The Readout Loud

STAT reporter Jason Mast joins us to discuss Anthony Fauci's memoir "On Call," which was published this week. Hosts Allison DeAngelis and Adam Feuerstein also dissect Alnylam's forthcoming clinical trial data and take stock of how the biotech markets are succeeding and potentially falling flat midway through the year. For more on Fauci's memoir "On Call," go here; for Adam's primer on Alnylam's AT...

STAT's Nicholas Florko joins to explain what it means to be a reporter writing about the commercial determinants of health. Hint: Florko's most recent stories focus on weed, vapes, and raw milk. And instead of being chained to a desk, he often drives around to convenience stores and buy bad stuff — all in the name of good journalism. But first, co-hosts Adam Feuerstein and Allison DeAngelis chat a...

STAT colleague Meghana Keshavan joins us to dissect Lykos Therapeutics' meeting with an FDA advisory committee. We also discuss the latest news in the health and life sciences, including stories from major biotech conferences. 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' acquisi...

We preview some of the research that will be presented at The American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago. We also discuss the latest news in the health and life sciences, including a milestone in lung disease R&D and a Duchenne muscular dystrophy confirmatory trial failure.   To read more about Merus' combination therapy, go here; For more on Johnson & Johnson's mixed data, click...

This week on “The Readout LOUD,” STAT's Chief Washington Correspondent Rachel Cohrs Zhang joins us to discuss the layoffs at trade group BIO and how things may be changing at the trade group. We also invite STAT reporter Eric Boodman on to talk about his new investigative series of stories exploring how Black women with sickle cell disease were coerced into getting sterilized.

On this week’s "Readout LOUD," we’re live in San Francisco at STAT’s Breakthrough Summit West. AI is a big theme this year, everywhere, so on that note, we chat with our AI correspondent — and recent Pulitzer finalist — Casey Ross, who sat down on stage to discuss AI-centered drug discovery with both NVIDIA and Google-backed Isomorphic Labs. We also discuss this week’s biotech news, including yet...

This week on "The Readout LOUD," STAT senior infectious diseases reporter Helen Branswell walks us through ongoing H5N1 outbreak in the U.S. and issues with monitoring the spread. And in a bit of shameless self-promotion, we’ll talk to our colleagues Bob Herman and Casey Ross about being named Pulitzer finalists in investigative reporting for their reporting on United Healthcare’s use of algorithm...

The removal of small amounts of brain tissue from desperately ill patients, done as part of a Mount Sinai research project, triggered alarm bells at the Food and Drug Administration and has raised broader questions about the scientific and ethical justification for live-brain research. Journalist and STAT contributor Katherine Eban joins “The Readout LOUD” podcast to discuss the results of a two-y...

We bring on biotech veteran Clive Meanwell to discuss his new obesity startup, Metsera, and running head-to-head trials against Wegovy and Zepbound. We also dissect how Teledoc CEO Jason Gorevic parted ways with the company after spending 15 years building the telemedicine field. Here's where you can subscribe to our biotech newsletter, The Readout. And here's where you can subscribe to our newsle...

How would you spend $13 billion in cash? Is biotech stale? And remember Dendreon? 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.

Oruka Therapeutics CEO Lawrence Klein joins us to discuss how his company raised its first round of financing before competing with major players in the inflammation space. We also discuss the latest news in the life sciences, including the end of the Amylyx ALS saga, another use case for GLP-1s, and a hurdle in Verve’s gene editing plans.  Here’s where you can subscribe to our biotech newsletter,...

Our colleague Sarah Owermohle joins us to explain the Supreme Court case that could have dramatic effects on access to medication abortion — and the development of new medicines. We also discuss the latest news in the life sciences, including a contrarian take on a new obesity treatment, a congressional effort to ban Chinese biotech companies, and how we managed to make 300 episodes of this podcas...

