BioCentury This Week
391 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★★ - 11 ratingsBioCentury's streaming commentary on biotech industry trends, plus interviews with KOLs.
For three decades, BioCentury has helped biopharma executives and investors make business-critical decisions and build larger networks with peers across the innovation ecosystem.
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Episodes
Ep. 241 - U.K. Biopharma on the Move. Plus: IRA, Biosecure
July 09, 2024 00:00 - 18 minutes - 12.9 MBThe U.K.’s life sciences ecosystem boasts “palpable energy at the very innovation end of the spectrum in biotech, with a lot of really quality science,” BioCentury Editor in Chief Simone Fishburn says on the latest BioCentury This Week podcast. Fishburn assesses the maturation of the country’s biotech industry, including the need for an influx of capital to catalyze the sector’s growth. Washington Editor Steve Usdin discusses the latest developments for the Inflation Reduction and the Biosec...
Ep. 240 - Chevron Ruling's Impact. Plus: Tumor Targets, Lurie Winner
July 02, 2024 01:00 - 21 minutes - 14.8 MBThe impact on FDA and the biopharma industry of the Supreme Court’s move to overturn the legal doctrine that courts defer to federal agencies’ interpretations of ambiguous laws will take years to come into focus; for now, the clearest effects of the Chevron ruling will be on disputes over exclusivity and other non-science issues. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors analyze the court’s decision, including how FDA could adjust how it operates. The editors also disc...
Ep. 239 - Rare Disease Spotlight: MPS & DMD
June 25, 2024 00:00 - 24 minutes - 17.2 MBA biomarker breakthrough could shave years off the development of therapies for a group of devastating, progressive ultrarare diseases. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss FDA’s agreement to allow biopharma companies to use a biomarker as the basis for accelerated approval of neuronal mucopolysaccharidoses therapies, which marks an important inflection point, both for MPS and rare diseases in general. The editors also assess FDA’s decision to grant full a...
Ep. 238 - Biosecure Act: The Impact & What's Ahead
June 20, 2024 23:00 - 22 minutes - 15.2 MBAfter whisking through Washington for the first half of the year, raising alarms, mutating and causing confusion, the Biosecure Act is now on pause. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss what the delay for the legislation, which seeks to drive Chinese contract development and manufacturing organizations out of the U.S., means, what will happen next, and how it will impact life sciences companies. View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/652771 ...
Ep. 237- Pandemic Prep Problems, Reverse Mergers, Alzheimer’s & SCOTUS
June 18, 2024 00:00 - 28 minutes - 19.8 MBThe avian flu outbreak is a fire drill that is showing how poorly the U.S. is prepared for the next pandemic. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury's editors recap last week’s BioCentury Show conversation with Rick Bright, including the former BARDA director’s insights on the opportunities for biotechs to help fill voids in surveillance, point-of-care diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics and the need for the government to provide leadership and funding to empower industry....
Ep. 236 - BIO Wrap: Biosecure, Japan & Nxera, Radiopharma
June 14, 2024 00:00 - 26 minutes - 18.1 MBBIO’s annual meeting took place amid heightened industry concerns regarding the Biosecure Act, which took yet another unexpected turn this week. On a special edition of the BioCentury This Week recapping the meeting, BioCentury's editors discuss the latest on the anti-China biopharma legislation, including misperceptions of what the bill seeks to accomplish. Special guest Chris Cargill, the CEO of Nxera Pharma, joins the podcast to discuss the expanded APAC presence at this year’s BIO; Japan...
Ep. 235 - Psychedelic Setback, FDA's Platform Play & ASCO Innovations
June 10, 2024 23:00 - 29 minutes - 20.3 MBA snub by an FDA advisory committee for an MDMA-psychotherapy combination is unlikely to read through to other psychedelic therapies in the pipeline. On the BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss the shortcomings of the Lykos Therapeutics product’s clinical development program and why other psychedelics likely won’t face the same hurdles. The editors also assess FDA’s new platform technology designation and the first-in-human clinical trials described at this year’s Ameri...
Ep. 234 - Biotech M&A, Biosecure Expands & ASCO Update
June 03, 2024 22:00 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MBFour takeouts with upfront payments north of $1 billion to close out May mark the latest run of VC exits from biotech M&A and help expand the pipelines of large biopharmas in renal, ophthalmic and immunologic indications. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss how two of the takeouts -- Asahi Kasei’s buy of Calliditas and Biogen’s acquisition of HI-Bio -- showcase how the renal field is on the rise. Turning to Washington, the editors explain why the House Se...
