T2B Monthly | October 2026

Hi!

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention as we close out October that this month marked T2B's third anniversary.

In 2024, we proved the concept. In 2025, people showed they saw value in it. And this year, they've come back and have gotten even more involved (including you!)!

Even better, I'm starting to hear stories about the difference T2B is making in people's lives. That means the most to me, and it's what motivates me to bring this community to even more communicators across life sciences.

Lots to share in this month's edition. Thanks, as always, for being part of this community! Happy weekend, and happy Halloween!

Today's email is 3,395 words, an 11.5-minute read.

🗓️ T2B programming snapshot

» Media Minds Roundtable Event: The China Biopharma Scene — Topics & Issues Journalists Are Watching in 2026-2027 | Friday, November 6th @ 12-1 p.m. ET [VIRTUAL]

As China becomes an increasingly important force in biotech innovation, investment, and drug development, the story is becoming much bigger than any one deal or policy decision. This press panel will bring together industry journalists to discuss the trends and tensions shaping their coverage, from licensing and M&A to AI-enabled drug discovery, investment, supply chains, and genomic data. Join Drew Armstrong of Endpoints and Angus Liu of Fierce for the conversation.

Free and exclusive to T2B Pro and Student members (Basic members not permitted). | Register here.

» T2B Giveback Event @ Jefferies (London) | Monday, November 16th @ 5-7:30 p.m. GMT [IN-PERSON]

Join T2B and Life Science Cares for an evening of giving back, meaningful conversation, and networking during Jefferies / Life Sciences Week in London. Hosted by Takeda, the event will include a giveback activity benefiting Crisis at Christmas, followed by a panel discussion, When Purpose Becomes Practice, with perspectives from industry, nonprofits, and the local community exploring how life sciences organizations can turn corporate purpose into sustained community engagement and social impact.

Hosted at Takeda, 1 Kingdom Street, London. | Complimentary for all T2B members! | Register here.

» T2Bmeet @ Jefferies (London) | Tuesday, November 17th @ 4:30-7 p.m. GMT [IN-PERSON]

Whether you're based in London or in town for the Jefferies Healthcare Conference, join fellow biopharma communicators for our annual T2Bmeet networking reception. It's a chance to reconnect with familiar faces, meet new peers, and catch up on what's happening across our industry during one of the busiest weeks on the London biopharma calendar. (Jefferies pass not required for our T2B event.)

Rondo at The Hoxton, 199-206 High Holborn, London. | Complimentary for T2B Pro and Student members. | £50 for Basic. | Register here.

» November Comm Convo: When Communications Success Looks Like Nothing Happened | Thursday, November 19th [VIRTUAL]

Sometimes communications’ highest-value work is the hardest to see: an issue that never escalates, a major change employees absorb without widespread confusion, or a difficult decision that shifts before it creates a stakeholder problem. This Comm Convo will explore how communicators can make that preventive value visible without overstating it, and help leaders better understand the preparation, judgment, relationships, and counsel behind moments that appear to have gone smoothly on their own.

Save the date – additional details coming soon! | Complimentary for T2B Pro and Student members. | $40 for Basic.

» Media Minds Roundtable Event: 4th Annual Pre-JPM Press Pass Panel | Tuesday, December 1st @ 12-1 p.m. ET [VIRTUAL]

Our annual pre-JPM Press Pass panel is back for its fourth year! Right as pitching starts after the Thanksgiving breaks but ahead of one of biopharma’s busiest weeks, T2B’s Media Minds Roundtable will once again bring journalists together to share what they’ll be watching, how they’re approaching coverage, and what you should know as you prepare for JPM Week.

Save the date – additional details coming soon! I Free and exclusive to T2B Pro and Student members (Basic members not permitted).

» Q4 T2Bmeet @ Boston | Tuesday, December 1st @ 4:30-7 p.m. ET [IN-PERSON]

Join fellow biopharma communicators for our final Boston T2Bmeet of 2026, hosted by Novo Holdings. No formal programming or presentations this time — just an opportunity to catch up with familiar faces, make new connections, and enjoy an evening of conversation with peers as we wrap up the year.

Hosted by Novo Holdings, 200 Club Lounge, 200 Clarendon St., Boston | Complimentary for Pro and Student members. | $50 for Basic. | Register here.

» Q4 T2Bmeet @ NY/NJ | Wednesday, December 2nd @ 4:30-7 p.m. ET [IN-PERSON]

Join fellow biopharma communicators in New York City for our final NY/NJ T2Bmeet of 2026, hosted by Global Gateway Advisors. The evening will kick off with networking, followed by a panel discussion -- ​The 2027 Pre-Mortem: Reputation Risks Nobody Has on Their Radar Yet -- and Q&A, before wrapping up with more time to connect with peers over a reception.

