In recent years, there has been renewed interest in psychedelic treatment for a variety of medical conditions ranging from depression to trauma, and even dementia, which has left countless people searching for real recovery. This exciting research is challenging the limits of what’s possible. Psychedelic compounds, once misunderstood or dismissed, are now being studied for their ability to promote neuroplasticity, neurogenesis, and reduction in inflammation.

In this episode of Trending Health, we’re joined by three individuals who are passionate about the growing clinical utility of psychedelic treatments. However, with these treatments, it is critical to think about how to put the patient in the middle and engaged with their treatment to help ensure optimal outcomes:

• Varun Renjen, a partner at Inizio Putnam and a physician who has been supporting biopharma clients as a strategy consultant for the past 15 years; especially in neurological diseases;
• Steve Levine, Chief Patient Officer at Compass Pathways and board-certified psychiatrist who has spent his career working to improve people’s lives through creating access to innovation in mental health;
• Daniel Carcillo, a former NHL hockey player who developed Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and depression from the sport who has been successfully treated with psychedelic therapy as a patient and is an advocate for access to psychedelic treatment for brain injury

Tags: healthcare, psychedelics, psilocybin, mushrooms, concussions, traumatic brain injuries, depression, mental health, medical affairs

Panel – Varun Renjen, Steve Levine, Daniel Carcillo

Recording & Editing – Mike Liberto

For additional discussion, please contact us at TrendingHealth.com.

The traditional path to patients is being rewritten. As affordability pressures rise and patient expectations shift, life sciences companies are rethinking the middle — moving beyond payers, providers, and pharmacies to create direct, digital pathways that meet patients where they are.

In this episode, host Adrea Cope is joined by Colleen Ferlotti and Rupa Mehta to unpack the rapid rise of Direct-to-Patient (DTP) models: what’s fueling the shift, how leaders are navigating regulatory and operational complexity, and why success depends on designing with both discipline and empathy.

To learn more about how we can help your team navigate these changing landscapes, please reach out to Mike.Zapiec@vynamic.com

Podcast Tags: healthcare, life sciences, life sciences marketing, direct to patient, patient centricity, digital health

Source Links:

Triangle Insights Group (August 2025). The Direct-to-Patient Channel in Pharma: A Practical Guide to Protect GTN, Expand Access, and Improve Patient Experience.

Panel – Adrea Cope, Colleen Ferlotti, Rupa Mehta

Research & Production – Adrea Cope, Colleen Ferlotti, Rupa Mehta, Peter Svalbe, Mike Zapiec

Recording & Editing – Mike Liberto

For additional discussion, please contact us at TrendingHealth.com. 

As Gen Z steps into the healthcare workforce, they’re bringing new expectations for authenticity, technology, and purpose-driven brands. The old pharma playbook? Invisible to this generation.

In this episode of Trending Health, host Adrea Cope sits down with Carolyn Frantz and Mindy McGrath to explore how life sciences marketers can evolve to engage the next generation of HCPs and patients — from short-form content and streaming-first strategies to redefining the pharma rep of the future.

To learn more about how we can help your team navigate these changing landscapes, please reach out to Carolyn.Frantz@vynamic.com or Mike.Zapiec@vynamic.com

Podcast Tags: healthcare, life sciences, life sciences marketing, Gen Z, digital health, brand authenticity

Source Links:

• Gen Z more likely to report mental health concerns
• Generation X Faces Higher Cancer Rates Than Boomers: Study

Panel – Adrea Cope, Carolyn Frantz, Mindy McGrath

Research & Production – Adrea Cope, Carolyn Frantz, Hannah Yee, Mike Zapiec

Recording & Editing – Mike Liberto, Rachel Skonecki

For additional discussion, please contact us at TrendingHealth.com.

With external shifts in regulatory uncertainty tied to the IRA, payer pressures, shifting Federal and state policies, and broader scrutiny around pricing, Life Science companies are transforming their operations to deliver better value, grow, and create meaningful impact in the future. In this last episode of the Strategic Transformation series, Mindy McGrath is joined by Karen Baldry and Andrew Sgarlato to discuss what’s driving strategic transformations, how life science companies are tackling this and key considerations for leaders embarking on this journey.

To learn more about how we can help your team navigate these strategic decisions, reach out to Karen.Baldry@vynamic.com and Andrew.Sgarlato@vynamic.com.

Podcast Tags: healthcare, life sciences, healthcare strategy, health innovation, strategic transformation

Panel – Mindy McGrath, Karen Baldry, Andrew Sgarlato

Research & Production – Mindy McGrath, Karen Baldry, Andrew Sgarlato

Recording & Editing – Mike Liberto, Rachel Skonecki

For additional discussion, please contact us at TrendingHealth.com.

Between pharmacy closures, drug shortages, technological innovations, and workforce shortages, pharmacies are at a pivot point and must evolve to keep up with this changing environment. In this episode of the Strategic Transformation series, Mindy McGrath, Saurabh Raman, and Ryan Hummel explore how the Pharmacy Channel is reimagining the pharmacist’s role from prescription dispensers to trusted, longitudinal care partners.