Ep.234 - Biotech M&A, Biosecure Expands & ASCO Update
June 03, 2024 22:00 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MBFour takeouts with upfront payments north of $1 billion to close out May mark the latest run of VC exits from biotech M&A and help expand the pipelines of large biopharmas in renal, ophthalmic and immunologic indications. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss how two of the takeouts -- Asahi Kasei’s buy of Calliditas and Biogen’s acquisition of HI-Bio -- showcase how the renal field is on the rise. Turning to Washington, the editors explain why the House Se...
Ep. 233 - ASCO Preview, Rare Diseases & Biogen M&A
May 28, 2024 21:00 - 26 minutes - 18.4 MBA theme among late-breaker presentations at this year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting is the push by companies to move targeted therapies into earlier lines of treatment. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss what they’re watching for in ASCO’s headline presentations and deliver highlights from abstracts released late last week as the oncology meeting readies to kick off on Friday. The editors also discuss the interest by FDA’s Janet Woodcoc...
Ep.233 - ASCO Preview, Rare Diseases & Biogen M&A
May 28, 2024 21:00 - 36 minutes - 24.8 MBA theme among late-breaker presentations at this year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting is the push by companies to move targeted therapies into earlier lines of treatment. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss what they’re watching for in ASCO’s headline presentations and deliver highlights from abstracts released late last week as the oncology meeting readies to kick off on Friday.The editors also discuss the interest by FDA’s Janet Woodcock...
Ep.232 - Shake up at BIO. Plus: ASGCT highlights, new IPF & obesity data
May 20, 2024 22:00 - 26 minutes - 18.1 MBNew BIO CEO John Crowley is reorganizing BIO in a bid to reshape how the organization communicates and enhance its focus on patients. BioCentury’s editors also recap the 24th annual BioEquity Europe conference that was held in San Sebastian, Spain last week, as well as highlights from last week’s American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) conference. The editors also discuss impressive early data from Endeavor BioMedicines Inc. in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and Phase Ib obesi...
Ep. 232 - Shake up at BIO. Plus: ASGCT highlights, new IPF & obesity data
May 20, 2024 22:00 - 26 minutes - 18.1 MBNew BIO CEO John Crowley is reorganizing BIO in a bid to reshape how the organization communicates and enhance its focus on patients. BioCentury’s editors also recap the 24th annual Bio€quity Europe conference that was held in San Sebastián, Spain last week, as well as highlights from last week’s American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy conference. The editors also discuss impressive early data from Endeavor BioMedicines in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and Phase Ib obesity data from Roche....
Bonus Content - Derek Lowe Unplugged: AI; Biosecure; FDA, Abortion & SCOTUS; and more
May 16, 2024 17:00 - 32 minutes - 22.7 MB“I’m a short-term pessimist and a long-term optimist” about the potential for AI to transform drug development, Derek Lowe, author of the In the Pipeline blog, told BioCentury Washington Editor Steve Usdin on the latest BioCentury Show. Lowe's skepticism about claims that AI will rapidly transform the field is driven by a belief that the “problems that we have in the drug industry that we want to solve are almost inversely proportional to the ability of AI to solve them." Lowe also discussed...
Ep. 231 - Biosecure Revised. Plus: Venture Rounds, Deals of Note
May 14, 2024 01:00 - 25 minutes - 17.2 MBLawmakers’ changes to the Biosecure Act create breathing room for U.S. biopharma companies to move on from Chinese CDMOs, Washington Editor Steve Usdin said. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, Usdin and his BioCentury colleagues discuss what the revisions mean for biotechs and what’s next for the legislation, plus how WuXi AppTec is defending itself against the bill’s allegations. Director of Biopharma Intelligence Paul Bonanos discusses last week’s surge in venture activity, includ...
Bonus Content - Ysios' Karen Wagner: How Europe's Biotechs Can Rise Above the Noise
May 09, 2024 15:00 - 31 minutes - 21.8 MBIt sounds obvious, but still needs saying, says Ysios Capital's Karen Wagner. “How do you rise above the noise? By having the most spectacular data.” In conversation with Editor in Chief Simone Fishburn on The BioCentury Show, Wagner discussed the theme of the upcoming Bio€quity Europe conference — rising above the noise: in a sea of competition where companies vie for attention among investors and pharmas, what are the characteristics that allow them to differentiate? Wagner explains what s...