Hosted by Global Gateway Advisors, Equitable Building, 120 Broadway, 10th Floor, New York City | Complimentary for Pro and Student members. | $50 for Basic. | Register here.

» Q4 Professional Development Masterclass: Owning Your Career Story in Today’s Job Market | Thursday, December 3rd @ 12-1 p.m. ET [VIRTUAL]

The job search has changed, even for seasoned communicators. Join a seasoned biopharma comms recruiter and three leadership coaches for practical guidance on navigating AI resume screening, demonstrating your business impact, building meaningful connections, and maintaining confidence through your next career move.

Free and exclusive to T2B Pro and Student members (Basic members not permitted). | Register here.

» Q4 T2Bmeet @ San Diego | Thursday, December 10th @ 4:30-7 p.m. PT [IN-PERSON]

We're getting together one more time in San Diego before the year wraps up! Join fellow biopharma communicators at Green Acre for a casual, come-and-go networking mixer. Stop by when you can, reconnect with colleagues, and meet others across the local biopharma community.

Green Acre, 10300 Campus Point Dr, San Diego | Complimentary for Pro and Student members. | $30 for Basic; buy your own drinks. | Register here.

» Q4 T2Bmeet @ San Francisco | Wednesday, December 16th @ 4:30-7 p.m. PT [IN-PERSON]

We're squeezing in one final San Francisco T2Bmeet before the end of 2026! Swing by any time between 4:30 and 7 for a last hurrah!

Ora Wine Bar, 1519 Polk St, SF | Complimentary for Pro and Student members. | $30 for Basic; buy your own drinks. | Register here.

» JPM Giveback Event | Sunday, January 10th @ 2-4 p.m. PT [IN-PERSON]

Join T2B and Life Science Cares for a pre-JPM giveback activity, benefitting GLIDE onsite at their facility near Union Square.

With the generous support of Syneos Health Communications

Free for all T2B community members. I Registration required here.

» JPM Sweat Equity 5K | Monday, January 11th @ 6:30 a.m. PT [IN-PERSON]

Get your week off to a running start with the 2nd annual Sweat Equity 5K! Hosted by CG Life, MC Services, Gilmartin Group, and T2B, this knee-friendly, Monday-morning fun run is the perfect way to see familiar faces and meet new ones. Join us at 6:30 a.m.! (And stick around post-run for coffee and pastries at T2B Commons, around 7 a.m.!)

Registration required here.

» Annual T2Bmeet @ JPM Reception | Monday, January 11th @ 4:30-7 p.m. PT [IN-PERSON]

Join us for our fourth annual reception at JPM 2026, hosted by FleishmanHillard! It gets bigger and somehow better every year.

Hosted by FleishmanHillard, 45 Fremont St, SF | Complimentary for T2B Pro members, $50 for T2B Basic members. I RSVP required HERE.

» T2B Commons Coworking Space @ JPM | Monday, January 11th-Wednesday, January 13th @ 7 a.m.-5 p.m. PT [IN-PERSON]

T2B and GCI Health are thrilled to host once again this year T2B Commons at 220 Montgomery Street, a dedicated space for Pro members to recharge, catch up on work, and hold informal meetings during the JPM week buzz.

Hosted by GCI Health, 220 Montgomery St., SF | First come, first-served for T2B Pro members and guests only (advance sign-up not required). More details HERE.

» JPM Panel Discussion: What Impacts Market Conviction Now | Tuesday, January 12th @ 4-4:45 p.m. PT [IN-PERSON]

New this year, T2B is hosting a short panel discussion and Q&A on building communications strategies that hold up under investor scrutiny. Join us at T2B Commons – supported by GCI Health – for this conversation and real-time pulse check on what’s standing out at JPM27 so far.

T2B Commons @ 220 Montgomery St., SF | Complimentary for T2B Pro members. | $40 for T2B Basic members. I RSVP required HERE.

🎥 ICYMI: Recent event replays

We aim to record most T2B virtual programs so you can revisit useful discussions or catch up when schedules get busy. Recent replays are available to T2B Pro and Student members via your Dashboard.

• ​Q4 Digital & Social Media Roundtable Event – Press Releases Are Back: Optimizing Biopharma Storytelling for Web, Search, Social, and AI Discovery​
• ​Q4 Patient Advocacy & Engagement Roundtable Event: Beyond the Walk​

🇬🇧 T2B @ Jefferies: Giveback Event & T2Bmeet

Will you be in London during Jefferies / London Life Sciences Week? We're offering two different ways to connect with the T2B community; attend one or both as your schedule allows!

