The Readout Loud

The American Society of Clinical Oncology, or ASCO, kicks off its annual meeting this weekend in Chicago. We discuss what to watch at the meeting. Then, STAT’s infectious disease reporter Helen Branswell joins us to discuss RFK Jr.’s unprecedented move to strike Covid shot recommendations, and the cancellation of a $600 million contract with Moderna to develop, test and license vaccines for subtypes of flu. We also welcome chronic disease reporter Isa Cueto to discuss the key takeaways from a closely watched report from Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again Commission.

We chat about M&A deals picking up, leadership changes at Novo, and recent FDA advisory committee meetings for cancer drugs. We also bring on STAT reporter Jason Mast to talk about the latest research and sentiment at the annual American Society of Cell and Gene Therapy meeting.

We chat about the mixed sentiment in biotech markets these days and a new blood-testing company formed by Elizabeth Holmes' husband. We also bring on STAT's D.C. correspondent Daniel Payne to talk about President Trump's "most-favored nation" drug pricing policy and health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s recent congressional hearing.

Matt Herper joins Adam and Allison to examine Prasad's appointment and the band of outsiders now in charge of U.S. health agencies. He and Adam debate just how disruptive Prasad's tenure could be.

On this week’s episode of the Readout LOUD, we review President Trump’s first 100 days, the return of biotech M&A, strong drug launches, and Eli Lilly’s PBM problem. The first 100 days of the Trump administration have had a profound impact on federal health agencies, medical research, health policy and the biotech and pharmaceuticals industries. To help us make sense of all the cuts and policy shifts, we talk with STAT editors Gideon Gil and Zach Tracer for their perspective overseeing STAT’s reporting on science and politics. But first, your co-hosts Elaine, Allison and Adam gab about the week’s relatively positive biotech news, including two acquisitions and a series of strong drug launches. What’s a podcast without dipping into obesity, so Elaine will explain the latest maneuverings between Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk around patient access and compounding.

How did Ireland become a hotspot for pharmaceutical manufacturing? What are the products that will come out of Flagship's latest startup centered around "preemptive medicine"? And who among the co-hosts is the best singer? We discuss all that and more on this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s biotech podcast. We chat about the recent bounceback in biotech stocks, disappointing results from Bristol Myers Squibb's schizophrenia drug Cobenfy, new allegations about entrepreneur Sam Waksal, and more. We also bring on STAT's European correspondent Drew Joseph to talk about the growth of pharma manufacturing in Ireland and how U.S. tariffs would impact global drug supply.

John Crowley, the CEO of industry lobbying group BIO, joins us to discuss the layoffs at the Food and Drug Administration, RFK Jr.'s comments on Novavax's Covid-19 vaccine, and how the trade group is communicating with the Trump administration. Then we discuss the latest news on the stock market and a congressional advisory group's recommendation that $15 billion be invested in U.S. biotechnology to ward off encroaching competition from China.

STAT’s FDA reporter Lizzy Lawrence joins to discuss her inside-the-agency reporting on how Robert F. Kennedy Jr. forced top FDA officials to resign at a time when newly sworn-in FDA Commissioner Makary is still figuring out how to get around the agency’s White Oak campus in suburban Maryland. Then: AstraZeneca presented positive mid-stage results this week on a PCSK9 pill that dramatically lowered cholesterol levels on top of traditional statins. R&D executive Sharon Barr joins to talk about why AstraZeneca views this experimental cardiovascular medicine as a key part of its growth strategy.

Adam, Elaine, and Allison discuss the Trump administration’s plan for huge job cuts and a restructuring of the country’s top health care agencies, the approval of the first drug to treat a devastating rare disease, and the bankruptcy of 23andMe. Then, they bring on the chief executive of startup Altis Labs to discuss new data from a study they conducted with AstraZeneca on an AI tool for cancer drug development.

We chat about positive data from Immunovant's autoimmune drug candidate, a patient death linked to Sarepta's gene therapy, and dispatches from our STAT Breakthrough Summit East in New York. We also bring on Zealand Pharma CEO Adam Steensberg to talk about his company’s amylin-targeting obesity treatment, the partnership deal it recently signed with Roche, and his thoughts on the industry's intense focus on weight loss.