Ep. 230 - Bio€quity Europe 2024 Preview
May 09, 2024 00:00 - 25 minutes - 17.8 MBNext week's Bio€quity Europe conference in San Sebastián will focus on how European biotechs can rise above the noise to attract investors, partners and talent. McKinsey & Co.’s Alexandra Zemp and Paula Olazábal of Ysios Capital joined BioCentury to outline the opportunities and challenges faced by Spain’s biopharma ecosystem and preview some of the conference’s networking events, fireside chats and panel discussions. EBD Group's Claire Macht also joined to detail what to expect in terms of ...
Ep. 229 - ASGCT Preview, Accelerated Approval Plus: The Latest in Biosecure
May 07, 2024 00:00 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MBOne of the big themes of this week’s ASGCT meeting will be CAR T cells in cancer and beyond. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors preview the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy’s annual meeting. Much of the CAR T field has reoriented from cancer to autoimmune diseases over the past year. Now, researchers are looking even farther afield. According to abstracts released ahead of ASGCT, the engineered T cell modality may have new benefits to offer patients wit...
Ep. 228 - Energizing Gene Therapy. Plus: AI Newco, Ono-Deciphera
April 30, 2024 00:00 - 23 minutes - 15.9 MBLed by CBER Director Peter Marks, FDA is moving forward with policies that aim to improve access to gene therapies for patients with rare diseases. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss how FDA plans to use regulatory policies to overcome barriers that are slowing gene therapy, as well as how Pfizer hopes to ensure access to its newly approved hemophilia gene therapy. The editors also assess the $2.4 billion acquisition of Massachusetts oncology company Dec...
Ep. 227 - Defending Accelerated Approval. Plus: Endpoint Innovation & AIM Amiss
April 22, 2024 23:00 - 22 minutes - 15.6 MBA “drive-by analysis of accelerated approval is intellectual malpractice,” argues Washington Editor Steve Usdin on the latest BioCentury This Week podcast. Usdin and his BioCentury colleagues explain why a paper on the expedited regulatory pathway written by researchers at the Program on Regulation, Therapeutics, and Law (PORTAL) at Brigham and Women’s Hospital misleads the public about the value of drugs granted accelerated approval. The paper also fails to grasp the pathway’s purpose, whic...
Ep. 226 - Vertex’s Alpine Buy, Goldman’s Venture & IRA Tea Leaves
April 16, 2024 00:00 - 22 minutes - 15.8 MBVertex Pharmaceuticals' acquisition of Alpine Immune Sciences will bolster a growing kidney disease franchise that could help diversify Vertex’s business beyond its blockbuster cystic fibrosis franchise. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss what attracted Vertex to Alpine and why it believes its newly acquired therapy can outshine others for IgA nephropathy. The editors discuss how Goldman Sachs aims to scale private biotechs via its venture strategy and t...
Ep. 225 - 2Q Markets Preview & AACR Takeaways
April 08, 2024 23:00 - 21 minutes - 14.9 MBM&A has been driving a recovery for biotech, with $62 billion in takeouts in the past six months restocking specialist investors’ coffers for their next wave of investments. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors assess the state of the public markets heading into the second quarter, including the outsize role PIPEs have had in financing industry’s comeback. They also discuss their takeaways from analyzing nearly 7,000 abstracts from the American Association for Can...
Ep. 224 - Biotech IPOs, Avalon & FDA at SCOTUS
April 02, 2024 00:00 - 21 minutes - 14.6 MBUpcoming catalysts could drive value creation at NASDAQ’s newest biotech, Boundless Bio, after it stumbled in its trading debut last week. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss Boundless’ IPO in the context of the current market for fresh paper and profile the “sweat equity” model of Avalon, the VC firm led by Jay Lichter. Turning to Washington, BioCentury’s editors assess possible outcomes for the Supreme Court case on abortion drug mifepristone, and why t...
Ep. 223 - Biosecure, Bruce Booth & Ultrarare Drugs
March 26, 2024 00:00 - 28 minutes - 19.4 MBBills seeking to rein in Chinese CDMOs and genomics companies will deal a massive blow to biotech companies, if passed in their current form, according to results from an industry survey conducted by BioCentury. On The latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss results from the survey, including responses that underscore executives’ concerns that the legislation would cause delays in drug development and a majority’s displeasure with BIO’s about-face to support the mea...
