Vanguards of Healthcare by Bloomberg Intelligence

Ocular Therapeutix Cuts Blindness Toll 28.05.2026 23mnt

“Forty percent of patients in this country alone in the first year drop out [of current retinal disease treatments] and every one of those patients ends up going blind. By far the most expensive disease in the world is blindness and the reason for that is really quite simple. It’s because the mortality doesn’t change, the use of resources skyrockets, but the mortality doesn’t change. In this country, every blind patient costs over $66,000 a year,” says Pravin Dugel, CEO of Ocular Therapeutix. “If we reduce that dropout rate by even 10% with Axpaxli, and I’m sure we’ll do even better, we’re talking about a quarter million fewer patients in this country alone who will not go blind. The impact of that, not just on a human basis but on an economic basis, is astronomical.” In this episode of the Vanguards of Healthcare podcast, Pravin sits down with Bloomberg Intelligence senior analyst Ann-Hunter van Kirk to discuss how the company can reduce the therapeutic and economic burden of retinal diseases.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IRhythm Pushes a Proactive Approach to Monitoring 21.05.2026 46mnt

“We’re seeing it already to much more of a preventative proactive monitoring to find these things earlier in the patient journeys and help eliminate and prevent and reduce downstream costs,” IRhythm Technologies CEO Quentin Blackford discusses the opportunities of remote monitoring with Bloomberg Intelligence. In this Vanguards of Healthcare podcast episode, Blackford sits down with BI analyst Matt Henriksson for an in-depth interview on iRhythm, how its Zio monitoring platform provides an end-to-end solution to monitor patients without disrupting their everyday lives, and its strategy to expand into the primary care setting to provide a more proactive approach to detect cardiac arrhythmias and other health signals. Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pulse Biosciences Brings Differentiated Nanosecond Technology to PFA 14.05.2026 45mnt

Based on long-term results, “the effectiveness of that nanosecond pulse electric field begins to look as if it is a step function ahead of first generation PFA,”  Pulse Biosciences CEO Paul LaViolette says, referring to the next stage of pulsed-field ablation innovation. In this Vanguards of Healthcare episode, LaViolette sits down with BI analyst Matt Henriksson for an in-depth interview about the potential benefits of nanosecond ablation technology to treat atrial fibrillation, which combines an ultrashort pulse duration with a high amplitude of voltage. LaViolette also discusses the commercial strategy behind the launch of its NANOPULSE-AF IDE pivotal study, following promising first-in-human trial results.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

RTW’s Rod Wong on Biotech’s Revival and the Global Shift 07.05.2026 49mnt

“I think this is going to be the most eventful ASCO for biotech in a while,” says Dr. Roderick Wong, founder of RTW Investments, referring to the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Wong joins Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Sam Fazeli on the Vanguards of Health Care podcast to break down biotech’s rebound, why fundamentals may finally be improving after a prolonged bear market and how China’s speed and cost advantages are reshaping global drug discovery. They also explore AI’s potential to improve clinical success rates, rare-disease regulatory flexibility and why oncology, neuropsych and immunology remain fertile ground for innovation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cortica’s Plan to Bring Value-Based Care to Autism 30.04.2026 55mnt

“It’s crazy to think that that would be the expectation in cancer care, yet we expect that of families in autism,” says Neil Hattangadi, CEO and co-founder of Cortica. Hattangadi joins Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Jonathan Palmer to explain why autism care remains so fragmented and how Cortica is trying to replace siloed services with a coordinated whole-child model. They discuss why applied behavior analysis (ABA) should be one tool, not the whole answer, how Cortica integrates medical and behavioral care, and why better coordination could ease the burden on families while improving outcomes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Xontogeny's Case for Drug Developers Over Storytellers 23.04.2026 52mnt

“More than half of your time as a public company CEO is devoted to things that are not drug development,” Xontogeny CEO Chris Garabedian says. Garabedian joins Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Sam Fazeli on this episode of the Vanguards of Health Care podcast to explain why he earlier left the track of operating public companies to back biotech, where better decisions can create the biggest value inflections. He discusses what separates real drug developers from scientists, why early biotech mistakes are often irreversible, how Xontogeny evaluates new companies, and why AI may improve research tools faster than it transforms human biology.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roivant’s Playbook for Finding Value Others Miss in Biotech 16.04.2026 48mnt

“In biotech, all of the ideas sound amazing and most of them don’t work.” Roivant CEO Matt Gline joins Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Sam Fazeli on this episode of the Vanguards of Health Care podcast to explain how the company tries to tilt those odds through an unconventional model built around focused, entrepreneurial “vants.” Gline discusses why Roivant targets overlooked or deprioritized large-pharma assets, how its structure is designed to preserve speed and accountability, and why clinical rigor, capital allocation and disciplined execution matter more than biotech hype. The conversation also explores orphan-style launches, FDA consistency, AI and the challenge of building durable value in a volatile biotech market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Virta Health’s Push to Reverse Metabolic Disease at Scale 09.04.2026 48mnt