We bring on our colleague Sarah Owermohle to discuss the White House's sudden move to withdraw the nomination of Dave Weldon as its pick to run the CDC just hours before Weldon's confirmation hearing. It's also the five-year anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic. We chat with Princeton political scientist Frances Lee about a new book she co-authored that offers an unflinching assessment of the U.S. policy responses to the pandemic and raises some provocative questions about what went wrong.

Will Marty Makary be confirmed as the next commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration? Will he bring back employees laid off by DOGE? And what did he get wrong during his confirmation hearing? We discuss all that and more during this week's special episode.

It’s a STAT reporter two-fer guest episode. First, Lizzy Lawrence joins from D.C. to dish on the upheaval and drama taking place at the FDA. Then, we chat with Jason Mast about Bluebird Bio, its fire sale to private equity and what lies ahead for the unsettled world of genetic medicines. Before those discussions, Allison provides some insight into the “new kids” on the biotech VC block.

Mizuho analyst Jared Holz joins to discuss Adam's column on biotech's dark period. We also talk about Elaine's latest article on the push for greater and greater weight loss from obesity drugs, along with developments at Solid Biosciences and federal job cuts.

We bring on biotech reporter Jonathan Wosen to discuss the NIH's decision to dramatically cut funding for overhead costs paid to research institutions and the potential implications for U.S. biomedical innovation. We also chat with health tech reporter Brittany Trang about the claims that two drug developers, Absci and Generate:Biomedicines, have made about the capabilities of their artificial intelligence technologies, and why some experts are skeptical.

We bring on our colleague Jason Mast to discuss the dramatic downturn in the once-swaggering field of CRISPR gene editing. We also talk about the advancement of RFK Jr.'s nomination to be HHS secretary, the latest pharma earnings, and the approval of a non-opioid pain drug from Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

Our colleague Rachel Cohrs Zhang joins us to break down RFK Jr.’s confirmation hearings, including some contentious questions about vaccines and autism from Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). But first, we chat about Akero Therapeutics and the results reported this week from a study of its experimental drug that showed, for the first time, reversal of cirrhosis in patients with severe MASH. We critique that Hims & Hers commercial. And lastly, we talk about a new fund from biotech VC Curie.Bio and the money it’s invested in a still-stealthy gene therapy company trying to tackle ALS.

We go over our closing thoughts from the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, including the chatter around Chinese drugs and a surprise run-in with a past cohost. Then, STAT's infectious disease reporter Helen Branswell joins us to explain the implications of Trump's decision to pull the U.S. out of the WHO.

We're live at the J.P Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco! We bring on Eli Lilly CEO Dave Ricks for a wide-ranging conversation about his views on the incoming Trump administration, the effects of Medicare's drug price negotiation, Lilly's recent disappointing guidance, pricing of the company's obesity medication Zepbound, and more. We also discuss the latest news from the J.P. Morgan conference, including M&A deals, licensing of drugs from China, and the broader sentiment in the industry.

We chat about how pharmaceutical companies are navigating a looming patent cliff. We also talk about yet another obesity startup and a failed study from Google’s secretive anti-aging company Calico.

STAT's FDA reporter Lizzy Lawrence joins us to discuss her profile of Marty Makary, Trump's nominee for FDA commissioner. Then, we discuss the results of Vertex's latest pain drug trial, the medication launches to watch in 2025, and present our burning questions for the biopharma industry.

Washington correspondent John Wilkerson joins to discuss why drugmakers have not lobbied against Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, despite his repeated criticisms of the pharmaceutical industry. We also bring on our colleague Jason Mast to talk about the major hurdles in the field of gene therapy and how one father is trying to overcome them.

You might not be paying attention, or maybe you just hope it goes away. We’re referring to the serious bird flu outbreak that started a bit more than eight months ago. Well, bird flu is still here and the number of reported cases in people is growing. STAT’s infectious disease reporter Helen Branswell joins us for an update. But first, we break down the results from a GLP-1 showdown study that compared Eli Lilly’s Zepbound to Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy. Allison shares her recent reporting on a talent shortage that is posing new challenges to the fast-growing radiopharmaceutical industry.

Atlas Venture Partner Bruce Booth joins the podcast to discuss his annual year in review report, the influence of China, and what the new Trump administration might mean for innovation. Adam and Allison also recap the latest news in the life sciences, including a new science chief at Pfizer, a new job for Ned Sharpless, and the ongoing presidential appointments.