Recorded live from from the STAT Breakthrough Summit East in New York City, we discuss some event highlights, including words from CRISPR pioneer Feng Zhang and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals head scientist George Yancopoulos. We also discuss the latest news in the life sciences, including a twist in the GLP-1 story, the cost of gene therapy, and, of course, pie.

Bioethicist Holly Fernandez Lynch joins us to discuss the case of Amylyx Pharmaceuticals’ treatment for ALS and what its failure means for drug development. We also discuss the latest news in the life sciences, including a tepid reception for gene therapies, the future of CAR-T cancer treatment, and the first approved medicine for a prevalent liver disease.

For the entirety of the opioid overdose epidemic, the U.S. has had readily available tools that are proven to save lives. STAT’s Lev Facher joins us to explain his reporting on why virtually every sector of American society is standing in the way of their use. We also discuss the latest news in the life sciences, including the haves and have-nots of venture capital, and the race to develop effecti...

We dive into the the latest craze in the world of biotech finance, involving hedge funds and some insider information, and explain why not everyone thinks it's such a good idea. We also discuss a banner month for biotech stocks and the latest twist in obesity research. Here's where you can subscribe to our biotech newsletter, The Readout. And here's where you can subscribe to our newsletter on the...

First, former Alnylam Pharmaceuticals CEO John Maraganore and STAT’s Matthew Herper join us to discuss the legacy of AbbVie chief executive Richard Gonzalez, who announced his retirement this week. Then, we dive into the fascinating world of fetal genome surgery, as STAT’s Megan Molteni joins us to explain the work of a scientist named Tippi MacKenzie. Here's where you can subscribe to our biotech...

The pharmaceutical industry, in court and in Congress, is working to water down legislation that will let Medicare negotiate certain drug prices. STAT Washington correspondent Rachel Cohrs joins us to explain the industry’s struggle to make headway — and how it factors into the 2024 election. We also discuss the latest news in the life sciences, including a twist in the future of Alnylam Pharmaceu...

It's our all-AI episode. First, STAT’s Casey Ross joins us to explain his reporting on how researchers and pharmaceutical firms are using the technology to find new drug targets, design therapies, and improve clinical trials. Then, we talk to Joel Dudley, a partner at the venture firm Innovation Endeavors, about how to discern promising ideas from wastes of time when it comes to AI in biotech. Her...

We explain the debate over Vertex Pharmaceuticals' novel pain drug, whose success in clinical trials comes with a sizable caveat. We also talk about the latest news in the life sciences, including an epitaph for Aduhelm and the retirement of an FDA icon. 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...

We discuss how biotech's downturn has made life difficult not just for startups but also the VCs they rely on for much-needed funding. We also take a look at Gilead Sciences' struggle to turn itself into an oncology company and the latest biotech to get bought out by a major pharma firm. Subscribe to our biotech newsletter, The Readout.  

Our colleague Jason Mast joins us to discuss an emerging trend in biotech: Cash-rich startups are laying off employees and tweaking their strategies amid a tough market for venture capital. We also look ahead to the biggest biotech stories coming in 2024, including some major data readouts and a few pivotal FDA decisions. Here's where you can subscribe to our biotech newsletter, The Readout.  

Recording from the STAT co-working space outside the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, we discuss how a spate of deals and some intermittent sunshine seem to have brightened the outlook for biotech at the outset of 2024. We also talk about the latest twist in the Sarepta Therapeutics saga, a ubiquitous dealmaker, and life on the party circuit. For more on what we cover, here's the news on Sarepta...

It's our last episode of 2023, so we look back on the biggest stories of the year, discuss the best and worst CEOs in the industry, and make some reasonably informed guesses on what 2024 has in store for the drug industry.

First, we delve into the fallout over the FTC's move to block what looked like a humdrum biotech deal between Sanofi and Maze Therapeutics, a surprising twist that leaves unanswered question. We also discuss the latest news in the life sciences, including Pfizer’s downbeat future, Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ next big thing, and a newly minted biotech VC with a very famous name. Here's where you can su...