The Readout Loud

Does the future of health tech look like Facebook? Can we cut corners with Covid-19 vaccines? And are journalists slowing down Operation Warp Speed?

How much should a Covid-19 vaccine cost? What can basketball teach us about pandemic safety? And just how lucrative is venture capital?

How soon will we get a Covid-19 vaccine? Why is biotech moving airline stocks? And what can we learn from 1860s science?

What do we want from a coronavirus vaccine? Can the U.S.’s Covid-19 response be saved? And how can the field of medicine address structural racism?

Who will stand up to the White House? How can hospitals protect workers from Covid-19? And what ever happened with Biogen?

What’s a fair price for remdesivir? How do we know whether vaccines work? And does AI have a place in end-of-life care?

Is this a second wave or a rising tide? Who’s the real GlaxoSmithKline whistleblower? And what happens to cancer care in a pandemic?

Can a vaccine be an October surprise? Are journal publishers running a racket? And why is genetics so white?

Can a virtual conference feel real? Do scientists have a say in their benefactors' business? And what does it take to get remdesivir in the U.S.?

The killing of George Floyd at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer has brutally underlined the systemic racism that informs policing, housing, education, and health care in the U.S. This podcast covers the world of biotech, which, like every facet of our society, is affected by racism and inequality. So, first, we talk about how the drug industry has responded to Floyd’s killing and wh...

What happens after we get a coronavirus vaccine? Can virtual medical meetings replace the real thing? And wasn’t Amazon supposed to disrupt health care?

When is a press release worth $5 billion? Can biotech stocks replace sports? And how will we know if a coronavirus vaccine actually works?

What can the adult film industry teach us about fighting coronavirus? Does the FDA approve Zoom backgrounds? And is it ethical to fund a study of yourself?

What if the curve just stays flat? How much should a Covid-19 drug cost? And what's it like on the ground in the epicenter of the novel coronavirus?

Just how well does Gilead Sciences' Covid-19 drug work? Is politics getting in the way of public health? And who gets the eventual coronavirus vaccine first?

Why was the infectious disease community in denial about the unfolding pandemic? When can we expect a vaccine? And are ventilators being overused?

What's the proper distance to stand from Sen. Mitch McConnell? How many PowerPoint charts is too many? And when will Theranos get its day in court?

Can the drug industry win over Americans? Will the pandemic put an end to privacy? And could Martin Shkreli save the world?

When will things go back to normal? What if a pandemic strikes when you're already sick? And what does Ken Burns know about genomics?

When can we stop distancing? Does the "deep state" meet over Zoom? And could the amyloid hypothesis come through at last?

Why did the U.S. change its tune on coronavirus? What's it like to be an ICU nurse right now? And when are we getting a vaccine?

How long will this pandemic persist? Are U.S. hospitals going to be overwhelmed? And what’s it like to be quarantined on a cruise ship?

Does “The Art of the Deal” cover vaccines? Is patient privacy a relic of the past? And how big can biotech get in China?

Is the market overreacting to the coronavirus? Why do so many clinical trials go unfilled? And how do you pronounce "Martin Shkreli"?

Can biopharma police itself? Who decides whether something's a disease or a difference? And will fecal matter ever become a drug?