On Monday, November 16th (5-7:30 p.m. GMT), join T2B and Life Science Cares at Takeda (Paddington office) for a giveback event supporting the Crisis at Christmas charity, followed by a panel discussion, When Purpose Becomes Practice. Moderated by T2B founder Lynnea Olivarez, the conversation will bring together leaders from Life Science Cares, Takeda, and Saint Mary Abbots Rehabilitation and Training to explore how life sciences organizations can turn corporate purpose into meaningful community engagement and lasting social impact.

On Tuesday, November 17th (4:30-7 p.m. GMT), join fellow biopharma communicators for our annual T2Bmeet networking reception — a chance to reconnect with familiar faces and make new connections during one of the industry's busiest weeks in London.

>>Giveback event: Free for all T2B members, thanks to Takeda. Register here.

>>T2Bmeet: Register here. T2B Pro and Student members can access their promo code through the event page.

🇨🇳 Upcoming press panel: China's biotech rise — what are journalists watching in 2027?

Between the surge in cross-border licensing deals, China's growing influence in drug discovery and development, and evolving U.S. policies, journalists have no shortage of stories to follow about the growing biotech powerhouse.

Next Friday, we're bringing together Drew Armstrong (Endpoints News) and Angus Liu (Fierce Pharma) for our next press panel to hear how they're approaching the ongoing U.S.-China biotech story and what they expect to be covering in 2027. The conversation will be co-moderated by Media Minds Roundtable members Danielle Cantey and Cammy Duong (LifeSci Communications).

We’ll explore:

• Which developments in China's biotech sector are most likely to drive headlines in the year ahead?
• How are reporters evaluating cross-border licensing, M&A, investment, and scientific innovation against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty?
• What questions should companies with Chinese partners, investors, or supply-chain exposure be prepared to answer?
• What makes an executive a credible source for journalists covering this increasingly complex story?

Join us Friday, November 6th, from 12-1 p.m. ET. T2B Pro and Student members may register here.

🔥 New G&PA Roundtable resource: Smoke vs. fire — what health policy developments warrant a response?

With the midterm elections next week and health policy priorities in flux, biopharma communicators have an overwhelming number of items to keep an eye on.

Our Government & Public Affairs Roundtable's first resource, A Communicator’s Guide to Health Policy in 2027: Smoke vs. Fire — Know What Warrants a Response, is a framework for distinguishing political noise from developments that could have real implications for your organization.

A few takeaways to keep in mind:

• Not every headline is policy. Political announcements and newly introduced bills may signal priorities, but many never translate into enforceable requirements.
• Executive orders and agency guidance deserve a closer look. They may not create new legal obligations on their own, but they can signal where federal agencies are headed and what companies should be preparing for.
• Pay attention to rulemaking. Proposed rules and public comment periods offer opportunities to understand and potentially influence policy before final requirements take shape.
• Don't overlook congressional oversight. Hearings and investigations can create reputational and communications challenges even when no laws or regulations have changed.
• Watch what happens after the midterms. Emerging Democratic priorities around health coverage and drug pricing, alongside the Trump administration's healthcare agenda, offer clues about the issues likely to shape policy discussions in 2027.

This resource also includes a recommended reading list to help communicators get familiar with potential policy priorities ahead of 2027.

While the authors advise not to react to every headline, they also say we shouldn't wait until a policy takes effect to get ready. The most useful role we can play is helping leadership understand what's happening, what remains uncertain, and when it's time to move from monitoring to action.

Thanks to our G&PA Roundtable members Michael Pratt (National Pharmaceutical Council), Miriam Kalnicki (Syneos Health Communications), and Meredith Isola (Narrative Strategies) for this excellent article -- can't wait to see more coming out of this talented group!

>>Read the full Government & Public Affairs Roundtable resource here.​

🗓️ New Culture Connect Roundtable resource: Planning for 2027 — five ways to focus on what matters most

We all know all too well that the best-laid plans are likely to change essentially begging to be changed. Clinical milestones shift and business priorities are constantly shifting. So how do we build a plan that is strategic, realistic, and flexible enough to accommodate whatever 2027 throws our way?

Our Culture Connect Roundtable's latest resource, Planning for 2027: Five Ways to Focus on What Matters Most, is a collection of advice from T2B roundtable members on how to prioritize what matters while making use of limited resources and leaving room for the unexpected.

A few highlights from the resource:

• Start by looking back. Ask your team and a handful of key stakeholders what worked in 2026, what missed the mark, and what they'd do differently. Even a few conversations can reveal useful patterns.
• Look beyond your own calendar. Map clinical and regulatory milestones, leadership meetings, scientific conferences, and other organizational activities to anticipate competing demands and avoid overwhelming employees.
• Build on what's already working. Review your editorial calendar and engagement data before adding new initiatives. Not everything needs to be reinvented each January. (And take this one step further by prioritizing based on impact, effort, and readiness. A simple scoring exercise can help identify which initiatives deserve attention now and which might be better left for later.)
• Make a stop-doing list. Just as important as deciding what to take on is identifying the activities that no longer deliver enough value to justify the time and resources they require.
• Leave room to adapt. Treat your annual plan as a roadmap rather than a rigid schedule, and revisit priorities throughout the year as circumstances change.