Ep. 222 - Crowley’s Vision for BIO, Plus: MASH & CAR Ts
March 18, 2024 23:00 - 20 minutes - 14.3 MBPutting patients at center stage is at the core of John Crowley’s vision for BIO as he begins his tenure leading the biotech trade group. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast. Washington Editor Steve Usdin details Crowley’s plans to revitalize BIO at a time when effective representation in Washington is more important than ever. BioCentury’s editors also discuss FDA’s landmark approval of Madrigal's liver disease drug and a decision by FDA’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee to suppor...
Ep. 221 - China Biocontroversy, Plus: Diversity Matters
March 12, 2024 00:00 - 31 minutes - 21.9 MBA congressional committee meeting last week on biotech and national security provided a glimmer of hope that lawmakers could be persuaded to consider taking steps to bolster the U.S. bioeconomy, BioCentury Washington Editor Steve Usdin explains why the at times cartoonish spectacle of lawmakers pushing anti-China biotech bills highlights the need for scientists and entrepreneurs to build relationships in Washington. Plus: Editor in Chief Simone Fishburn argues that the future of diversity sh...
Ep. 220 - Biotech’s Financing Flurry & Distillery Spotlight
March 05, 2024 02:00 - 24 minutes - 16.8 MBThe $3 billion raised by biotechs in a series of follow-ons and PIPEs last week marked another strong showing for a sector seeking to outrun the bear market. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors assess the state of fundraising for biotechs and their performance in the after-market. They also preview a forthcoming analysis of preclinical papers published in the Distillery, BioCentury’s coverage of translational science, describe the latest on anti-China bills in Co...
Ep. 219 - East-West Summit Preview
February 28, 2024 01:00 - 25 minutes - 17.5 MBAsia’s emerging “Arc of Innovation” spans from China, Japan and South Korea through the turf-neutral gateway of Singapore and west to India, with the ecosystems of these countries contributing to the arsenal of therapeutics and diagnostics that benefit patients globally. On a special edition of the BioCentury This Week podcast, Aslan’s Carl Firth, McKinsey’s Franck Le Deu and Wendy Pan of BayHelix and Goodwin join BioCentury on the eve of next week’s BioCentury-BayHelix Biopharma Summit in S...
Ep. 218 - Bob Nelsen Insights, TL1A, Rare Diseases
February 27, 2024 01:00 - 24 minutes - 17.1 MBArch Venture Partners’ Bob Nelsen is excited about AI’s potential in biotech and convinced the U.S. healthcare system could do a far better job delivering on the promise of the biopharma industry’s innovations. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss takeaways from Nelsen’s appearance on The BioCentury Show, including how the longtime investor in China’s life sciences sector has adopted a more cautious stance on the country given increasing geopolitical tens...
Ep. 217 - Safer CAR Ts & World’s First TIL Therapy
February 21, 2024 02:00 - 24 minutes - 17.2 MBOff switches and non-viral delivery technologies may be the solution to CAR T therapies’ most recent safety problem. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss alternative CAR T technologies already in development that avoid or reduce the risk of secondary malignancy. The editors also discuss the world-first approval of Iovance's tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy, highlights from BioCentury’s most recent survey of the translational literature in the Di...
Ep. 216 - Anti-China Biotech Policy: Biosecure & Beyond
February 16, 2024 01:00 - 26 minutes - 18.3 MBAnti-China biotech bills are raising alarms at U.S. biotechs, with CEOs worried they could lose access to CDMOs WuXi AppTec and WuXi Biologics, and that legislation could imperil collaboration with Chinese companies more broadly. BIO has warned Congress the bills “would immediately and negatively” affect the U.S. biotech ecosystem. On this special edition of the BioCentury This Week podcast BioCentury Washington Editor Steve Usdin and colleagues discuss the pending legislation.
Ep. 215 - ADCs, Psychedelics & IPOs
February 13, 2024 01:00 - 24 minutes - 17.2 MBInnate immunity is getting another shot at cancer through antibody-drug conjugates, with immunostimulatory antibody-drug conjugates moving from concept to clinical product. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss how the therapies work and what sets them apart from conventional ADCs. The editors also survey the companies developing psychedelic therapies that aim to overcome the difficulties of the business model, and assess Gilead's $4.3 billion takeout of li...
Ep. 214 - BMS’s Patent Cliff, Congress Targets China Biotech
February 06, 2024 01:00 - 29 minutes - 20.5 MBAs it approaches a steep patent cliff, Bristol Myers is charting its course to bridge a transition period and return to growth. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors assess the pharma’s pipeline and recent M&A, outlining the clinical and commercial successes the company needs to navigate the next few years. The editors also discuss what’s behind bills in Washington that target four Chinese companies identified by Congress as “biotechnology companies of concern," th...
