T2B Monthly | September 2026

Hi!

So appropriate that I'm finishing up this month's newsletter while I'm on a plane to San Diego, hosting our final mixer of Q3 tonight. Like I'm sure it's been for most of you, September has been go-go-go here at T2B!

We celebrate this community's third(!!) anniversary in October, and it feels fitting that we're kicking off the month with our 2nd Annual Virtual Biopharma Comms Forum. This year's theme, Owning the Outcome, reflects so much of what we've been talking about across T2B lately: the influence communicators can have on what happens next, even when we don't own every decision or circumstance.

And there’s plenty more ahead this fall and winter, from new resources and programming to a meetup at Jefferies London and a first look at T2B’s JPM 2027 plans.

Happy fall!

Today's email is meaty, at 3,106 words, an 11-minute read.

🗓️ T2B programming snapshot

» TODAY: Q3 T2Bmeet @ San Diego | Wednesday, September 30th @ 5-7 p.m. PT [IN-PERSON]

Close out the third quarter with an intimate mixer of T2B community members in San Diego -- today!

Sign up here. | Complimentary for T2B Pro and Student members. | $30 for Basic.

» 2nd Annual Virtual Biopharma Comms Forum | Tuesday, October 6th & Wednesday, October 7th

As communications becomes central to business strategy, success is often being measured by outcomes and impact (vs. only outputs). This year's virtual forum, Owning the Outcome, will explore over two half-days how communicators can connect their work to business decisions, stakeholder confidence, employee alignment, investor clarity, and organizational readiness.

Sign up here for Day 1 and here for Day 2 | Free for T2B Pro and Student members. | $275 per day for Basic.

» October Comm Convo: The Comms Risk Recalculation | Thursday, October 22nd @ 12-1 p.m. ET [VIRTUAL]

Every consequential communications decision carries multiple forms of risk, and communicators are often the ones helping leadership see those tradeoffs clearly. This Comm Convo will examine how senior communicators can bring perspectives together, clarify the organization’s risk appetite, and help leaders make defensible choices when many of the available paths carry consequences.

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

» Q4 Patient Advocacy & Engagement Roundtable Event: Beyond the Walk | Thursday, October 29th @ 12-1 p.m. ET [VIRTUAL]

T2B's Patient Advocacy & Engagement Roundtable members will share their own experiences and have a candid conversation about how patient advocacy has evolved beyond traditional awareness campaigns and fundraising walks to drive meaningful impact in research, policy, access, innovation, and healthcare delivery.

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

» 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 — while geopolitical tensions and new U.S. policies complicate cross-border relationships — 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. Drew Armstrong will join the conversation, with additional journalist guests to be announced soon.

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

» 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.

» Q4 T2Bmeet @ Jefferies | Tuesday, November 17th @ 5:30-7 p.m. GMT [IN-PERSON]

Whether you’re based in London or in town for the conference or London Life Sciences Week, join fellow biopharma communicators at Rondo for our annual networking meetup at Jefferies. Can't wait!

Complimentary for Pro and Student members | £50 for Basic. Register here.

» 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!

» T2B @ JPM Week

T2B is heading back to San Francisco with a full slate of ways to connect throughout JPM Week. We’ll kick things off with a Giveback Event alongside Life Science Cares and with generous support from Syneos Health Communications; gather at T2B Commons after the 2nd Annual Sweat Equity 5K on Monday morning; and come together again Monday evening for our fourth annual T2Bmeet @ JPM reception, hosted by FleishmanHillard. In partnership with GCI Health, Pro members will also have access to T2B Commons at Yes SF for the second year in a row — a central place to work, recharge, and connect — plus a panel discussion exploring what impacts market conviction.

​Registration now open – additional details below!

🎥 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.

• ​Q3 Culture Connect Roundtable Event: Building a Credible Biopharma Employer Brand Through Growth and Change​
• ​September 2026 Comm Convo: Beyond the Border in the Era of Constant Crisis​
• ​Q3 Students & Recent Grads Roundtable Event: Navigating the Unwritten Rules of a Biopharma Communicator ​
• ​August 2026 Comm Convo: Rethinking What We Ask of Patients​

🧬 Next week: 2nd Annual Virtual Biopharma Comms Forum + Scoping Your First Agentic Workflow

We hope you’ll all join us next week for our 2nd Annual Virtual Biopharma Comms Forum, happening across two half days: Tuesday, October 6th and Wednesday, October 7th. Full agenda below; session and speaker details on the forum website.

