In the latest episode of the MAP – Market Access Podcast, Dr. Stefan Walzer speaks with pricing and access expert Shrutya Bhalla about how primary research must evolve in an era of AI, policy shocks, and accelerating market complexity. The key takeaway: high‑quality primary research is no longer just about collecting insights – it must enable real strategic choices on pricing, access, launch sequencing, and evidence generation. This means moving from slow, static projects to continuous, platform‑driven, AI‑supported research, using AI for speed, automation and better hypotheses while keeping humans firmly in the lead for judgment, context and responsibility, and building research that is robust enough for MFN, new US tariffs, and fast‑changing global policy environments.

Shrutya also shares how new stakeholder research platforms like Mulya, and innovations such as Market Access 4.0 tools like mAxInsights, DO-Bo, Q-Bo and Wafle, are redefining how we run payer research: faster, more economical, and closer to real‑time decision needs. If you work in market access, pricing, Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) or commercialization, this episode is a must‑listen to understand where primary research is headed.

Stay connected by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform or listening directly on our website: MAP Podcasts —and if you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to rate it and the podcast!

MAP is the first and only bi-weekly market access podcast provided by MArS—and the global #1 podcast in the field of health economics. For more information about MArS Market Access and Pricing Strategy, visit: https://marketaccess4-0.com/

#MarketAccess #PricingAndReimbursement #PrimaryResearch #GlobalHealth #Mulya #mAxInsights #DO-Bo #Q-Bo #Wafle #Pharma #AIinHealthcare #PayerInsights #CommercialStrategy #MAPPodcast #marketaccess #marketaccesspodcast

In this episode of the MAP – Market Access Podcast, Dr. Stefan Walzer speaks with Hatice Küçük Beton, Executive Director of the G20 Health and Development Partnership, about how to make global health truly investable – and keep it on the political agenda once the immediate crisis fades. They explore why high-level leadership, from Angela Merkel’s role during Germany’s G20 presidency to Japan’s joint health–finance initiative, was crucial in moving health from a “social cost” to a strategic economic and security issue. Hatice explains how bringing health and finance ministers to the same table – and getting them to speak the same financial language – has begun to reshape thinking around budgets, risk and long‑term system resilience.

The conversation then dives into what a practical health investment framework could look like, with clear positive qualifiers, benchmarks and disqualifiers to guide capital into high-impact areas without overburdening investors with new bureaucracy. Hatice and Stefan discuss why health must be de‑politicised and reframed as a pillar of economic resilience, geopolitical security and human wellbeing – not a “nice to have” public service – and why returns on health investments should not be taboo. If you work in market access, health economics, policy, pharma, medtech or healthcare investment, this episode offers concrete ideas on how smarter, market‑driven health investment can shape global and national health systems by 2030.

Stay connected by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform or listening directly on our website: MAP Podcasts —and if you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to rate it and the podcast!

MAP is the first and only bi-weekly market access podcast provided by MArS—and the global #1 podcast in the field of health economics. For more information about MArS Market Access and Pricing Strategy, visit: https://marketaccess4-0.com/

#MarketAccess #GlobalHealth #G20 #HealthEconomics #HealthInvestment #HealthFinancing #HealthPolicy #HealthcareFinance #G20Health #ImpactInvesting #marketaccess #marketaccesspodcast

In the latest Market Access Podcast episode, host Stefan Walzer sits down with Bernard “Bernie” Bichsel – one of Europe’s most experienced voices in medtech regulation and former Head of the Medical Devices Division at Swissmedic – to unpack how regulation and market access truly fit together. They discuss why medical device regulation in Europe is still young compared to pharma, why the MDR/IVDR “notified body bottleneck” is largely yesterday’s problem, and how smart startups build regulatory timelines, costs, and clinical evidence into their plans from day one.

They then zoom out to Omnibus, the AI Act, and geopolitics, and what all of this means for the attractiveness of Europe vs. the US, China, India, and the rapidly growing Arabic region as medtech markets. Despite the challenges, Europe still offers world‑class innovation, strong universities, and a powerful SME ecosystem – and remains a key region for medtech investment. If you’re a medtech founder, regulatory lead, or market access professional, this episode will help you rethink when and how you integrate regulation and reimbursement into your strategy.

Stay connected by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform or listening directly on our website: MAP Podcasts —and if you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to rate it and the podcast!

MAP is the first and only bi-weekly market access podcast provided by MArS—and the global #1 podcast in the field of health economics. For more information about MArS Market Access and Pricing Strategy, visit: https://marketaccess4-0.com/

#MarketAccess #MedTech #MDR #IVDR #RegulatoryAffairs #HealthEconomics #medtech #medtechregulation #Reimbursement #Startups #EUHealthcare #marketaccess #marketaccesspodcast

In this episode, Stefan Walzer talks with experienced Market Access manager Helmut Butscher about concrete AI applications across the full Market Access value chain. They explore how AI accelerates systematic literature reviews, unlocks real‑world evidence from complex data sources, supports HTA dossier preparation, and enables smarter decisions on pricing, reimbursement and global launch sequencing. They also address the limits and risks of AI in a highly regulated setting – from opaque HTA and payer decisions to regulatory uncertainty around AI‑generated evidence and the ethical tension between efficiency and fairness in health technology assessment.

Stefan and Helmut then look ahead to the evolving role of the Market Access manager – not as someone replaced by algorithms, but as a central orchestrator who uses AI as a powerful sparring partner to make better, faster and more transparent decisions. Whether you work in Market Access, HEOR, pricing, strategy or related fields, this episode offers a clear, practice‑oriented view on how to start using AI meaningfully in your daily work – and where it pays to remain cautious.

