Episode 215 - Bridging Pharma and Startups to Scale Digital Health Innovation

In this episode, Naomi Fried, PhD, Founder and CEO of PharmStars, shares how stronger collaboration between startups and pharmaceutical companies is accelerating healthcare innovation. Drawing on leadership roles at Biogen, Kaiser Permanente, Boston Children’s Hospital, consulting work with large pharma companies, and collaboration across the digital health ecosystem, she explains why the most successful innovations are built around customer needs rather than technology alone.

Naomi discusses how PharmStars helps digital health startups, including those developing AI-powered solutions, understand the pharmaceutical industry, refine their value proposition, and build lasting partnerships with global pharma companies. She highlights AI as one of the most exciting areas of innovation, with the potential to improve patient care, support clinicians, and create new opportunities for life sciences organizations. However, Naomi emphasizes that technology alone is never enough. Successful innovators listen more than they pitch, understand customer pain points, and build trusted relationships.

Naomi also talks about the importance of clinician workflows, internal champions, and continuous product evolution. Whether leveraging AI, software, or medical devices, her message is clear: lasting innovation comes from solving meaningful problems, adapting to customer needs, and building partnerships that create real-world impact. Take a listen.