Why are AbbVie executives feeling the M&A blues? What does it take to slice $12 billion from Amgen’s market value? And why are STAT’s D.C. correspondents working so hard? We talk about all that and more on this week’s episode of the “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s biotech podcast. It’s a “Chatty Cathy” episode! Elaine, Allison and Adam lead off with a discussion about AbbVie’s M&A miscue following the failure of a closely followed schizophrenia drug. You’d hate us if obesity drugs weren’t mentioned, so we oblige with a tick-tock on what went down between Amgen and a Wall Street analyst who noted a possible safety issue with the obesity drug candidate MariTide.

To dig into how the election results could affect all things biopharma, we brought on three guests for this episode: Lizzy Lawrence, STAT’s FDA reporter, Baird analyst Brian Skorney, and longtime biotech executive Daphne Zohar.

Adam, Allison, and Elaine get into the Halloween spirit this week, discussing their favorite candies — and Eli Lilly and Pfizer's surprise earnings reports. Then, they discuss what a Trump or Harris presidency could mean for health care and the biopharma industry, and what investors and biopharma executives think about either outcome.

Will an activist investor campaign against Pfizer lead to big changes at the struggling Pharma giant? Why are some experts questioning the regulatory standards used to approve gene therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy? What’s the difference between Novo Holdings and Novo Nordisk, and will it impact a $16 billion acquisition of Catalent? And what lies ahead for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Make America Healthy Again movement?

Elaine, Allison, and Adam chat about investors' interest in using CAR-T to treat autoimmune conditions, the latest developments with the supply of Eli Lilly’s blockbuster weight loss drug, and the invisible medical groups behind the dozens of telehealth platforms providing GLP-1 drugs. They also look back at STAT's two-day summit that brought together biopharma executives, scientists, policymakers and patient advocates for conversations about the future of health care.

First, biotech veteran John Maraganore calls in to discuss his new startup, City Therapeutics, this week's Nobel Prize awards, and the nerdy accolade he just received. Then STAT's Megan Molteni tells us about "CRISPR baby" scientist He Jiankui and his new cryptocurrency financier.

Our colleague Mohana Ravindranath joins us to talk about Micky Tripathi, charged with coordinating how AI is used across different government agencies and more broadly across the health care industry. We also chat about some important biotech study readouts due before the end of the year, a new, well-funded obesity company, and the successful serial CEO running it. Finally, Adam and Allison lament the fact that Elaine hasn't yet watched the first episode of this season's "Great British Baking Show."

We’re excited to share the first episode in a new podcast series on generic drugs from Tradeoffs. It’s called ‘Race to the Bottom,’ and each week the show examines the problems undermining the generic drugs we all rely on — and how we could fix them. Take a listen, and we’ll see you next week.

Our colleague Jonathan Wosen joins us to discuss the recent setbacks and wins in oncology R&D, including Genentech's decision to shut down its cancer immunology group, and the global ambitions of Akeso, the Chinese biotech behind Summit Therapeutics’ recent positive results. We also chat about the latest news in the life sciences, including Pfizer’s sudden announcement to pull its sickle cell drug and the imminent approval of Bristol Myers Squibb’s schizophrenia treatment.

Mizuho analyst Jared Holz joins us to discuss what the Federal Reserve's long-awaited decision to lower interest rates means for biotech stocks and startups. Elaine, Adam, and Allison also discuss the latest news in life sciences, including the use of cannabinoid receptor drugs in weight loss and the Lasker Awards, a.k.a. "America's Nobel."

STAT reporter Matt Herper joins us to break down all the angles of this week's tumultuous week in cancer immunotherapy, including his up-close look at Summit co-CEO Bob Duggan. We also discuss the latest news in the life sciences, including Moderna pruning its pipeline and its spending, plus results from a study that tested a GLP-1 drug in children.

We discuss the next big trend in obesity drug development — treatments that target the amylin hormone. Companies argue that these types of drugs could lead to less nausea and muscle loss, and the first big readout is coming later this year. We also chat about an upcoming presentation from Summit Therapeutics on its cancer drug that beat Merck’s Keytruda, mixed data from Recursion’s lead AI-derived drug candidate, and more news in the life sciences.

