BioCentury This Week

The academia-industry interface is more important than ever for sustaining biomedical innovation’s forward momentum, even as the Trump administration injects turbulence into academic funding for universities. On a special edition of the BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s Simone Fishburn and Karen Tkach Tuzman preview Grand Rounds, BioCentury’s second annual R&D conference, along with special guests.
Spots are filling up for the Grand Rounds U.S. Presenting Company Class of 2025. Find out how to apply here.

View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/655696

#biotech #biopharma #pharma #lifescience #academia #chicago #asco

00:00 - Introduction
01:42 - Key Themes and Featured Sessions
07:37 - Chicago's Role in Biotech Innovation
15:06 - McKinsey's Insights
25:18 - Upcoming Events and Networking Opportunities

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The biotech community is reeling, fearful and furious about the fallout of tariff, FDA and NIH policies, according to BioCentury’s newly released Risk Sentiment survey. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss takeaways from the survey, which polled 328 biopharma stakeholders during April 10-14. The editors dissect the latest from Washington, including comments from FDA Commissioner Marty Makary on a new pathway for ultrarare drugs and his plans to reform advisory committee meetings, as well as last week’s executive order on drug pricing. They also discuss how China’s biotechs may have cracked one of the key bottlenecks for both speeding up and de-risking early drug development — and what this means for U.S. biotech. This episode of BioCentury This Week podcast was sponsored by RemeGen.

View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/655690

#biotech #biopharma #pharma #lifescience #FDA #politics #policy #law

00:01 - Sponsor Message: RemeGen Co.
02:00 - Sentiment Survey
20:18 - Makary's FDA Plans
29:51 - China Speed

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FDA’s plan to move away from animal toxicity testing could expedite INDs and cut costs for biopharma companies, while helping the U.S. maintain its position as a clinical research hub. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss the agency’s new three-year road map to reduce animal safety studies for mAbs. The editors then discuss the deepening morale crisis at FDA after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accused the agency of corruption, encouraged staff to report supervisors over approval decisions they oppose, and endorsed conspiracy theories about the “deep state.” They assess the impact of whipsawing tariff policies and turmoil at FDA on biotech indexes — and why the sky isn’t falling just yet for biotech’s specialist investors. The editors also highlight recent stories on base editors’ efficiency boom and how exosomes are finding new life. This episode of BioCentury This Week podcast was sponsored by RemeGen.

View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/655622

00:01 - Sponsor Message: RemeGen Co.
02:38 - Replacing Animal Models
09:40 - RFK Jr. & FDA
19:36 - NIH
30:02 - BioPharma Market Pulse
33:23 - Innovation Highlights

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Loss of leadership, cuts to staffing and a proposed reorganization at FDA have heightened biotech risk amid an already turbulent macroeconomic climate, according to BioCentury’s Washington editor Steve Usdin. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss how the turmoil at FDA could affect a sector already grappling with the uncertainty brought by the Trump administration’s trade war.
The editors also explore the growing pipeline of VEGF-targeted bispecifics in a preview of upcoming presentations at annual meeting for the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). And they discuss how companies may once again need to lean on their bear market survival toolkit, as part of BioCentury’s 2Q25 Financial Markets Preview. This episode of BioCentury This Week was sponsored by RemeGen Co.

View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/655566

00:01 - Sponsor Message: RemeGen Co. 
01:19 - FDA and Tariffs Turmoil
16:54 - AACR Preview
20:44 - Bear Market Toolkit

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Biotech indexes are tumbling after one of FDA’s last veteran leaders was pushed out by HHS Secretary RFK Jr. and the threat of tariffs weigh on a key biotech index. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss the factors driving down the XBI, which has now crossed into bear market territory and the latest turmoil at FDA, now that CBER Director Peter Marks has been ousted. Plus, inflammation and immunology companies are finding ways beyond precision medicine to boost responses. BioCentury’s editors assess one approach — bispecific antibodies that block two inflammatory pathways instead of one.

