This Week's Top 5: Beiersdorf, Centene, AXA Health and UHS

1. Is Beiersdorf set to transform acne treatment?

Acne has traditionally been treated with methods that are harsh on the skin.

Medicines such as Accutane carried severe side effects, including links to depression, birth defects and joint aches. Hormonal therapies and oral antibiotics also produced similar side effects that regularly come with these treatments when used in other medicinal areas.

In a bid to implement a fresh, less disruptive approach to managing this skin condition, which impacts an estimated 650 million people globally, Beiersdorf is set to release a range of acne management products containing TopiC.A, a patented cosmetic active ingredient based on two carefully selected skin-native probiotic strains.

Writing on LinkedIn, Vincent Warnery, CEO of Beiersdorf, explains, “For decades, managing acne-prone skin largely meant fighting bacteria. Today, science is taking a different approach: deepening our understanding of the distinct roles that different bacteria play within the skin's ecosystem and recognising that maintaining the right balance is what truly matters.”

2. Centene set for Chief Financial Officer Transition

Centene is set for a major change in its financial leadership after it announced that its Chief Financial Officer Drew Asher will step down in December 2026.

Drew’s successor is set to be Chris Neczypor, who will join the business in September 2026 and work alongside Drew before assuming the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer role on 1 January 2027.  

Drew will remain with the business until the end of 2027 when he retires to ensure a smooth transition. 

Discussing his time at the company, Drew says: "I am incredibly proud of how Centene navigated through unprecedented change while remaining disciplined in execution and focused on long-term value."

3. Inside Eli Lilly's Global CRM Partnership With Veeva

Eli Lilly's renewed global partnership with Veeva Systems’ Vault CRM System aims to leverage AI to deliver breakthrough medicines to more patients, more efficiently, while streamlining commercial operations at the world’s most valuable pharmaceutical company. 

With the Vault CRM platform being rolled out across its global operations, the move extends an already established relationship between the pharma giant and the life sciences software provider, and signals growing industry confidence in AI-driven commercial platforms. 

“We are excited to expand our strategic work with Veeva by moving to Vault CRM,” says Giuseppe Firenze, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations & HCP Engagement Hub at Eli Lilly. “Vault CRM will help Lilly bring our breakthrough medicines to more patients.”

4. AXA Health Names Dr. Melissa Castro as Chief Medical Advisor 

Insurance giant AXA has appointed Dr. Melissa Castro as the Chief Medical Advisor of its AXA Health International division.

The appointment takes effect immediately and fits into AXA Health International's commitment to pairing clinical excellence with innovation and ensuring customers worldwide can access high-quality healthcare.

AXA Health International is the group’s specialist business serving the international health and life insurance market.

Melissa will collaborate closely with colleagues across the organisation and with global healthcare partners, offering specialist input on complex medical cases, contributing to the development of healthcare solutions, reinforcing clinical governance, and helping to drive better health outcomes for customers.

5. UHS & Talkspace: Delivering End-to-End Behavioural Services

Universal Health Services (UHS), one of the largest healthcare companies in the US, which generated over US$17bn in revenue in 2025, has completed the acquisition of leading virtual behavioural and mental healthcare company Talkspace.

With news originally breaking that a deal had been agreed back in March 2026, UHS hopes that the confirmation of the acquisition will allow it to create the US's “first full continuum of behavioural healthcare services”. 

“We’re at an inflection point in how mental healthcare is delivered,” says Marc D. Miller, President and CEO of UHS. “People deserve a system that is easy to navigate, connected across care settings and built around their evolving needs. 

“The addition of Talkspace expands our ability to connect people with care when, where and how they need it most. And we are strengthening the connection between behavioural and physical health for overall wellbeing.”