In this installment of Game Changers, Sara Holoubek interviews several executives about some of the hardest nuts being cracked by those in the pharma, clinical, and startup worlds.  

First, what exactly are we talking about here? Thorny problems, for sure, ones that no one has figured out how to solve completely. And what of “cracking”? That is to say, these are problems that, while elusive, may also prove transformative. 

Read the list: 5 of healthcare’s hardest nuts to crack

Holoubek gets two big pharmas, Pfizer and Merck, talking about their toughest challenges. They’re joined by a medical futurist, a startup CEO, and a patient advocate, all of whom are working on the fringes of innovation. 

Not only is it a feather in the cap of those involved to be seen working to unravel these conundrums, but how these game changers are confronting healthcare’s often-dizzying complexity also gives all of us a clearer vision of the future. 


Marc Iskowitz is editor-in-chief of MM&M.