We discuss all that and more on this week's episode of "The Readout LOUD," STAT's weekly biotech podcast. Venture capitalist Bryan Roberts joins us to discuss his firm’s investment in Kelonia Therapeutics, the CAR-T biotech that Eli Lilly just said it would buy for $3.25 billion.

We also bring on our colleague Katie Palmer to talk through her story about pharma companies using bargain-basement telehealth providers to drive drug prescriptions and sales.

Your favorite biotech podcasting crew is back to full strength this week, and we’re bringing you two newsy guest interviews. First, we’ll talk with Allogene Therapeutics Chief Medical Officer Zach Roberts about new study results that bolster the company’s efforts to develop an off-the-shelf CAR-T therapy for B-cell lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.
Then, we’ll dive into the biggest news of the week: Revolution Medicines and the stunning survival benefit reported for its experimental drug in a Phase 3 pancreatic cancer study. Paul Oberstein, a pancreatic cancer expert from NYU Langone, will join us to discuss the Revolution Medicines data and what it means for pancreatic cancer patients.

Adam is out, so Elaine and Allison dive into the latest news, including how China and artificial intelligence are straining biotech VC firms, in addition to more M&A. They also discuss how a cancelled Food and Drug Administration meeting led to a biotech’s demise. Plus, there’s new hope for an old theory on treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy. STAT reporter Jason Mast details the clinical testing underway.

We discuss all that and more on this week's episode of “The Readout LOUD,” STAT's weekly biotech podcast. Biotech investor Rod Wong joins us to talk about why an industry-patient coalition he's part of sent a letter to President Trump asking for more regulatory flexibility at the FDA.

We also discuss the U.S. approval of Eli Lilly's obesity pill, recent deal-making by large pharma companies, a strange story about promotion of psychedelic drugs on YouTube, and more.

Eli Lilly’s deal man Jake van Naarden is very, very busy, so what does that mean for biotech and pharma? Speaking of deals, Merck is buying Terns for nearly $7 billion. Why are some people mad about it?

You might be surprised to hear this, but off-the-shelf CAR-T therapies for cancer are still a thing. We preview an interesting data readout coming soon from Allogene Therapeutics. And finally, someone forgot to tell Wave Life Sciences that weight loss drugs are supposed to help people lose weight.

We also chat about the latest biotech news, including new weight loss data from Structure Therapeutics and Eli Lilly, plus recent staff departures from the Food and Drug Administration.

Damian Garde joins Allison, Adam, and Elaine to discuss his article about Boris Nikolic, a well-connected biotech investor with deep ties to Jeffrey Epstein, who has raised a new biotech investment firm.

The hosts also talk about Prasad's second exit from the FDA and a congressman's probing of the agency's rare disease drug denials. And they recap Novo Nordisk and Hims' detente and Xenon Pharmaceuticals' promising seizure data.

Spyre Therapeutics CEO Cameron Turtle joins the podcast to discuss his company's experimental IBD medications, and whether the drug industry is scraping the barrel in the search for better treatments. We also discuss the latest news in the life sciences, including the ongoing debate between the FDA and UniQure over its Huntington's disease therapy, as well as Moderna's mammoth patent settlement.

Adam thought, quite understandably, that our cherished listeners wouldn’t want to hear him drone on for 30 minutes, so he thankfully found some help. Jared Holz, health care sector specialist at Mizuho Securities, agreed to be Adam’s podcasting wingman for this week’s show.
They ran through a menu of takes on biotech stock performance, M&A, Food and Drug Administration turmoil, election intrigue, and artificial intelligence.

We discuss all that on this week's episode of "The Readout LOUD." STAT's Katie Palmer joins Adam, Elaine, and Allison to discuss the Hims GLP-1 pill fallout. The hosts also discuss the latest on Moderna's influenza vaccine application and Compass Pathways' depression psychedelic data.

STAT was the first to report that Vinay Prasad, the agency’s top regulator of vaccines, overruled the head of the FDA’s vaccine office and other staffers in making that decision. Prasad’s unilateral action has renewed concerns about the FDA’s regulatory posture under the Trump administration.

To help us dig deeply into this important story and its ramifications, we bring on STAT reporters Lizzy Lawrence and Matthew Herper. We also chat with Moderna President Stephen Hoge and former FDA official Jesse Goodman.

It’s our pre-Super Bowl show, which triggered some co-host squabbling. Adam Feuerstein is all Patriots, Elaine Chen is Team Seahawks, while Allison DeAngelis, raised in Seattle but now a Boston denizen, struggles with dual loyalties. Our special guest this week is STAT reporter Jason Mast. And if you get a chance, wish Adam a happy birthday.