“We cannot fix a food problem with drugs,” says Sami Inkinen, CEO and co-founder of Virta Health. Inkinen joins Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Jonathan Palmer to explain why Virta is betting that reversing metabolic disease can become one of the most important cost and outcomes stories in health care. He details how the company combines nutrition therapy, intensive telemedicine and AI to deliver sustained weight loss, diabetes reversal and significant savings for employers and health plans. The conversation also explores Virta’s long commercialization path, its growing traction in the B2B market and why Inkinen believes disease reversal is a far bigger opportunity than simply managing chronic illness more efficiently.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Athenahealth's Strategic Reset, Push for Speed in Ambulatory Care 02.04.2026 51mnt

“We’re never moving fast enough,” says Bob Segert, CEO of Athenahealth. Segert joins Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Jonathan Palmer to explain the strategic reset that reshaped Athenahealth: cutting losing bets, doubling down on ambulatory care and building around its cloud-native athenaOne platform to drive operating leverage. The conversation covers Athena’s aggressive AI pivot, its open-platform strategy and why speed, product discipline and better physician economics will determine the next market winners.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inside Insilico Medicine’s AI Strategy and Lilly Breakthrough 31.03.2026 59mnt

“This deal [with Eli Lilly, announced on Sunday 29 March] is a combination of an asset licensing and collaboration. We’ve collaborated with Lilly in the past and they are actually one of the most active and expert users of our software,” says Alex Zhavoronkov, founder and co-CEO of Insilico Medicine. Zhavoronkov joins Bloomberg Intelligence pharmaceuticals analyst Sam Fazeli to explain how Insilico is using AI to compress drug-discovery timelines from years to months, pursue novel targets and compete with both big pharma and China’s fastest-moving biotech players. They also discuss the company’s rapid Lilly deal and why AI’s real edge may be before the clinic, not inside it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Abridge Moving AI From Scribing to Clinical Workflows 26.03.2026 51mnt

“I think 2026 is the year of fundamental, agentic transformation of the workflow.” Abridge co-founder and CTO Zack Lipton joins Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Jonathan Palmer to share how the company grew from a research-heavy idea into one of health care’s breakout AI leaders. Lipton breaks down the limits of point solutions, the complexity of evaluating generative AI in medicine, and why he sees the future not as a better digital scribe alone, but as a unified platform that can guide documentation, billing and care decisions in real time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7Wire's Jaffee on the Hard Truths Behind Health-Tech Investing 19.03.2026 42mnt

“In health care, in order to drive the biggest impact, the biggest outcomes and the biggest exits, you really have to engage the end consumer,” says Alyssa Jaffee, partner at 7Wire Ventures. In this Vanguards of Health Care episode, Jaffee sits down with Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Jonathan Palmer to discuss 7Wire’s thesis-driven approach to venture investing, how the firm works shoulder to shoulder with founders and why health care still offers endless opportunities to fix broken systems. She also reflects on women’s health, the evolving AI landscape and the personal values — integrity, work ethic and mission — that shape how she invests and leads.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Xaira’s War on Trial-and-Error Drug Development 12.03.2026 52mnt

“Nothing excites me as much as the potential for AI,” Xaira CEO Marc Tessier-Lavigne tells Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Sam Fazeli on this episode of the Vanguards of Health Care podcast. They explore how artificial intelligence could cut drug development timelines in half and triple clinical success rates. Tessier-Lavigne, a former Genentech R&D leader, explains why today’s 13-year, 90% failure model is broken and how causal cell models, generative protein design and smarter patient stratification can transform target selection, drug creation and trials. Tessier-Lavigne also details why Xaira is chasing “high-hanging fruit,” the hard-to-drug targets others can’t reach, and what it will take to reverse Eroom’s Law.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AVS’ Toland on Next Lithotripsy Launch 05.03.2026 40mnt

“IVL in general is an enabler for physicians to do very complex procedures — it’s simple, it’s easy to use and it’s safe. So even a physician that doesn’t have a lot of experience doing complex cases can now treat patients that they previously weren’t treating,” AVS Pulse Chairman Mark Toland tells Bloomberg Intelligence, referring to calcified arterial lesions in peripheral artery disease. In this Vanguards of Health Care episode, Toland joins BI analyst Matt Henriksson to discuss how the Pulse intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) system is differentiated vs. current technology, aiming to make treatment more flexible. He also highlights clinical results from the POWER PAD II pivotal trial, the commercial strategy ahead of FDA approval, and the expanding opportunity as aging demographics drive more hardened lesions that require IVL.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Halle Tecco on AI, Boom-Bust Cycles and Building Better Care 03.03.2026 45mnt