To learn more about how we can help your team navigate these strategic decisions, reach out to Saurabh.Raman@vynamic.com and Ryan.Hummel@vynamic.com.

Podcast Tags: healthcare, pharmacy, pharmacy channel, healthcare strategy, health innovation, strategic transformation

Source Links:

• 2024-2025 Pharmacy Trends Include Improved Drug Shortages, More Pharmacy Closures
• Walgreens agrees to be acquired by private equity firm for almost $10 billion
• Combating the Post-Pandemic Pharmacy Workforce Shortage
• Honesty/Ethics in Professions
• CVS reaps benefits of improved pharmacy experience
• Why consumer experience is clinically important in health care
• Walgreens’ Move to Go Private: 4 Key Takeaways
• CVS is expanding its MinuteClinics into primary care. Here\’s why
• Where Are Amazon, CVS and Walgreens Headed in Health Care?

Panel – Mindy McGrath, Saurabh Raman, Ryan Hummel

Research & Production – Saurabh Raman, Ryan Hummel, Everly Petruzzelli

Recording & Editing – Mike Liberto, Rachel Skonecki

For additional discussion, please contact us at TrendingHealth.com.

In a world of financial pressures, workforce challenges, and increased focus on the patient experience, health systems are continuing to assess their operations to improve efficiencies and grow through strategic transformation. In this episode of the Strategic Transformation series, Mindy McGrath, Saurabh Raman, and Ryan Hummel discuss how health systems can best optimize their operational systems through standardization and centralization to address some of these challenges and improve their patient and employee experience.

To learn more about how we can help your team navigate these strategic decisions, reach out to Saurabh.Raman@vynamic.com and Ryan.Hummel@vynamic.com.

Podcast Tags: healthcare, health systems, healthcare strategy, health innovation, strategic transformation

Source Links:

• 2025 Outlook: Hospital finances show signs of stability, but rising costs will be a major headwind
• Costs of Caring | AHA
• Emergency Department Utilization (EDU) – NCQA
• Patients as Consumers: New Research Report Shows A New Era of Expectations in Healthcare
• To Improve Health Care, Focus on Fixing Systems — Not People

Panel – Mindy McGrath, Saurabh Raman, Ryan Hummel

Research & Production – Saurabh Raman, Ryan Hummel, Everly Petruzzelli

Recording & Editing – Mike Liberto, Rachel Skonecki

For additional discussion, please contact us at TrendingHealth.com.

In this Trending Health series, Vynamic team members will highlight how different sectors of the health industry are evolving to meet the demands of today’s ever-changing healthcare landscape through value creation and strategic transformations.

In this episode, Mindy McGrath, Saurabh Raman, and Ryan Hummel dive into how payers are shifting from short-term cost cutting to long-term strategic transformation as a result of rising costs, policy upheaval, and evolving consumer demands.

To learn more about how we can help your team navigate these strategic decisions, reach out to Saurabh.Raman@vynamic.com and Ryan.Hummel@vynamic.com.

Podcast Tags: healthcare, health plan, healthcare strategy, health innovation, strategic transformation

Source Links:

• Medical cost trend: Behind the numbers 2025
• UnitedHealth reports highest medical costs since COVID-19 pandemic’s start
• New Evernorth program to cap out-of-pocket costs for Wegovy, Zepbound at $200
• Spending growth on GLP-1s outpaces specialty drugs: Evernorth study
• Elevance Health Reports First Quarter 2024 Results

Panel – Mindy McGrath, Saurabh Raman, Ryan Hummel

Research & Production – Julia Morrison, Saurabh Raman, Ryan Hummel, Everly Petruzzelli

Recording & Editing – Mike Liberto, Rachel Skonecki

For additional discussion, please contact us at TrendingHealth.com.

The complexity of today’s product launch environment demands a smarter, more optimized approach when it comes to planning—artificial intelligence (AI) is a potential tool to help teams keep up with the demanding pace. In the final episode of the Product Launch Series, Everly is joined by Ashley Stanley & Matt O\’Dell to explore how GenAI is already being leveraged across the launch lifecycle — from content creation to competitive intelligence — and how teams can build AI fluency now to stay ahead of tomorrow’s launch challenges.

To learn more about how we can help your team integrate or optimize AI tools into your next product launch, reach out to Ashley.Stanley@vynamic.com and Matt.ODell@vynamic.com.

Podcast Tags: healthcare, life sciences, product launch, product launch trends, life sciences trends, artificial intelligence, generative artificial intelligence, AI, GenAI

Sources: NYU AI Architect Says Mastering GenAI Means Changing Our Behavior

Panel –Everly Petruzzelli, Ashley Stanley, Matt O\’Dell

Research & Production – Zara Ahmad, Adrea Cope, Everly Petruzzelli

Recording & Editing – Mike Liberto, Rachel Skonecki

For additional discussion, please contact us at TrendingHealth.com.