BioTech Nation ... with Dr. Moira Gunn

What’s next after Ozempic and Wegovy and the like? How about a drug in development which releases all the relevant hormones, and not just GLP-1. And doesn’t require injecting. Dr. Steffen-Sebastian Bolz from Aphaia (ah-phi-ah) Pharma explains their approach, currently in Phase 2. 

We honor Sir Ian Wilmut, the Scottish embryologist who gained worldwide renown as the leader of the scientific research group that cloned the equally famous Dolly. With his recent passing, we air our 2007 BioTech Nation interview, when David Ewing Duncan and I spoke with Dr. Wilmut on the 10th anniversary of Dolly’s birth. 

Dr. Mark Sumeray from Amolyt Pharma talks about their innovative approach to treating hormonal conditions. We’ll talk about two – when your parathyroid has been injured or removed, often during thyroid surgery, and another – when the pituitary starts overproducing growth hormone.

This week on BioTech Nation, Andrew Allen, President, CEO and Co-Founder of Gritstone Bio – a full spectrum look at how cancer starts and cancer treatments have developed … and what next-generation treatment means today with Gritstone’s work in colorectal cancer.  And wait for it … the next generation of Covid vaccines. 

Tech Nation Health Chief Correspondent Dr. Daniel Kraft talks about how Medical Schools decide what to teach. You might be surprised that it’s based on the Flexner Report … written in … 1910. Is it time for a do-over? And what might that be?

Tech Nation Health Chief Correspondent Dr. Daniel Kraft talks about your Digital Twin … your Digital Twin … yes, you have one.

Dr. Anthony Japour, President and CEO from iTolerance in Miami, Florida tells us about implanting insulin-producing cells in your pancreas – it’s been tried before, but they have a new approach which just might work.

Tech Nation Health Chief Correspondent Dr. Daniel Kraft tells us about the explosion of digital health.

It’s the 25th anniversary of the founding of Google … and 23 years ago, Google founders - Larry Page and Sergey Brin – came to the Tech Nation studios to do their very first radio interview. There’s lots to learn there, including they believed what humans demanded of search, and why they did what they did. 

Dr. Robert Ladner, the Founder of CV6 Therapeutics in Belfast, Northern Ireland, tells us about their work to make a cornerstone cancer chemotherapy, even more effective. First trials are in colorectal and gastrointestinal cancers...  

Science journalist Tom Ireland tells us about a burgeoning field of science, which is changing the fight to successfully treat antibiotic infections. His book is “The Good Virus: The Amazing Story and Forgotten Promise of the Phage”. 

Osteoarthritis – mostly in the knee, but pick a joint. Dr. Diem (Zem) Nguyen (N’Win) is the CEO of Xalud (Za-lood) Therapeutics. We’ll talk about their work to reduce the inflammation that drives pain. It’s now in human clinical trials.

Why use one AI approach when you can use 25? CEO Dr. Ben Thomas and Chief Commercial Officer Dermot Tierney from Amply Discovery talks about how their novel approach to AI in drug discovery.

Modern cannabis products, with higher potency than those from the past, can lead to acute cannabis intoxication. Anebulo Pharmaceuticals, led by Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Ken Cundy, is working on an antidote that counteracts the negative effects of THC overdose, potentially benefiting both adults and children.

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive form of brain cancer, and progress in treating Glioblastoma has been elusive. Now, Toronto-based Medicenna has completed a successful Phase 2 with its innovative drug, and is now deep into planning the Phase 3 Trial. Also of interest, the FDA agreed to an unprecedented approach in Phase 2, which not only yields better science, but reduces the cost of the clinica...

In this week's BioTech Nation, we discuss Geovax, a company working on a novel approach to treat head and neck cancers, which are often difficult to treat after standard options have been exhausted. Geovax is developing A2 component therapy, using an enzyme delivered directly to the tumor by a needle injection, followed by an infusion of an inactive form of a chemotherapeutic drug, which becomes t...

In this week's episode of Biotech Nation, Dr. Jeffrey Cleland, the President and CEO of Ashvattha Therapeutics, discusses their drug development efforts to address long COVID. They discuss the definition of long COVID by the World Health Organization, the prevalence of the condition, and the chronic inflammation that occurs in the body, including the brain. Dr. Cleland explains how their nanomedic...

In this week's episode of Biotech Nation, Dr. Greg Frost, CEO of Exuma Biotech, discusses their innovative approaches to cancer treatment. They are working on a method to shorten the time and eliminate hospital stays for CAR-T therapy, while also developing a new technology called G-car that combines T cells and NK cells to create a more gentle and effective cancer therapy.

A new cell therapy, just entering human clinical trials. It focuses on a particular type of Epilepsy - Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. I speak with Dr. Cory Nicholas, the Co-Founder and CEO of Neurona Therapeutics, about their idea, what they’ve done, and how they plan to approach testing this unprecedented treatment. 

Join us as Dr. Chris Nave, the managing director of Brandon Capital and Chair of PolyActiva, reveals groundbreaking advancements in eye treatments on this week's episode of Biotech Nation! Discover how their innovative technology is revolutionizing the way we deliver drugs to the eye, offering extended therapy periods and eliminating the need for frequent injections or daily drops. Don't miss out...

Join Dr. Richard Austin, Founder and CEO of Reglagene, as he reveals the intense process of selecting the most promising drug candidate for treating brain cancer. Delve into the intriguing world of the "Bake Off" or "beauty contest" where molecules compete to be the breakthrough therapy in human clinical trials. Discover the challenges of penetrating the blood-brain barrier and the quest to revolu...

This week we explore the commonalities among neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and ALS. Dr. Maria Macccecchini, Founder and CEO of Annovis Bio, discusses the role of sticky proteins in these diseases and how her company is developing a drug to prevent the aggregation of these proteins. The episode also touches on their ongoing clinical trials for Alzheimer's and Parkins...

Moira speaks with Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Ed Humes. His latest is “The Forever Witness … How DNA and Genealogy Solved a Cold Case Double Murder.” We get an object lesson in the Three Ages of DNA, and while it reads like a fast-paced Cold Case on steroids – it provides details no fiction writer would dare to make up, like the unexpected involvement of the famous true crimes writer, Ann Rule,...

Dr. Hamid Khoja, Chief Scientific Officer of Fibro Biologics, discusses the potential of fibroblasts in regenerative medicine, highlighting their abundance and diverse functions in the body. He shares insights from their ongoing human clinical trials, including the use of fibroblasts for treating degenerative disc disease and multiple sclerosis. Dr. Khoja also mentions their promising findings in...

Dr. Paul Peter Tack, CEO of Candel Therapeutics, unveils their groundbreaking approach to cancer treatments using engineered viruses. Discover how these viruses are harnessed to target solid tumors, deliver therapeutic genes, and activate the patient's immune system for a powerful anti-cancer response.