That's what patient advocate Lauren Holder says on the latest episode of “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s weekly biotech podcast. Holder joins the podcast for an in-depth discussion of how the regulator's changing perspective on UniQure's trial affects patients, and patients' attempts to petition the agency to reverse course.

Adam, Elaine, and Allison also chat about the latest news in the life sciences, including the new slate of drug prices negotiated by Medicare, a rise in pharmaceutical industry lobbying, and a halt on another gene therapy trial.

We discuss all that and more on this week's episode of "The Readout LOUD," STAT's weekly biotech podcast. We bring on our infectious disease reporter Helen Branswell to talk about the ongoing measles outbreak in South Carolina and what it means for the U.S. more broadly.

We also chat with our hospitals and insurance reporter Tara Bannow about the financial troubles afflicting nonprofit hospitals and how they spent their time at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference.

The hosts are joined by ARCH Venture Partners co-founder and managing director Bob Nelsen and new Novo Nordisk CEO Mike Doustdar joins the podcast hosts live to discuss his first few months on the job and the company's push to regain market share in the competitive obesity market.

We discuss all that and more on this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s weekly biotech podcast. We bring on former co-host Damian Garde, who’s now a reporter at large at STAT, to preview the upcoming J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. We also discuss the approval of Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill, the federal government’s move to slash the number of recommended pediatric immunizations, and the resurgence of M&A deals.

We discuss all that and more on this week's episode of "The Readout LOUD," the last episode of the year. We bring on Bruce Booth, partner at venture capital firm Atlas Venture, to reflect on everything that's happened in the biotech industry this year and to look ahead at the trends next year.
We also chat about Adam's picks for best and worst biopharma CEOs in 2025, and why Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk's direct-to-consumer offerings may be contributing to employers' decisions to drop coverage of weight loss drugs.

First, we discuss all things ASH, particularly Tern’s chronic myeloid leukemia data,  Johnson & Johnson’s multiple myeloma data, and Fulcrum Therapeutics’ pill for sickle cell disease. We also get into the latest news in — what else? — obesity drugs.

Then, STAT reporters Megan Molteni and Anil Oza join for a conversation on the new series “American Science, Shattered,” which details this fissure and what it means for the future of the country’s scientific institutions.

Our special guest this week is David Olson, director of the UC Davis Institute for Psychedelics and Neurotherapeutics and the co-founder of Delix Therapeutics, a startup that is developing a new class of neuropsychiatric medicines that are similar to psychedelics in that they can exert strong and rapid therapeutic benefits, but without the hallucinogenic effects.

We discuss all that and more on this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s weekly biotech podcast. Cuban comes on for an extensive chat about the latest biosimilar launch by his company, Cost Plus Drugs, as well his broader thoughts on the drug industry and how the direct-to-consumer field is changing.We also chat about the news this week, including more M&A deals and an upcoming Alzheimer’s readout from Novo Nordisk.

Dean Li, the head of R&D at Merck, joins us to discuss the long-awaited trial results for the company's oral medicine targeting PCSK9 to lower cholesterol. These types of treatments have proven effective at addressing heart disease, but making them into more accessible pills has proven tricky.
We also discuss the latest news in the life sciences, including the resolution of Pfizer and Novo Nordisk's bidding war over Metsera, Pazdur's new role at the FDA, and the end of a decade-long longevity venture.

On the drug side of the agency, we dish on the shocking exit of director George Tidmarsh after he was accused of using his regulatory position to exact personal revenge against a former business partner. Bonus: Prasad and Tidmarsh hate each other.

We discuss all that on this week’s episode of the “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s biotech podcast. We bring on BridgeBio CEO Neil Kumar to discuss the company’s positive Phase 3 readouts and our colleague Jason Mast to discuss Moderna’s struggles following its Covid-19 vaccine boom.

We discuss all that and more in the latest episode of "The Readout LOUD."
Elaine is out this week, so Adam and Allison dive into the latest news in the life science industry together, including the two companies pushing the Food and Drug Administration, the first recipients of the Commissioner’s National Priority Review voucher, and why Flagship Pioneering founder Nobuar Afeyan thinks that mRNA vaccines are the canary in the coal mine that is the drug industry. Adam also asks Allison about her trip to North Carolina to check out the local biomanufacturing boom.

Meanwell offered his perspectives on the evolving obesity drug market, and continued need for drugs to treat diseases with large prevalence, which he’s doing with his latest venture, called Corsera Health. Meanwell also weighed in on drug pricing policies both in the U.S. and the U.K.