View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/655488

00:00 - Introduction
00:51 - XBI's Return to the Bear Market
11:26 - Marks Ouster & Turmoil at FDA
18:07 - Bispecifics for I&I

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European venture firm Sofinnova Partners is expanding the reach of its Biovelocita accelerator beyond Italy to stretch across the greater continent. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss how Biovelocita became the largest life sciences accelerator in Europe. The editors also discuss Novo Nordisk's latest addition to its obesity pipeline via a deal in China, and how the partnership reflects the state of cross-border dealmaking more broadly. And Washington Editor Steve Usdin assesses President Trump’s threat to impose 25% tariffs on pharmaceutical imports and provides an update on how FDA’s staff is navigating the policies of the new administration. Finally, Editor in Chief Simone Fishburn discusses BioCentury's upcoming Grand Rounds meetings.

View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/655438

00:00 - Introduction
02:25 - Sofinnova’s Pan-European Accelerator
08:27 - China Biotechs
14:59 - Trump Tariffs

To submit a question to BioCentury’s editors, email the BioCentury This Week team at [email protected].

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BIO is engaging with President Donald Trump to protect and improve FDA. It’s also hoping biopharmas can dodge tariffs and find paths to modify the Inflation Reduction Act and reinstate pediatric priority review vouchers. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, Washington Editor Steve Usdin delivers takeaways from his conversation with John Crowley, CEO of the industry trade group.
BioCentury’s editors also discuss how autoimmune CAR T companies are competing for resources and the end-to-end radiopharma ambitions of Telix Pharmaceuticals. A 2023 landscape on the radiopharma space can be found here.

View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/655370

00:00 - Introduction
02:09 - BIO's Trump 2.0 Plan
14:00 - Autoimmune CAR Ts
21:05 - Telix's Radiopharma Play

To submit a question to BioCentury’s editors, email the BioCentury This Week team at [email protected].

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While the culling of companies in the biotech bear market may have yet to subside, creative cross-border deal-making on innovative assets is spreading across Asia’s Arc of Innovation. Sciwind Biosciences Co. Ltd.’s Jing Shu and A*Star’s Lisa Ooi join BioCentury to wrap up the 4th annual BioCentury-BayHelix East-West Biopharma Summit in Singapore by discussing deal-making trends, the rise of new technologies and the deepening of biotech ecosystems from India to Japan.

View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/655318

00:00 - Introduction
01:58 - Key Takeaways
08:42 - Innovation in Japan and India
12:54 - Building Biotech Ecosystems
31:14 - NewCo Model

To submit a question to BioCentury’s editors, email the BioCentury This Week team at [email protected].

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The almost certain confirmation of Marty Makary as FDA commissioner this month will cap a transition marked by internal upheaval and political infighting. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss Thursday’s confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the agency and Makary's hints at what we can expect from his agenda.
The editors also discuss whether the advantages of amylin agonists could help the therapies outshine GLP-1 in obesity, why the latest weight loss data from CagriSema weighed on shares of Novo Nordisk, and a call to deliver on the meritocracy ideal, now that DEI is dead.

View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/655302

00:00 - Introduction
01:10 - Makary’s FDA Agenda
10:50 - Amylin in Obesity
24:21 - Life After DEI

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The track record of biotechs launched to create curative therapies using CRISPR-Cas9 provides new insights into the old debate over whether platform companies should validate their technology on established targets or pursue new ones. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss the lessons learned by this small group of companies since their launch a decade ago. They also discuss the entrance of AbbVie into the obesity race via a $350 million deal with Gubra for a clinical stage amylin agonist — does it signal AbbVie’s belief in amylin monotherapy, or will the company be hunting for more obesity assets? The editors also talk about recommendations to streamline the early-stage development of rare disease therapies in the U.S.

View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/655214

00:00 - Introduction
00:36 - CRISPR Companies
09:22 - AbbVie Enters Obesity Race
17:19 - Rare Disease Drug Challenges

To submit a question to BioCentury’s editors, email the BioCentury This Week team at [email protected].

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