.

Advanced formulation isn’t just a technical advantage—it’s a competitive and economic one.

👤 About the Guest
Elizabeth Hickman is President and CEO of Austin Pharmaceutics, a U.S.-based early-phase CDMO specializing in formulation development for challenging small-molecule drugs. With a background spanning commercial strategy, drug launches, and executive leadership, Elizabeth brings a sponsor-centric mindset to CDMO partnerships—helping clients accelerate innovation while reducing risk.

🎧 Hosts: Na-Ri Oh & Ian Wendt
🎓 Special Guests: Emma Cousin (PhD Candidate, Choice Institute – UW), Amos Fung (RealPharma Intern & Student Pharmacist)

🔍 Episode Summary:
In this thought-provoking episode, hosts Na-Ri Oh and Ian Wendt sit down with Emma Cousin, a PhD candidate at the Choice Institute, University of Washington, to unpack the real-world implications of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—particularly the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program.

Joining them is Amos Fung, a RealPharma intern who brings a front-line pharmacy perspective to the policy conversation.

Together, they discuss:

📜 A primer on the IRA’s healthcare provisions—what it is, how it came to be, and why it matters now.

💊 How CMS selects drugs for Medicare negotiation and whether this process constitutes true “negotiation.”

👩‍⚕️ The ripple effects on pharmacists, pharmacies, and patient care.

💸 The looming concerns around cashflow, operational readiness, and access as the 2026 implementation date approaches.

🧠 How researchers like Emma are modeling long-term effects—and what metrics we’ll need to track to assess the IRA’s success.

🔄 Unintended consequences and who might be left behind—especially independent pharmacies and vulnerable communities.

📈 A candid discussion on myths around drug pricing and why “good intentions” in policy still need strong evidence and thoughtful execution.

🎯 Key Takeaways:

The IRA marks the first time Medicare can directly negotiate drug prices—albeit in a tightly structured format that raises questions about the fairness of “negotiation.”

Pharmacies face operational and financial strain, particularly smaller or independent ones, due to rebate lags and implementation complexities.

Patients will benefit from caps on out-of-pocket costs, but awareness and education are lacking—many don’t realize what the law offers.

Stakeholders like pharmacists, researchers, and policy influencers need better communication and clearer technical standards from CMS.

Evidence-based policy should be the north star for drug pricing reforms, but real-world implementation remains messy and evolving.

🧠 Resources & Mentions:

Brian Reid & Adam Fein – Top newsletters to follow for updates on drug pricing policy.

CMS Guidance Documents – Frequently updated, but often inaccessible to non-policy experts.

National Pharmaceutical Council, Milliman, Portal (Harvard) – Organizations doing forward-looking modeling and policy impact research.

Reinventing Cell Therapy with Acoustics, Microfluidics & High-Throughput Engineering
In this episode, hosts Na-Ri Oh and Ian Wendt sit down with Dr. Andrew Gray — immune cell engineer, biotech founder, venture capitalist, and CEO of CellEcho — to explore how a new acoustic-powered gene-delivery platform may redefine the boundaries of cell therapy.

The conversation spans the current state of the cell therapy landscape, the persistent barriers to scalability, and why CellEcho’s ASOP platform (Acoustically Stabilized Oscillatory Pockets) could unlock a new era of faster, cheaper, and more effective cell engineering.

🔬 Episode Highlights
1. The State of Cell Therapy: Breakthroughs & Bottlenecks

Despite scientific success, many pharma companies are exiting cell therapy due to cost, complexity, and manufacturing burdens.

Conversely, major players like BMS continue doubling down, acquiring companies such as Orbital Therapeutics.

Autologous therapies remain logistically overwhelming and expensive—often ~$400k per dose.

2. Why Cell Therapy Is So Hard to Scale

“Vein-to-vein” timelines are still measured in weeks, not days.

Manufacturing is bespoke: each patient’s cells must be extracted, engineered, expanded, frozen, shipped, and reinfused.

Viral vectors and current non-viral delivery methods introduce cost, complexity, and biological limits.

3. The Next Frontier: In Vivo, Allogeneic & Beyond

Allogeneic CAR-Ts remain challenging due to immune rejection and complex engineering.

In vivo CAR-T offers promise but is limited by the small genetic “payload capacity” of lipid nanoparticles.

Solid tumors remain particularly difficult: only ~9% response rates in some indications.

4. Introducing CellEcho & the ASOP Platform
CellEcho’s technology emerged from UC Irvine’s microfluidics program. By applying precision acoustic energy, the platform can:

Hold cells in place using thousands of stable micro-eddies

Open controlled, programmable “portals” in cell membranes

Sequentially deliver multiple genetic payloads with high efficiency

Achieve 1 billion cells/hour processing rates

Reduce dose production costs by ~100×

Enable high-throughput engineering, not just manufacturing

This unlocks the ability to test dozens to hundreds of engineered CAR-T variants in days—rather than the years needed today.

One academic lab spent 6 years evaluating 11 CAR-T variants.
CellEcho tested 8 variants in under 48 hours — and aims for 100+ per week.

5. From Better Manufacturing to Better Medicines
While CellEcho originally targeted faster manufacturing, Andrew shares that the bigger opportunity is designing entirely better therapies, not simply making today’s ones faster.

This includes:

Engineering CAR-Ts with multiple CAR constructs

Arming cells with resistance to tumor suppression signals

Precise control over expression levels (avoiding under- or over-expression)

Unlocking new indications: autoimmunity, neurodegeneration, regenerative medicine

6. Personal Motivation & Mission
Andrew shares how his mother's struggle with myasthenia gravis sparked his lifelong journey in immunology. His 20-year career investigating immune evasion, Tregs, and tumor microenvironments culminated in his conviction that next-generation cell engineering is essential.

7. What’s Next for CellEcho

Currently initiating pre-seed fundraising

Supported by multiple federal grants (including NSF SBIR)

Expanding early partnerships with Stanford, Mass General Brigham, and industry collaborators

Building a fully automated, AI-augmented cell therapy design platform

Dual strategy:

Cell-therapy-development-as-a-service

Proprietary therapeutic pipeline in select indications

💡 Key Takeaways

Cell therapy works — but not broadly or efficiently enough.

Engineering complexity, not biology alone, is the rate-limiting step.

Acoustic microfluidics enables a scalable, programmable, non-viral way to engineer living cells.

High-throughput screening for cell therapies could transform discovery the way combinatorial chemistry transformed small molecules.

The real revolution isn’t just faster production — it’s better, more sophisticated therapies.

🔗 Learn More About CellEcho
Visit: https://cellechobio.com
Contact: Via the Info link on the website (messages route directly to Dr. Gray).