Your favorite podcast co-hosts have been extra busy this week moderating panel discussions at the STAT Summit in Boston, so we prerecorded this interview with Meanwell on Oct. 8. A regular “Readout LOUD” episode will return next week. 

We discuss all that on this week’s episode of the “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s biotech podcast. We bring on Mizuho health care strategist Jared Holz to discuss the rebound in biotech stocks and sentiment.

We also talk about Marks’ new role at Eli Lilly after leaving the Food and Drug Administration, an attempt by a biotech to revive a rare disease drug shelved by AstraZeneca, and new funds raised by China-focused Expedition Therapeutics.

We also chat about the Trump's administration initiatives on autism. Officials this week warned pregnant women not to take Tylenol, saying that it may cause autism, and they announced an FDA decision to make a decades-old drug called leucovorin available as a treatment for people with certain autism symptoms. To unpack the implications of these statements, we bring on by Ari Ne'eman, an assistant professor of health policy and management at Harvard’s school of public health who researches how policies affect people with disabilities.

We also discuss the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, meeting and biotech M&A, including Roche's $3.5 billion acquisition of 89bio and its MASH drug, announced this week.

But first, President Trump is considering a significant crackdown on drugs invented in China, according to a recent report in the New York Times. Industry support for the possible measures are mixed, however. While strengthening the U.S. biopharma industry garners wide support, so too does the freedom to source innovative drugs from Chinese biotechs.

We also chat about STAT's annual VC rankings report, as well as ongoing issues at a major drug manufacturing site that was owned by Catalent and now owned by Novo Nordisk.

Then, we’ll dish on the growing “pharm to table” movement. That’s the clever buzzphrase bandied around by Big Pharma insiders to promote plans that sell drugs directly to consumers — supposedly at lower costs that will make President Trump happy. Except as our cohost Elaine Chen reported this week, these direct-to-consumer plans championed by Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Bristol Myers Squibb, and others are unlikely to make drugs more affordable. We’ll dig into the details.

We also chat about a disappointing readout from Eli Lilly's key small molecule GLP-1 candidate, setbacks in Vertex's pain business, and the story behind Replimmune's recent FDA rejection.

We bring on Brian Skorney, senior research analyst at Baird, to talk about the implications for the biotech industry. We then have on Robert Califf, former FDA commissioner, and Ned Sharpless, former acting FDA commissioner, to discuss the implications for the agency.

Ultragenyx CEO Emil Kakkis joins us to discuss what was in the rejection letter his company received late last week, and whether he still has confidence in FDA Commissioner Marty Makary. We also discuss Capricor’s drug rejection, and Sarepta’s decision to lay off hundreds of staffers, but give raises to some executives.

Our colleague Anil Oza joins us to unravel a previously unseen memo he obtained from HHS that lays out the legal framework being used to justify the termination of NIH grants. The disclosure comes as legal fights over the legitimacy of these funding cuts are being challenged in multiple courts.

We also discuss the latest news in the life sciences, including data presented at last weekend’s American Diabetes Association research meeting. We also squeeze in some conversation about summer blockbusters. (Check out Adam’s "Jaws" Lego set here).

The first 100 days of the Trump administration have had a profound impact on federal health agencies, medical research, health policy and the biotech and pharmaceuticals industries. To help us make sense of all the cuts and policy shifts, we talk with STAT editors Gideon Gil and Zach Tracer for their perspective overseeing STAT’s reporting on science and politics. 

But first, your co-hosts Elaine, Allison and Adam gab about the week’s relatively positive biotech news, including two acquisitions and a series of strong drug launches. What’s a podcast without dipping into obesity, so Elaine will explain the latest maneuverings between Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk around patient access and compounding. 

We discuss all that and more on this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s biotech podcast. We chat about the recent bounceback in biotech stocks, disappointing results from Bristol Myers Squibb's schizophrenia drug Cobenfy, new allegations about entrepreneur Sam Waksal, and more.

We also bring on STAT's European correspondent Drew Joseph to talk about the growth of pharma manufacturing in Ireland and how U.S. tariffs would impact global drug supply.

We talk about all that and more on this week’s episode of the “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s biotech podcast. It’s a “Chatty Cathy” episode! Elaine, Allison and Adam lead off with a discussion about AbbVie’s M&A miscue following the failure of a closely followed schizophrenia drug. You’d hate us if obesity drugs weren’t mentioned, so we oblige with a tick-tock on what went down between Amgen and a Wall Street analyst who noted a possible safety issue with the obesity drug candidate MariTide. 

