Where will growth emerge in health over the next 10 years?
Thu Jan 29 2026
From the JPM Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, Glenn Hunzinger brings together Sunil Patel of Merck and Sumit Khedekar of Citigroup for a conversation about where growth in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry is headed over the next five to ten years. They explore how scientific innovation, global sources of capital and talent, and a more forward looking approach to risk taking are shaping the future of healthcare, and why this moment may be pivotal for patients and the industry alike.
Discussion highlights:
Scientific innovation and unmet patient need remain the primary drivers of long term growth across pharma and biotechGlobal sources of innovation, including China, are reshaping licensing strategies and competitive dynamicsCompanies are increasingly willing to take calculated risk earlier in the drug development lifecycleValue creation depends on entering assets at the right inflection point rather than waiting for fully de risked launchesPayer dynamics, pricing pressure, and evolving consumer expectations are influencing how drugs are developed and commercializedSpeakers:
Glenn Hunzinger, US Health Industries Leader, PwC
Sunil Patel, SVP, head of corporate development and business development & licensing, Merck
Sumit Khedekar, Global head of Healthcare Investment Banking, Citigroup
This episode is also available as a video on our website: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-research-institute/next-in-health-podcast/where-will-growth-emerge-across-healthcare.html
For more information, please visit us at: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-research-institute/next-in-health-podcast.html.
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From the JPM Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, Glenn Hunzinger brings together Sunil Patel of Merck and Sumit Khedekar of Citigroup for a conversation about where growth in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry is headed over the next five to ten years. They explore how scientific innovation, global sources of capital and talent, and a more forward looking approach to risk taking are shaping the future of healthcare, and why this moment may be pivotal for patients and the industry alike. Discussion highlights: Scientific innovation and unmet patient need remain the primary drivers of long term growth across pharma and biotechGlobal sources of innovation, including China, are reshaping licensing strategies and competitive dynamicsCompanies are increasingly willing to take calculated risk earlier in the drug development lifecycleValue creation depends on entering assets at the right inflection point rather than waiting for fully de risked launchesPayer dynamics, pricing pressure, and evolving consumer expectations are influencing how drugs are developed and commercializedSpeakers: Glenn Hunzinger, US Health Industries Leader, PwC Sunil Patel, SVP, head of corporate development and business development & licensing, Merck Sumit Khedekar, Global head of Healthcare Investment Banking, Citigroup This episode is also available as a video on our website: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-research-institute/next-in-health-podcast/where-will-growth-emerge-across-healthcare.html For more information, please visit us at: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-research-institute/next-in-health-podcast.html.