The most successful comms plans help move the business forward while respecting the time, attention, and capacity of the people we're trying to reach. Thanks to all Culture Connect Roundtable members for sharing their wisdom with us, and a special thanks to Ann Melinger (bink) for pulling this one together!

>>Read the full Culture Connect Resource resource here.​

📱 Applications open: Join T2B's Digital & Social Media Roundtable!

Managing digital and social media in our industry comes with its own set of challenges. Between navigating legal and regulatory requirements, keeping up with evolving platforms, and demonstrating the value of digital programs, there's plenty to figure out — and a lot we can learn from one another.

We're looking for five T2B Pro members to join our Digital & Social Media Roundtable for its next term, Year 2 running from November 2026 through October 2027.

Led by returning roundtable member Christopher Rizzo, Head of Digital & Social Strategy at Syneos Health Communications, this roundtable brings together in-house, agency, and consulting professionals to exchange ideas, tackle shared challenges, and develop practical resources and programming for the broader T2B community.

A few areas the group will focus on:

• Navigating compliance without sacrificing creativity. Sharing approaches to building effective digital and social programs within the constraints of a highly regulated industry.
• Keeping pace with what's changing. Exploring emerging platforms, technologies, and trends, as well as what they mean in practice for biopharma communicators (see this roundtable's recent Press Releases Are Back replay for many practical nuggets!).
• Demonstrating impact. Identifying the metrics that matter and making a stronger case for digital and social investment.
• Learning from peers. Exchanging what's working (and what isn't) across organizations, agencies, and different areas of the industry.

Roundtable members commit approximately 3-5 hours per month to collaborating on quarterly events and monthly resources, with opportunities to share their expertise and learn from fellow digital communications leaders.

Applications are open through November 9th. An active T2B Pro membership is required.

>>Apply for one of the five open spots.

🧭 Q4 Professional Development Masterclass: Owning Your Career Story in Today's Job Market

Even for seasoned biopharma communicators, navigating a career transition can feel unfamiliar in today's job market. With AI reshaping hiring practices, longer searches, and evolving expectations for senior communications leaders, how do you position your experience and value while maintaining confidence through the process?

Our final masterclass of the year will include recruiter and T2B ad board member Scott White's perspective on senior-level hiring, followed by an informal discussion with leadership coaches Carly Goldsmith, Deb Becker, and Kim Meninger.

Together, they'll explore how we can better articulate the business impact of our work, navigate the personal challenges of a career transition, and build relationships that open doors to the next opportunity. Questions can be submitted anonymously ahead of time or during the session.

Join us Thursday, December 3rd, from 12-1 p.m. ET. T2B Pro and Student members may register here.

🧠 Virtual Biopharma Comms Forum Recap: Judgment Is the Value

Our second annual Virtual Biopharma Comms Forum earlier this month explored what it means for communicators to Own the Outcome, with a recurring theme across the discussions: extending well beyond the value of our deliverables is the value of the judgment we bring to business decisions.

Three topline takeaways stood out:

• Start with the outcome before choosing the activity.
• Bring the stakeholder perspective leaders need (not just what they want to hear).
• Be more selective about where we invest our time, resources, and AI capabilities.

As AI takes on more execution, the ability to ask the right questions, challenge assumptions, and connect communications to business outcomes becomes even more important.

Thank you to everyone who joined us remotely – we enjoyed the conversations!

Read the Day 1 recap and explore Skye King's agentic AI workflow slides (slides require T2B Pro login).

👀 Seen on social

This post from journalist Sharon Goldman caught our attention. Anthropic included language about “catastrophic or existential risks to humanity” in its S-1 filing. Until recently (as reflected in end-of-the-world headlines all over the place), these types of predictions were largely confined to AI researchers and a relatively small community focused on existential risk.

Sharon, a former Fortune AI reporter and founder of Ground Level AI, has been digging into how predictions about AI catastrophe came to be expressed as numerical probabilities, who has influenced those estimates, and how they've made their way into broader public discourse.

Her free deep-dive article raises some fascinating questions for communicators about uncertainty, credibility, and what happens when speculative risk estimates start shaping public perception.

BTW, Sharon joined our Media Minds Roundtable earlier this year for a conversation about journalists moving from traditional newsrooms to independent platforms. If you missed it, revisit the discussion here.