Lastly, Adam and Elaine interrogate Allison about her deeply reported corporate profile of AI drug developer Recursion. Is all the hype real?

We discuss all that and more in this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s biotech podcast. Tara Bannow, our hospitals and insurance reporter, joins us to talk about a new investigation that shows how UnitedHealth wields its unrivaled physician empire to boost its profits and expand its influence.

We also cover the latest news in the life sciences, including Viking's sped-up plans in obesity, the departure of a long time official at the Food and Drug Administration, and Kamala Harris' views on health policies.

For more on Fauci's memoir "On Call," go here; for Adam's primer on Alnylam's ATTR-CM trial, go here; read about BridgeBio's plans here; and for more on biotech startup financing, go here.

To learn more about Lykos' advisory committee meeting, go here; for more on the tumult at BIO, go here; for a recap of ASCO, go here; to read the latest on Novartis' acquisition of MorphoSys, go here. And you can sign up for Adam’s new newsletter, Biotech Scorecard, here.

To read more about Merus' combination therapy, go here; For more on Johnson & Johnson's mixed data, click here; For more on Nippon Shinyaku's Duchenne drug trial failure, go here; To read more on Insmed's bronchiectasis treatment, click here; To sign up for STAT's ASCO newsletter, click here.

We also discuss this week’s biotech news, including yet more obesity drug data, this time from Roche, and the closing of Novartis’ acquisition of MorphoSys.

Here's where you can subscribe to our biotech newsletter, The Readout. And here's where you can subscribe to our newsletter on the business (and secretive inner workings) of the U.S. health care industry, Health Care Inc.

We cover all that and more this week on “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s biotech podcast. We discuss a multibillion-dollar deal from Vertex Pharmaceuticals with sweeping implications and a lengthy backstory. We also explain why gas prices are weighing on biotech, and make a surprise announcement.

Here’s where you can subscribe to our biotech newsletter, The Readout. And here's where you can subscribe to our newsletter on the business (and secretive inner workings) of the U.S. health care industry, Health Care Inc.

Here’s where you can subscribe to our biotech newsletter, The Readout. And here's where you can subscribe to our newsletter on the business (and secretive inner workings) of the U.S. health care industry, Health Care Inc.

Here's where you can subscribe to our biotech newsletter, The Readout. And here's where you can subscribe to our newsletter on the business (and secretive inner workings) of the U.S. health care industry, Health Care Inc.

Here's where you can subscribe to our biotech newsletter, The Readout. And here's where you can subscribe to our newsletter on the business (and secretive inner workings) of the U.S. health care industry, Health Care Inc.

Here's where you can subscribe to our biotech newsletter, The Readout. And here's where you can subscribe to our newsletter on the business (and secretive inner workings) of the U.S. health care industry, Health Care Inc.

Here's where you can subscribe to our biotech newsletter, The Readout. And here's where you can subscribe to our newsletter on the business (and secretive inner workings) of the U.S. health care industry, Health Care Inc.

Here's where you can subscribe to our biotech newsletter, The Readout. And here's where you can subscribe to our newsletter on the business (and secretive inner workings) of the U.S. health care industry, Health Care Inc.

Subscribe to our biotech newsletter, The Readout.

Here's where you can subscribe to our biotech newsletter, The Readout.

For more on what we cover, here's the news on Sarepta; here's more on Nvidia; here's the story on Centerview; here’s where you can find episodes of Color Code; here’s where you can subscribe to the First Opinion Podcast; and here's where you can subscribe to our biotech newsletter, The Readout.

Here's where you can subscribe to our biotech newsletter, The Readout.

To keep up with biotech news throughout the week, here's where you can subscribe to our newsletter, The Readout.

This week, as state and federal policymakers grapple with that question, we delve into why finding a fair solution is harder than you’d think.

You can also check out our STAT story for more information. 

Note: This episode has been re-uploaded after technical difficulties.

To keep up between podcast episodes, here’s where you can subscribe to our biotech newsletter, The Readout.

For more on what we cover, here's where you can read Frank's work; here's more on Sarepta; here’s where you can find episodes of Color Code; here’s where you can subscribe to the First Opinion Podcast; and here's where you can subscribe to our biotech newsletter, The Readout.

For more on what we cover, here's STAT's coverage of the European Society for Medical Oncology meeting; here's more on Roivant Sciences; here's the latest on biotech venture capital; here's more on the latest Alzheimer's data; here’s where you can find episodes of Color Code; and here’s where you can subscribe to the First Opinion Podcast.