The Readout Loud

Why hope for China's new Alzheimer's drug turned into skepticism ? Is three a crowd in CAR-T? And what's a Bionomy?

When should a drug be pulled from shelves? How do you pronounce "HLTH?" And how does Ann Coulter decide what to tweet?

What exactly is Biogen doing? When is a press release worth $12 billion? And what should patients make of whiplashing news? We're devoting this entire episode to Biogen's stunning announcement that aducanumab, its once-discarded treatment for Alzheimer's disease, is getting a second life.

Should drug companies be free-speech advocates? Is your retirement dependent on CRISPR? And how useful is a glow-in-the-dark dog?

STAT's Matthew Herper joins us to dig into the history of the infamous pain drug Vioxx and a new effort to bring it back as a rare disease treatment. Then, we discuss how the synthetic biology industry is growing up and getting corporate. Finally, health care journalist Maggie Fox dials in to explain her deep dive on venture capital in biotech.

Does impeachment have a pharma angle? Who's to blame for drug shortages? And why is Wall Street down on biotech?

What do we talk about when we talk about "vape"? Are there limits to business of DNA testing? And how hard is it to get yourself CRISPR'd? STAT's Megan Thielking joins the gang to break down a major week of news in the world of vaping and STAT's Sharon Begley relates the story of a desperate patient seeking off-the-books genome editing and its implications for the future of medical research.

Who puts horns on unicorns? How do graying drug companies find green ideas? And what would mice tweet?

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s drug pricing plan is aggressive, but is it viable? Can Moderna turn cells into tiny drug-making factories? What’s it like to cure your own rare disease?

What separates good drug companies from mediocre ones? Have biohackers sold out? And who's going to run the FDA?

What does Dr. Richard Sackler sound like? When is $500 million a small amount of money? And what will come of the drug companies at the heart of the opioid crisis?

How should you talk to friends about rejection? Can Facebook actually improve the lives of children? And how's biotech doing in China?

Is anything too weighty to be explained over the internet? Can a new spin on old technology outfox CAR-T? And does that controversial drug even work?

Why did Novartis (NVS) keep its scandal to itself? Who knew what and when? And is there such thing as too much Peloton time?

Will Canada run out of drugs? Should you ever read your partner's diary? And what does Pepe the Frog know about genomics?

What makes an epidemic newsworthy? Can biotech succession succeed? And what's so novel about digital health?

Can apps treat anxiety? Is Gilead Sciences back on track? And are we all just brains in a vat?

Is drug pricing too complex for the Trump administration? Would you recognize Tom Hanks at a party? And what does it mean when famous executives quit?

Can Botox make Big Pharma attractive? What qualifies as a "cabal"? And will the CRISPR patent fight outlive us all?

Is desire a matter of medicine? Can you convict on genealogy? And what do you get the alleged bride who has it all?

Is biohacking a crime? Who came up with the latest CRISPR trick? And did Rage Against the Machine sell out?

Who won ASCO? Is pharma sandbagging its blockbusters? And what do gladiators have to do with biotech?

What can be done to improve HPV vaccination rates in the U.S.? How does the genetic signature of a tumor lead to an effective cancer drug? What’s it like being a doctor and a cancer patient?

Who's guilty of "clickbait"? Are spit tubes a bad business? And why are academics emulating Pusha T?

What should you watch for at the year's biggest cancer conference? Why are people having 23andMe-induced identity crises? And what's it like to be at once a journalist and a cancer patient?