Ep. 213 - Biotech IPOs & IL-18 Momentum
January 30, 2024 02:00 - 28 minutes - 19.3 MBNASDAQ’s first biotech public listings of 2024 provided hopeful signs for a rebound in the biotech IPO market. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors assess the performance of IPOs by CG Oncology and ArriVent and what’s next for the IPO market. They also discuss the growing IL-18 field, look ahead to the schizophrenia milestones coming this year, and size up the Singapore biotech ecosystem and what the country needs to do to cement a position on the global biotech m...
Ep. 212 - 2024 Buyside View & Arnold Ventures' Impact
January 23, 2024 01:00 - 30 minutes - 20.7 MBBiotech investors are looking to catalysts that can create, or dramatically expand, commercial markets as they look ahead to a long-awaited recovery for industry. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors assess the milestones on buysiders’ radar for 2024, including in areas such as obesity, pain and metabolic-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). They also discuss the influence of biopharma critic Arnold Ventures, a philanthropy that has reshaped the drug pricing public ...
Ep. 211 - 2024 Markets Preview, Woodcock's Legacy
January 17, 2024 00:00 - 22 minutes - 15.3 MBInvestors and bankers are as upbeat about biotech’s prospects heading into 2024 as they have been since 2020, but maintaining the momentum that began building in 4Q23 is contingent on the Fed meeting expectations that it will ease interest rates. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors assess the environment for financings and M&A in the year ahead. They also discuss Janet Woodcock’s legacy at FDA as she readies to step down at the end of the month and the latest dev...
Ep. 210 - J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference Wrap
January 13, 2024 02:00 - 27 minutes - 18.9 MBCautious optimism was the theme during a J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference week that featured patchy skies, large-but-not-mega deals and a surfeit of sideline summits around San Francisco’s Union Square. BioCentury’s editorial team discusses the week’s M&A deals, including J&J's $2 billion takeout of ADC company Ambrx, and Merck & Co. acquiring T cell engager biotech Harpoon for nearly $700 million; takeaways from the Sachs Neuroscience Innovation Forum and other adjacent forums; and investo...
Ep. 209 - Biotech M&A, Innovation, Public Policy in 2024
January 05, 2024 02:00 - 37 minutes - 25.9 MBA flurry of large acquisitions to close out 2023 is likely to carry into the New Year as pharmas continue to show appetite for late-stage assets. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss the latest trends in biotech M&A, potential takeout targets for 2024 and the impact on dealmaking of a more aggressive FTC. They also assess sentiment heading into next week’s J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, analyze future drivers of innovation in biotech, and preview the y...
Ep. 208 - XBI Rally, ASH Highlights & '24 Picks
December 19, 2023 01:00 - 24 minutes - 16.5 MBSignals from the Fed that rate cuts are on the way rallied biotech indexes last week, but is the uptick more than a blip? On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss how interest rate cuts could spur a risk-on rotation back into the sector by generalist investors, the possibility of biotech outperformance in 2024, and what it will take for the IPO window to open. They also assess progress demonstrated by companies’ with next-generation gene editors at this year’s...
Ep. 207 - Sickle Cell, AbbVie Deals, BIO CEO, March-in
December 12, 2023 00:00 - 30 minutes - 21 MBFDA’s decision to approve two gene therapies for sickle cell diseases could be transformative for patients, but both multimillion-dollar drugs will face access issues. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss what’s next for the companies, and for patients, following the approvals. The editors also analyze how AbbVie is restocking its pipeline via M&A, including its second multibillion deal in a week, a takeout of Cerevel, and why the acquisition is important ...
Ep. 206 - Roche, AbbVie Deals; Plus: FDA & CAR T
December 05, 2023 00:00 - 19 minutes - 13.7 MBBiopharma’s latest pair of multibillion-dollar takeouts come in two of industry’s hottest areas: ADCs and obesity. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss the move by Roche into obesity via its acquisition of Carmot Therapeutics and the winding journey of ADC company ImmunoGen to its $10.1 billion buyout by AbbVie. BioCentury’s editors discuss what FDA’s statement on the risk of T cell malignancy following BCMA- or CD19-directed CAR T cell therapy means for c...
