Progress, Potential, and Possibilities Podcast / Show Why “Curing” Rare Diseases Isn’t Enough | The Real Access Problem - Dr. Kim Moran, Ph.D., SVP and Head of U.S. Rare Diseases / Brad Chapman, Head of U.S. Epilepsy and Rare Syndromes, UCB
We’re living through a golden age of rare disease breakthroughs—but for many patients, the hardest part begins after the drug is approved.
Today we’re joined by two leaders from the multinational biopharmaceutical company UCB ( https://www.ucb.com/ ) who are helping reshape how the rare disease community thinks about what happens after a therapy is approved—because for many families, approval is just the beginning of the journey.
Dr. Kim Moran, Ph.D. is Senior Vice President and Head of U.S. Rare Diseases at UCB ( https://www.ucb-usa.com/UCB-in-the-U-S/U-S-Leadership-Team/Kim-Moran ).
Dr. Moran leads the company’s U.S. rare disease portfolio strategy and commercial organization, integrating clinical, regulatory, operational, and digital capabilities to bring therapies to patients with devastating and often ultra-rare conditions. Trained as a neuroscientist with a PhD from NYU and an Executive MBA from INSEAD, she has spent nearly two decades at UCB translating patient insights into real-world solutions—from epilepsy portfolio strategy to leading the recent FDA approvals and launches of two major rare disease assets.
Dr. Moran is widely recognized for her leadership in the industry, including honors from the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association and Medical Marketing + Media, and she remains deeply focused on ensuring scientific breakthroughs actually translate into meaningful impact for patients and families.
Brad Chapman is Head of U.S. Epilepsy and Rare Syndromes at UCB ( https://www.ucb-usa.com/UCB-in-the-U-S/U-S-Leadership-Team/Brad-Chapman ).
Mr. Chapman oversees one of the deepest portfolios of anti-seizure therapies in the industry, including BRIVIACT, NAYZILAM, and FINTEPLA, while leading nationwide teams focused on connecting patients with both treatment and support systems.
Over more than 15 years with UCB, Mr. Chapman has helped pioneer new go-to-market models in neurology that move decision-making closer to patients and providers, strengthen partnerships with the epilepsy community, and rethink how pharmaceutical organizations deliver value “beyond the pill.”
Together, Dr. Moran and Mr. Chapman sit at the intersection of scientific innovation, patient access, and community infrastructure, and they’re helping answer a critical question in rare disease: How do we make sure life-changing therapies actually reach—and work for—the patients who need them most?
Important Episode Link - Caring for Adults with Rare Epilepsy -
https://www.ucb-usa.com/sites/default/files/2024-06/UCBCAREBinder.pdf
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