The Pharma Letter Podcast

Companies developing microbiome-based treatments have garnered a lot of interest recently, following many years of uncertainty over the therapeutic potential of the approach. This has led to more money from venture capitalists, and increased valuations for publicly-listed companies. Life sciences investor Flagship Pioneering, for example, has helped found several new microbiome startups, including...

At the national level, drug pricing continues to be a hot button issue for lawmakers, drugmakers and patients in the USA. For many years, successive administrations have proposed a range of regulatory reforms designed to contain what some regard as excessive drug prices, with Congress typically unable to agree on a way forward. Meanwhile, at the state level, regulators have sometimes taken matters...

This week, we look at the potential impact of decentralized clinical trials. During the The COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen increased adoption of this kind of study, as part of a general movement towards greater use of innovative digital platforms for collecting and distributing clinical data. As well as improving the experience for patients and doctors, the approach could enable researchers to co...

In this podcast, we discuss an exciting new collaboration between pharmaceutical majors in the field of AI. Around the world, ever increasing investments are being made in artificial intelligence, as drugmakers spy an opportunity to drive efficiencies and spur innovation. One estimate puts the total amount of venture capital funding in AI-led biotech startups at around $2 billion in 2020, an incre...

In August 2020, Russia approved its homegrown coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V, months ahead of rival programs in the west. But despite the bleak pandemic outlook, there was no clamour in Europe or the USA to place orders, as scientists criticized a lack of transparency over the development process and the available clinical data. Many seemed to regard the seemingly premature approval as an attempt t...

In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, many drugmakers saw major share price declines as investors got to grips with the likely impact on prescribing, developing medicines, and supply chain interruptions. The second half of 2020 pointed to a more positive outlook, with stocks recovering, but economic and supply chain volatility have continued to hamper the sector, as well as the broader ec...

Patient empowerment is a hot topic in many areas of medicine. Particularly so for diseases that are more complex to manage, and present with symptoms that aren’t immediately obvious and which vary greatly among individuals. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one such disease. An estimated 2,500,000 people in the world have MS, a condition which can cause a broad range of symptoms and affect multiple parts...

High-risk MDS, often referred to as preleukemia, is a chronic form of blood cancer with a significant level of unmet medical need. MDS is a complicated disease, presenting several obstacles to drug developers, and no new therapies have been approved for the condition in over a decade.  But that may be about to change, with multiple drugmakers, including some large pharmaceutical companies, includi...

With all signs pointing to an M&A boom in late 2021 and throughout 2022, our guest will provide valuable insight into current and emerging trends in the biotech investing landscape. In this episode of The Pharma Letter Podcast, we speak with Lance Minor, principal and national co-leader of the life sciences practice at BDO, a global business intelligence firm. With the coronavirus pandemic con...

For many years, industry commentators have observed that there could be huge untapped therapeutic potential for psychedelics, should the correct development pathways be found. Investment in this area is now at an all-time high, with waves of neurological research yielding encouraging results, including in depression, where data have shown that people with depressive disorders can react positively...

The USA continues to wrestle with the legacy of an epidemic of opioid abuse, believed to have cost the lives of over half a million people through overdose. Until the pandemic struck, it looked as though the tide had turned, thanks to remedial actions on the part of drugmakers - prompted no doubt by a raft of lawsuits - as well as changes to prescribing practices. Now, opioid abuse is on the rise...

Israel-based Belong. Life is the creator of the world’s largest social network for cancer patients, and has ambitions to provide a range of networks across therapy areas. The platform may of interest for drug developers and other industry participants looking for opportunities to conduct market research or marketing efforts, or to boost clinical trial enrolment. In this episode, The Pharma Letter...