“I wake up every day wanting to make health care better,” says Halle Tecco, founder of Rock Health and author of Massively Better Healthcare. Tecco joins Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Jonathan Palmer on this episode of the Vanguards of Health Care podcast to reflect on digital health’s evolution — from her early days at Apple’s App Store to building one of the sector’s first venture funds. She explains why Covid reset adoption curves, how hospitals became leading tech buyers and why aligning “margin and mission” now shapes her investment lens. Tecco also shares lessons from backing a laundry list of well-known startups, teaching at Columbia and Harvard, and why she wrote a book to empower the next wave of innovators.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Highridge Goes Private to Expand Differentiated Offering in Spine 26.02.2026 37mnt

“Being privately held and being a pure play spine company has given us the focus, the resourcing and the investment we need to, to really take this thing and make it hum,” Highridge’s CEO Rebecca Whitney says about the 7th largest spine company. In this Vanguards of Health Care episode, Whitney sits down with BI analyst Matt Henriksson for an in-depth interview about the path to a private company from a subsidiary under a major, publicly traded ortho company. As an independent company, she explains how it can be nimble in M&A, including the acquisition of key expandable spinal implants from Accelus and the recent PathKeeper agreement, both of which augment Highridge’s portfolio that houses its Mobi-C cervical disc replacement system and Tether motion preservation system. She also explains the importance of saying yes to new roles to build your career trajectory.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dexcom Aims to Expand CGM Benefits to All Diabetic Patients and Beyond 19.02.2026 37mnt

“We’re going to continue to drive innovation across the entire product portfolio, which also includes how we manufacture sensors,” Dexcom CEO Jake Leach tells Bloomberg Intelligence, outlining the company’s strategy to expand the use of continuous glucose monitors to more diabetic patients and beyond. In this Vanguards of Health Care podcast episode, Leach joins BI analyst Matt Henriksson for an in-depth discussion on Dexcom’s transition to the G7 15 Day sensor, aimed to reduce the frequency of changing sensors, as well as clinical data efforts to expand reimbursement to diabetic patients not on insulin and updates on the next-generation G8. He also reflects on his 22-year journey at Dexcom, rising from an engineer on a 30-person team to CEO of an 11,000-employee company.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AliveCor’s Priya Abani Uses Amazon Experience to Democratize ECG Tech 12.02.2026 49mnt

“We’re empowering health-care providers with unprecedented clinical depth in a compact portable form factor,” AliveCor CEO Priya Abani says about the development of its AI-enabled electrocardiogram (ECG) sensors, which provide medical-grade heart data anytime and anywhere. In this Vanguards of Health Care episode, Abani sits down with BI analyst Matt Henriksson for an in-depth discussion about the expansion of AliveCor’s Kardia 12L device, which gives physicians a smaller, more portable ECG option. The company has widened the device’s indications to 39 cardiac conditions, established a new Category III reimbursement code and continues to train its algorithm using 1 million ECGs. Abani also talks about how her time at Amazon.com influenced her perspective on the interaction of technology and the human experience.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Maraganore Reflects on the Long Game of RNAi and Drug Innovation 10.02.2026 58mnt

“I suspect that RNAi-based medicines will approach, rival, maybe even exceed what we’ve seen with monoclonal antibodies historically,” says John Maraganore, the CEO of JMM Innovations and founding CEO of Alnylam. He joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s senior pharmaceutical analyst Sam Fazeli to reflect on RNAi’s journey from scientific curiosity to durable drug platform. Maraganore explains Alnylam’s reliance on big pharma partnerships for relatively non-dilutive capital, why rare diseases were the right entry point for commercialization and how mission-first culture sustained the company. He also discusses biotech’s “Sputnik moment,” FDA efficiency and where AI is already delivering real impact in drug discovery.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carlsmed Personalizes Spine with AI 05.02.2026 45mnt

“One of our busy surgeons said, when they do an aprevo procedure, it’s a boring day in the OR and that’s actually a good thing,” Carlsmed’s CEO Mike Cordonnier tells Bloomberg Intelligence, as he explains how the use of AI technology is the future for spine procedures. In this Vanguards of Health Care episode, Cordonnier sits down with BI analyst Matt Henriksson for an in-depth interview about the design of the aprevo system, with its customized implants. He dives further into how aprevo reduces planning time, provides better alignment and lowers revision rates, creating favorable economics for hospitals. Other highlights from the episode include how he combined his experience across medtech and software to build this novel AI approach.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.