From Pharma to Biotech: Embracing Innovation

Angela Hwang spent nearly three decades at Pfizer before joining Flagship Pioneering in 2025 as a CEO-partner and the CEO of Metaphore Biotechnologies.

In this week’s episode of "The Top Line," the former Pfizer chief commercial officer speaks with Fierce Pharma Deputy Editor Angus Liu about her transition from marketing drugs at a Big Pharma company to advancing novel technology at a young biotech startup.

Hwang discusses how her upbringing in apartheid-era South Africa—and two key lessons from her career—shaped who she is today. A longtime champion of diverse talent, she emphasizes that regardless of the broader environment or the size of an organization, it’s essential to ensure “everybody has a chance of developing in their careers and that they have a level playing field.”

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• 'We have not seen anything similar': Novo Nordisk pens $600M obesity pact with Flagship's Metaphore
• 2022's Fiercest Women in Life Sciences—Angela Hwang
• Done deal: Pfizer completes $43B acquisition of Seagen, doubling its oncology pipeline

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