Stay connected by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform or listening directly on our website: MAP Podcasts —and if you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to rate it and the podcast!

MAP is the first and only bi-weekly market access podcast provided by MArS—and the global #1 podcast in the field of health economics. For more information about MArS Market Access and Pricing Strategy, visit: https://marketaccess4-0.com/

#MarketAccess #OrphanDrugs #RareDisease #DrugPricing #HealthEconomics #CostEffectiveness #BudgetImpact #RealWorldEvidence #InnovativeContracting #GeneTherapy #HealthcarePolicy #Payers #MAPPodcast #marketaccess #marketaccesspodcast

In this thought‑provoking Market Access Podcast episode, host Stefan Walzer sits down with Omar Ali – Head of Payers at Vipora, former NICE advisor, and one of the sharpest minds in drug pricing and innovative contracting to unpack where drug pricing and reimbursement are really heading.

They explore why cost‑effectiveness thresholds are making market access tougher than ever, how uncertainty around CAR‑T, gene therapies and orphan drugs fuels the “orphan bubble”, how innovative contracting and pay‑for‑performance can (sometimes) rescue multi‑million‑euro therapies and why the US is doing HTA at the end, not the beginning – with CMS negotiations, MFN and tariffs reshaping global pricing strategies.

If you work in Market Access, pricing, Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) or policy, this conversation will resonate with the pressures you feel every day.

Stay connected by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform or listening directly on our website: MAP Podcasts —and if you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to rate it and the podcast!

MAP is the first and only bi-weekly market access podcast provided by MArS—and the global #1 podcast in the field of health economics. For more information about MArS Market Access and Pricing Strategy, visit: https://marketaccess4-0.com/

#MarketAccess #OrphanDrugs #RareDisease #DrugPricing #HealthEconomics #CostEffectiveness #BudgetImpact #RealWorldEvidence #InnovativeContracting #GeneTherapy #HealthcarePolicy #Payers #MAPPodcast #marketaccess #marketaccesspodcast

In this Market Access Podcast episode, Dr. Stefan Walzer sits down with Prof. Zanfania Ademi, a health economist at Monash University, to explore how Australia’s healthcare system is tackling key issues in market access and health technology assessment. Discover how Australia blends international approaches and new methods being developed by Zanfina and her team like distributional cost-effectiveness and productivity-adjusted life years to advance equity and value in healthcare. Tune in for fresh insights on health as an investment, not just a cost, and what’s next for decision-makers.

Key takeaways from the episode include the shift from qualitative to quantitative measures of equity in HTA, and the use of complex disease models and real-world evidence to drive smarter prevention strategies. The discussion also covers the growing recognition of both paid and unpaid work in productivity metrics, along with lessons from Switzerland on disinvestment, transparency, and the challenges of implementing new value measures in healthcare. Perfect for professionals in market access, health economics, and policy.

Stay connected by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform or listening directly on our website: MAP Podcasts —and if you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to rate it and the podcast!

MAP is the first and only bi-weekly market access podcast provided by MArS—and the global #1 podcast in the field of health economics. For more information about MArS Market Access and Pricing Strategy, visit: https://marketaccess4-0.com/

#MarketAccess #HTA #Reimbursement #HealthEquity #Productivity #HealthcareInnovation #Australia #HealthEconomics #Prevention #MAPPodcast #marketaccess #marketaccesspodcast

In this episode of the Market Access Podcast, Erica Bersin—founder of ERO Health Communications—joins Dr. Stefan Walzer to discuss the changing role of patient involvement in healthcare. Drawing on her experience in both Europe and the U.S., Erica explains how single-payer systems make patient engagement easier, while the U.S. faces more challenges but also unique advocacy opportunities. She highlights the work of organizations like PCORI and the need for better data transparency.

The episode features real-world examples from HIV/AIDS and breast cancer advocacy, as well as pharma’s efforts to involve patients in clinical trials. Erica’s personal story with multiple sclerosis underscores why every patient’s voice matters. Tune in for a hopeful look at how patients can help shape future healthcare decisions.

Stay connected by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform or listening directly on our website: MAP Podcasts. If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to rate it and the podcast!

MAP is the first and only bi-weekly market access podcast provided by MArS—and the global #1 podcast in the field of health economics. For more information about MArS Market Access and Pricing Strategy, visit: https://marketaccess4-0.com/

#MarketAccess #PatientEngagement #PatientAdvocacy #MedicalAdvocacy #HealthEconomics #Pharma #HealthcareInnovation #HealthcareDecisions #MAPPodcast #marketaccess #marketaccesspodcast

In this episode of the Market Access Podcast, Dr. Stefan Walzer sits down with strategy consultant and XR advocate Günther Illert to explore how virtual, augmented, and extended reality are reshaping healthcare—from patient training and pain therapy to surgical planning and medtech education.

Learn how cross-sector collaboration and early adoption—especially outside traditional reimbursement systems—can unlock the full potential of immersive technology in medicine. A must-listen for innovators, health tech professionals, and digital health strategists.

Stay connected by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform or listening directly on our website: MAP Podcasts —and if you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to rate it and the podcast!

MAP is the first and only bi-weekly market access podcast provided by MArS — and the global #1 podcast in the field of health economics. For more information about MArS Market Access and Pricing Strategy, visit: https://marketaccess4-0.com/

#MarketAccess #DigitalHealth #HealthcareInnovation #MedTech #VirtualReality #TrainingInHealthcare #HealthTech #XR #AugmentedReality #MAPPodcast #marketaccess #marketaccesspodcast