Ep. 205 - Radiotherapy Deep Dive; Plus: Congress, BioNTech
November 28, 2023 00:00 - 25 minutes - 17.5 MBRadiopharmaceuticals have experienced a resurgence over the past decade, with a series of approvals, billion-dollar deals and growing sales. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, Director of Biopharma Intelligence Karen Tkach Tuzman previews her upcoming analysis of the space, discussing the multidimensional nature of the technology’s evolution, and the field’s next-wave targets behind PSMA and SSTR2. BioCentury’s editors also discuss the legacies of two U.S. lawmakers who won’t stand ...
Ep. 204 - First CRISPR Approval & IRA’s Lost Orphans
November 20, 2023 22:00 - 29 minutes - 20 MBThe world’s first approval of a CRISPR-based gene editing therapy, granted by the U.K.’s MHRA, was a milestone for the technology that was just discovered about 12 years ago. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss the implications of the landmark and the challenges that still face partners Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics in launching and scaling the rollout of Casgevy exagamglogene autotemcel (exa-cel) in the U.K. and beyond. The editors also ...
Ep. 203 - POC for Verve? Plus: IRA & East-West Deals
November 14, 2023 00:00 - 21 minutes - 14.7 MBVerve achieved the first proof of concept for an in vivo base editing therapy, but investor concerns weighed on the company’s stock, clouding the readout’s reception. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors dissect the data for VERVE-101 in heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia and discuss how the choice of initial target and indication for a new modality or technology can have a major impact on how POC data are perceived by investors. The editors also assess th...
Ep. 202 - A DMD Decision & Endpoint Innovation
November 07, 2023 01:00 - 30 minutes - 20.9 MBThe controversy around Sarepta continues as the company’s executives were confident last week that the data from the Phase III EMBARK trial of Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy Elevidys were enough to warrant full approval despite missing the study’s primary endpoint. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors analyze the pitfalls facing FDA as the agency considers whether to apply regulatory flexibility in its decision-making and the impact its decision could ha...
Ep. 201 - ESMO, NIH & IRA
October 30, 2023 22:00 - 17 minutes - 12.3 MBThe European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) had everything from practice changing Phase III data readouts to new solid tumor targets. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors recap the biggest data presentations from last week’s annual ESMO meeting, including the impact of Phase III data for ADCs and bispecifics on the treatment landscape for tumors such as urothelial cancer and EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The editors also discussed takeaways ...
Ep. 200 - Merck-Daiichi, Roche-Roivant, Base Editors
October 24, 2023 00:00 - 27 minutes - 18.9 MBDaiichi Sankyo has drawn more value from its antibody-drug conjugate pipeline via a $4 billion deal with Merck & Co. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors analyze the deal in the context of the burgeoning ADC space and size up the assets that Merck is in-licensing as well as how the deal fits with Daiichi’s pipeline strategy. The editors break down Monday’s $7.1 billion deal by Roche for the Telavant subsidiary of Roivant Sciences, the latest in the evolving TL1A s...
Ep. 199 - China Summit Preview
October 20, 2023 20:00 - 23 minutes - 16.4 MBBayHelix’s Guo-Liang Yu and McKinsey’s Josie Zhou join the BioCentury This Week podcast to discuss cross-border innovation and deal flow in the biopharma sector during a preview of the BioCentury-BayHelix China Healthcare Summit. The summit kicks off at a time of record cross-border deals and validating comments from the leaders of MNCs such as Pfizer, Novartis and Sanofi that innovation by China biopharmas is world class. The 10th annual BioCentury-BayHelix China Healthcare Summit is Nov. 2...
Ep. 198 - Novartis Finds Focus & EU Pharma Law
October 16, 2023 23:00 - 27 minutes - 19.2 MBNow that Vas Narasimhan has finished the major dismantling of Novartis, he’s turning his attention to fixing R&D. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss what’s next for the Swiss pharma now that Narasimhan has focused it down to what he calls a pure play innovative medicines company. The editors also analyze the European Parliament’s proposed changes to the first major overhaul of European pharmaceutical law in 20 years, including suggested adjustments relat...
Ep. 197 - Mirati Takeout & 4Q23 Financial Markets Preview
October 09, 2023 22:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MBBMS’s acquisition of Mirati for up to $5.8 billion not only gives the big pharma a potential best-in-class KRAS inhibitor in a field that appears to be opening up, but also a clinical program against one of the hottest targets in precision cancer, PRMT5. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss what Bristol Myers Squibb stands to gain from its acquisition of Mirati Therapeutics, which had rumors swirling about its potential takeout last week. BioCentury’s edi...