This year’s theme is Owning the Outcome -- we're looking at how we communicators can effect change and impact outcomes through our work.

Plus, back by popular demand, another AI workshop! Following our recent, foundational agentic AI Roundtable webinar, biopharma communicator and AI extraordinaire Skye King is back for a new, hands-on workshop as part of Day 1 (October 6th) on "Scoping Your First Agentic Workflow." There, she'll work through a real-world comms scenario and what would need to be true to move a corresponding agentic workflow forward responsibly.

Our goal for attendees is for you to be able to apply the approach to your own work and leave with a first-draft plan you can continue refining with your team.

DAY 1: Tuesday, October 6th | 10:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m. ET
​REGISTER FOR DAY 1​

DAY 2: Wednesday, October 7th | 2-4 p.m. ET
​REGISTER FOR DAY 2​

📍 Q3 T2Bmeets roundup

Our Q3 T2Bmeets have taken us from D.C. to Philly, Boston, and the San Francisco Bay Area, bringing biopharma communicators together for the kind of candid conversation and relationship-building these mixers are all about.

You can catch a glimpse of the community in action in my Linkedin recaps from D.C., Philly, and Boston. A special thank you to Biosector 2 and the Alkermes Corporate Affairs Team for helping make our Boston gathering possible, and to Exelixis for hosting us in Alameda for our Bay Area meetup.

And we’re not quite done! We’re closing out our Q3 T2Bmeet tour in San Diego today, September 30th, from 5-7 p.m. PT. If you’re in the area and haven’t registered yet, there’s still time to join fellow T2B community members tonight!

​RSVP here.

🇬🇧 Announcing our 2nd Annual T2Bmeet @ Jefferies London

We’re heading back across the pond! For the second year, T2B is bringing our community together in London during the Jefferies Healthcare Conference and London Life Sciences Week for an evening of conversation, connection, and catching up with fellow biopharma communicators.

Join us on Tuesday, November 17th, from 5:30-7 p.m. GMT at Rondo in London (very walkable if you're at Jefferies). Whether you’re based in the UK or heading into town for the conference, we’d love to see you there. T2B Pro and Student members can attend at no additional cost, and tickets for Basic members are £50.

​Register here.

🌉 T2B @ JPM 2027

Giveback Event | Sunday, January 10, 2027 @ 2-4 p.m. PT

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. Registration required HERE.

Sweat Equity 5K | Monday, January 11, 2027 @ 6:30 a.m. PT

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 11, 2027 @ 4:30-7 p.m. PT

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

>> Complementary for T2B Pro members, $50 for T2B Basic members. RSVP required HERE.

T2B Commons Coworking Space | Monday, January 11-Wednesday, January 13, 2027 @ 7 a.m.-5 p.m. PT

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.

>> First come, first-served for T2B Pro members and guests only (advance sign-up not required). More details HERE.

Panel Discussion: What Impacts Market Conviction Now | Tuesday, January 12, 2027 @ 4-4:45 p.m. PT

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.

>> Complementary for T2B Pro members, $40 for T2B Basic members. RSVP required HERE.

🤖 Meet our Year 2 AI Roundtable Members

AI continues to move quickly, but our inaugural AI survey this summer showed that biopharma communicators are still grappling with how we use it thoughtfully and strategically within the realities of a highly regulated industry.

Now entering its second year, T2B’s AI Roundtable will continue exploring how communicators can move beyond basic content creation to higher-impact applications, strengthen outputs by bringing our own communications expertise to prompting, and navigate the privacy and compliance considerations that come with enterprise AI.

Under the leadership of roundtable chair Monica Aguilar, we’re pleased to welcome this year’s Roundtable members:

​We’re looking forward to seeing the conversations, resources, and programming this group develops for the broader T2B community.

🧭 10 tips for navigating the unwritten rules of biopharma comms

There are many things about being a biopharma communicator that can’t be learned from a job description, onboarding plan, or communications degree.

T2B's Students & Recent Grads Roundtable recently hosted their first panel, with three professionals from across our profession – Christine Akinc (formerly Alnylam), Samara Dowe (Catalytic), and Rushmie Nofsinger (formerly Cellarity) – to share the unwritten rules they’ve learned on the job and the moments that taught them.

The conversation, moderated by roundtable members Jasmine Bell and Mimi Le, covered lessons that tend to get learned through experience rather than formal training. And we were pleased to see community members from all stages of their career tune in!

Our top 10 takeaways:

1. Stay open to possibility even if the environment isn't steady. You rarely feel fully ready, so treat a role beyond your experience as a chance to grow, and have candid gap conversations with your manager when your readiness views differ.