STAT biotech reporter Jonathan Wosen joins us to discuss gene therapy pioneer Jim Wilson's exit from his decades-long tenure at the University of Pennsylvania. We also discuss the latest news in the life sciences, including the surprising collapse of a gene editing company, Eli Lilly's pitch to consumers, and more.

This week, STAT's Casey Ross and Bob Herman joined the Boston Globe's "Say More" podcast to talk about their reporting on AI and Healthcare. We're sharing that episode here with you now. Enjoy!

It's a guest-free episode this week, giving Allison, Adam and Elaine ample time to chat about the management shakeup at BioMarin, including the announcement that James Sabry, the former Roche dealmaker, was joining the company as its new chief business officer. We can't seem to go a week without talking about GLP-1 medicines, so in true form, Elaine walks us through new study findings that showed Lilly's Zepbound greatly reduced the risk of diabetes. We also discuss a separate study that potentially links GLP-1 drugs to a higher rate of suicidal thoughts. Lastly, Adam and Elaine interrogate Allison about her deeply reported corporate profile of AI drug developer Recursion. Is all the hype real?

STAT’s chief Washington correspondent Rachel Cohrs Zhang joins us to discuss the discounts and how this first round of negotiations between pharmaceutical companies and Medicare officials played out. After that, we chat with our colleague Meghana Keshavan about the latest news in the psychedelics world, including the retraction of three research papers.

STAT's Washington Correspondent John Wilkerson joins us to discuss the first round of drug pricing negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act, which will wrap up by September 1. We also cover the latest news in the life sciences including the merger of AI drug development companies Recursion Pharmaceuticals and Exscientia, Novo Nordisk's decision to pause its regulatory submission for Wegovy's use in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, and the state of biotech VC.

Andrew Joseph, STAT's Europe correspondent, joins us to talk about his special report on the 40-year quest to develop the world's first malaria vaccines. We also cover the latest news in the biotech industry, including Sarepta Therapeutics' move to censor a patient video, data from a new Duchenne gene therapy, and a campaign by Mount Sinai to stifle debate about its controversial brain research following revelations made by a STAT investigation.

What makes UnitedHealth similar to Standard Oil? Is Viking Therapeutics an attractive acquisition target? And is Adam good at math? We discuss all that and more in this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s biotech podcast. Tara Bannow, our hospitals and insurance reporter, joins us to talk about a new investigation that shows how UnitedHealth wields its unrivaled physician empire to boost its profits and expand its influence. We also cover the latest news in the life sciences, including Viking's sped-up plans in obesity, the departure of a long time official at the Food and Drug Administration, and Kamala Harris' views on health policies.

Our Washington correspondent Sarah Owermohle joins us to talk about how JD Vance, Donald Trump's newly announced running mate, could influence health policy if Trump wins the election. We also discuss the latest news in the biopharma industry, including the latest developments in the ongoing controversy surrounding Cassava’s Alzheimer’s drug, shortages of insulin as Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly turn their focus toward GLP-1 drugs, and a shakeup in leadership at Gilead.

STAT's West Coast biotech reporter Jonathan Wosen joins "The Readout LOUD" to discuss what’s driving workforce cuts. Plus, entrepreneurs Alexis Borisy and Zach Weinberg call in to discuss their biotech incubator Curie.Bio and how they hope to “free the founders.” We also discuss a big change in Pfizer’s leadership and the debate over a new side effect tied to the diabetes drug Ozempic.

STAT health tech reporter Brittany Trang guest co-hosts "The Readout LOUD" this week, where we discuss AI for drug development, the latest in the H5N1 bird flu outbreak, a surprise entrant to the GLP-1 field, and more news in the life sciences. And STAT chief Washington correspondent Rachel Cohrs Zhang joins the podcast to talk about a new proposal for obesity drug coverage in Washington and what to expect from the first presidential debate.

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 ATTR-CM trial, go here; read about BridgeBio's plans here; and for more on biotech startup financing, go here.

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 about Pfizer's Duchenne gene therapy setback, the likely approval of a new treatment for Alzheimer's disease, and Bob Langer's most recent startup.

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' acquisition of MorphoSys, go here. And you can sign up for Adam’s new newsletter, Biotech Scorecard, here.

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 here; For more on Nippon Shinyaku's Duchenne drug trial failure, go here; To read more on Insmed's bronchiectasis treatment, click here; To sign up for STAT's ASCO newsletter, click here.