Target RWE Fortifies Leadership to Drive Real-World Evidence Growth

DURHAM, NC – April 02, 2026 – Target RWE, a company at the forefront of generating evidence for modern drug development, has announced a significant bolstering of its leadership team, signaling a clear strategy to scale operations and deepen its impact on the healthcare industry. The Durham-based firm has promoted Steve Swanson to chief commercial officer and appointed two seasoned executives, Emily Akin as head of delivery and Ashley Pierce as head of finance. These moves come as the company, under new ownership, aims to solidify its position in the rapidly expanding real-world evidence (RWE) market.

The appointments are designed to accelerate growth and enhance the delivery of the company's clinical evidence solutions, which leverage real-world data to address complex regulatory and clinical challenges. This strategic reinforcement of its executive ranks underscores a pivotal moment for Target RWE, as it capitalizes on a broader industry shift away from slow, expensive traditional clinical trials toward more efficient, data-driven methodologies.

A Trio of Expertise for Strategic Expansion

The newly configured leadership team brings a collective total of nearly 70 years of experience across life sciences, healthcare technology, and finance, positioning Target RWE for its next phase of growth. Each executive's background appears handpicked to address key operational and strategic needs.

Steve Swanson, promoted to chief commercial officer, will now spearhead the company’s entire commercial strategy, from business development and go-to-market execution to fostering deeper partnerships with biopharmaceutical clients. Before his promotion, Swanson was instrumental in building life sciences collaborations at Flatiron Health, a major player in oncology real-world evidence. His experience there, coupled with a background in early research and global value consulting, provides a unique perspective on the needs of Target RWE's partners.

Joining the company is Emily Akin as head of delivery. In this newly created role, she will unify clinical operations, partnership management, and data curation to streamline the client experience and enhance operational capabilities. Akin brings over two decades of global leadership in clinical research. Her previous tenure at Flatiron Health, where she led the Flatiron Trials and Research Network, and a similar role at Paradigm Health, involved building extensive clinical research networks and scaling large, multicenter oncology trials. Her expertise in operationalizing complex research programs across multiple therapeutic areas is a direct asset to Target RWE’s ambitious delivery goals.

Rounding out the new appointments is Ashley Pierce, who steps in as head of finance. Pierce is tasked with instilling operational and financial discipline to support sustainable, long-term growth. Her extensive background includes leading global finance operations at the contract research organization Syneos Health and serving as vice president of finance and accounting at Capitol Broadcasting Company. This experience in managing the finances of complex, growth-oriented organizations is critical as Target RWE prepares to scale.

The Highlander Health Mandate

These leadership changes are a direct reflection of the strategic vision set by Target RWE's new owner, Highlander Health. The investment firm, co-founded by industry luminaries Dr. Amy Abernethy, former Principal Deputy Commissioner of the FDA, and Dr. Brad Hirsch, acquired Target RWE in January 2025 as its inaugural investment. Highlander Health’s stated mission is to modernize clinical research by advancing evidence generation through more flexible and efficient approaches.

The acquisition and subsequent leadership build-out align perfectly with this mandate. Target RWE’s focus on generating high-quality, longitudinal patient data designed to meet stringent regulatory standards is central to Highlander Health’s investment thesis.

“Emily, Ashley and Steve bring the leadership, expertise, and vision needed for our next phase of growth at Target RWE,” said Brad Hirsch, co-founder of Highlander Health. “Highlander Health was founded to improve and modernize clinical evidence generation—moving beyond traditional, slow, expensive clinical trials – and Target RWE fits perfectly within our investment thesis. Target RWE’s data isn’t just observational - it’s designed to meet regulatory and drug development standards for real-world evidence and establish a foundation for prospective clinical trials – and this is where the future of clinical trials is headed.”

Riding the Real-World Evidence Wave

The strategic moves at Target RWE are occurring within the context of a seismic shift in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. The global market for RWE solutions, valued at over $4.74 billion in 2024, is projected to more than double, reaching nearly $10.83 billion by 2030. This explosive growth is fueled by regulatory bodies like the FDA showing increased acceptance of RWE in their decision-making processes, the rise of value-based care, and the proliferation of digital health technologies that generate vast amounts of patient data.

Real-world evidence provides insights into how treatments perform in everyday clinical practice, outside the controlled confines of a traditional trial. This data, drawn from sources like electronic health records (EHRs), insurance claims, and patient registries, offers a more holistic view of a drug's safety and effectiveness across diverse patient populations. For pharmaceutical companies, robust RWE can accelerate drug development, support regulatory submissions, and demonstrate a product's value to payers.

A Competitive Edge in a Crowded Field

While the RWE space is populated by formidable players like IQVIA, Flatiron Health, and Aetion, Target RWE has carved out a distinct niche. The company differentiates itself through its focus on generating high-quality, regulatory-grade longitudinal datasets across multiple therapeutic areas, with a particularly strong foothold in liver disease. In November 2024, its TARGET-LIVER DISEASE registry surpassed 600,000 patient enrollments, a testament to its successful partnership with the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).

Furthermore, the company leverages a unique site engagement model with a network of over 280 healthcare institutions and proprietary causal inference software designed to validate analytics for regulatory scrutiny. This combination of deep clinical expertise, robust data infrastructure, and advanced analytics has allowed the company to build a strong portfolio of evidence. Recent presentations, such as findings from the REPATHA-CE study—the largest real-world comparative effectiveness evaluation of its kind—demonstrate the power of its platform to generate impactful insights.

The recent leadership appointments, combined with other key hires over the past year, including CEO Ed Seguine and Chief Product Officer Sriram Krishnan, signal a company that is not just participating in the RWE revolution but is actively gearing up to lead it. With a fortified executive team, strong financial backing, and a clear strategic vision, Target RWE is poised to accelerate its mission of transforming drug development and improving patient outcomes.