2. Say yes to assignments that stretch you. Nervousness about a hard assignment is usually the signal to lean in, because raising your hand for uncomfortable work early in your career is where real growth happens.

3. Lead through influence without authority. Communicators hold a strategic seat without owning the P&L or a pipeline asset, so the work is convening people and moving decisions forward even when accountability for the hard outcome sits elsewhere.

4. Redefine professionalism around respect, accountability, and authenticity. Professionalism has shifted from fitting a mold toward how you show up, so treat junior and senior colleagues with equal respect, follow through reliably, and bring your authentic self to the room.

5. Set a clear objective before you enter the room. Decide in advance whether you want a decision, alignment, feedback, or awareness; then stay flexible enough to guide the conversation back on track when someone fixates on slide one.

6. Treat listening as a strategic tool. Speak up when the agenda is yours or a comms angle needs raising, listen closely for what people leave unsaid, and hold back when your ego is driving the point.

7. Handle mistakes in two moments. When one happens, stay calm and focus on the fix so it doesn't grow; afterward, own it, understand what went wrong, and build in fresh eyes before the final review.

8. Mine the feedback that stings. Get curious about feedback that charges you up. Your reaction may reveal whether it contains a kernel of truth, feels unfair, or is more about who delivered it — and how — than the feedback itself. Notice your response, consider the source and context, and use those insights to decide the best way to action the feedback.

9. Invest in relationships and presence. Relationships built across a career pay dividends for decades, and showing up in person makes it easier to clarify, connect, and build the trust that video calls rarely reach.

10. Work your network before you need it. Networking opens doors that applications rarely do, so build genuine relationships early, look for ways to be helpful, and treat even a virtual coffee as a real connection worth making.

Our speakers also shared stories about mistakes they learned from, career transitions, changing definitions of professionalism, and how they decide which unwritten rules are worth keeping.

T2B Pro and Student members who missed the event or want to revisit the conversation can watch the replay here.

🪧 Free career coaching for T2B members

Many of us in the T2B community are navigating transitions – whether that’s considering what’s next, stepping into a new role, working through a leadership challenge, or facing a difficult decision at work. Often, a focused conversation with someone outside the situation can help.

So, longtime T2B friends Carly Goldsmith, Deb Becker, and Kim Meninger are extending our first-ever Coaches Corner beyond our recent Boston meetup. They're offering free, confidential 30-minute virtual coaching sessions to anyone in the T2B community — regardless of location or membership level. Bring a real challenge you’re working through, and use the time to get focused support and identify practical next steps.

📈 IPO 101 refresher from T2B's IR Roundtable

Even if you’ve been through an IPO before, it’s a process with a lot to keep straight — S-1s, testing the waters, roadshows, quiet periods, bookbuilding, and a long list of stakeholders with a hand in the process. Our Investor Relations Roundtable’s latest resource, IPO Fundamentals for IR & Communications Professionals, offers a useful refresher on what happens when and, importantly, where communications fits in.

A few takeaways worth keeping in your back pocket:

• Start earlier than you think; IPO readiness can begin 12–18+ months before listing.
• Build the corporate and investment narrative before the investor deck. Then maintain that story consistently across the S-1, website, investor materials, executive messaging, and other channels.
• Treat the S-1 as the source of truth for IPO communications.
• And don’t underestimate executive preparation: investors are evaluating the credibility of the management team alongside the science.
• Throughout the process, IR and Communications also need to be tightly connected with legal, finance, bankers, and other partners, particularly as external communications become much more closely scrutinized.

If you want to hear firsthand about what some of those principles look like in practice, we’ll continue the conversation during Day 2 of the Virtual Biopharma Comms Forum on October 7th. Jessica Freifeld will share how an assignment that started with five hours a week supporting a CEO’s LinkedIn strategy evolved into leading communications for Parabilis Medicines’ IPO, including working alongside the CEO, finance team, banks, legal counsel, and agency partners to shape the investor narrative.

​Meet Jessica + explore the Forum's Day 2 agenda.​

👀 Seen on social

This post from Andrew Blotky caught our attention and feels especially timely as we head into our second annual Virtual Biopharma Comms Forum.

Andrew has a background in comms (including a stint at J&J) and has also become a leadership coach. He joined us as a speaker at last year’s inaugural Virtual Forum, and his reflections are a good reminder of what we're here to do at T2B and aim to keep at the fore every single day: cultivate connections and conversations among communicators across the full life sciences ecosystem.