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In this episode of Petri Dish Perspectives: Biotech Unleashed, host Manead explores the remarkable journey of AstraZeneca, from its unlikely Swedish-British merger to blockbuster drugs like Nexium and Crestor, through near-decline, and ultimately its reinvention as a science-driven leader in oncology, cardiometabolic health, and global public health. 

Discover how bold leadership, high-risk bets, and groundbreaking discoveries like Tagrisso, Enhertu, and Farxiga transformed AstraZeneca into one of today’s most innovative pharmaceutical giants.

Listen now, stay curious, and don’t forget to subscribe for new episodes every Thursday!

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#AstraZeneca #BiotechUnleashed #PetriDishPerspectives #BiotechPodcast #PharmaInnovation #Oncology #CardiometabolicHealth #PrecisionMedicine #DrugDiscovery #HealthcareLeadership

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In this episode of Petri Dish Perspectives: Biotech Unleashed, we dive into the remarkable and controversial story of Gilead Sciences, a company that redefined what medicine could achieve. From its beginnings in the late 1980s under physician-scientist Michael Riordan, Gilead transformed antiviral drug development with breakthroughs in HIV treatment, revolutionized global health with a cure for hepatitis C, and pushed into oncology with cutting-edge CAR-T therapies.

But alongside these triumphs came firestorms of criticism, from the $84,000 price tag of Sovaldi to debates around HIV drug access and patents. Gilead has long walked the fine line between lifesaving innovation and public outrage, forcing society to wrestle with the question: What is the true price of a cure?

Join us as we unpack Gilead’s origins, its blockbuster breakthroughs, its controversies, and what lies ahead for one of biotech’s most influential and polarizing companies.

Listen now, stay curious, and don’t forget to subscribe for new episodes every Thursday!

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#Biotech #GileadSciences #HIV #HepatitisC #CART #Oncology #DrugDiscovery #Pharma #HealthcareInnovation #MedicalBreakthroughs #PetriDishPerspectives

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In this episode of Petri Dish Perspectives: Biotech Unleashed, we dive into the story of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), one of the world’s most influential pharma giants!

From scaling up penicillin production in WWII, to pioneering semi-synthetic antibiotics like amoxicillin, to leading the global vaccine race with Cervarix and Shingrix, GSK has left an indelible mark on modern medicine. We also explore its groundbreaking role in HIV treatment through ViiV Healthcare, and the blockbuster drugs that reshaped respiratory and infectious disease care. Along the way, we draw key lessons on adaptability, collaboration, and the power of prevention in pharma’s evolving landscape.

Listen now, stay curious, and don’t forget to subscribe for new episodes every Thursday!

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#GSK #Pharma #Vaccines #BiotechPodcast #DrugDiscovery #HIV #Shingrix #Cervarix #Antibiotics #Asthma #PetriDishPerspectives

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In this episode of Petri Dish Perspectives: Biotech Unleashed, we dive deep into the origin story of Amgen, a company that helped turn “biotechnology” from a niche lab concept into a global medical force.

We’ll trace Amgen’s unlikely beginnings in 1980, a time when gene splicing was still the stuff of scientific legend and meet the eclectic founding team: George Rathmann, the charismatic chemist-turned-executive; Winston Salser, the UCLA scientist eager to bring basic research to patients; Bill Bowes, the venture capitalist who had already bet big on Genentech; and Ray Schinazi, the young medicinal chemist destined to become an antiviral pioneer.

From its scrappy early days in Thousand Oaks to its first blockbuster drugs like Epogen and Neupogen, Amgen’s story is one of scientific daring, boardroom brinkmanship, and relentless pursuit of innovation. We’ll explore the company’s pivotal moments, the personalities who shaped its path, and how it helped define the modern biotech industry.

Whether you’re a biotech insider, a science history buff, or just curious about how life-saving drugs make it from idea to reality, this is one you won’t want to miss.

Listen now, stay curious, and don’t forget to subscribe for new episodes every Thursday!

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#Amgen #BiotechHistory #PharmaInnovation #DrugDiscovery #BiotechPodcast #ScienceStorytelling #Biotechnology #HealthcareInnovation #LifeSciences #PetriDishPerspectives #BiotechUnleashed

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What happens when one of the world’s most powerful genomics companies rises from a college dorm in China and goes on to challenge the West’s biotech dominance? In this episode of Petri Dish Perspectives: Biotech Unleashed, we unravel the story of BGI Genomics, a company at the intersection of cutting-edge science, national ambition, and global controversy.

From decoding the human genome to building the world’s largest sequencing fleet, BGI’s journey is as bold as it is complex. We’ll explore the vision of its founders, its scientific breakthroughs in synthetic biology and population-scale genomics, its collaborations and tensions with Western partners, and the ethical debates surrounding its work in data privacy and government-backed research.

🎧 Whether you're in biotech, healthcare, or just fascinated by the future of science, this episode dives into how BGI is reshaping medicine, research, and geopolitics and what we can all learn from its rise.

Listen now, stay curious, and don’t forget to subscribe for new episodes every Thursday!

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#BGIGenomics #Genomics #ChinaBiotech #BiotechPodcast #DNASequencing #SyntheticBiology #PetriDishPerspectives #BiotechUnleashed #Bioethics #GlobalHealth #PrecisionMedicine #HumanGenomeProject #BGI

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In this episode of Petri Dish Perspectives: Biotech Unleashed, host Manead takes you inside the remarkable story of Abbott Laboratories: a company that doesn’t chase headlines but touches billions of lives every day.

From its origins in 1888 as a small Chicago pharmacy mixing precise plant-based pills, Abbott has grown into a global healthcare powerhouse behind life-changing products like the FreeStyle Libre glucose monitor, BinaxNOW COVID-19 tests, Similac baby formula, Ensure nutrition shakes, and cutting-edge heart devices.

You’ll hear how a frontier doctor’s mission for safer, more reliable medicine sparked 135+ years of steady, practical innovation, from mass-producing penicillin in WWII to pioneering rapid diagnostics in a pandemic. You’ll also learn how Abbott’s global workforce and patient-first mindset continue to solve everyday health challenges in ways that quietly shape our world.

Grab your coffee, settle in for under 30 minutes, and discover why Abbott proves that sometimes the most powerful biotech breakthroughs aren’t flashy moonshots, they’re the everyday tools that keep us living longer, healthier, and freer lives.

Listen now, stay curious, and don’t forget to subscribe for new episodes every Thursday!

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#Biotech #HealthcareInnovation #Abbott #PetriDishPerspectives #SciencePodcast #MedicalDevices #Diagnostics #GlucoseMonitoring #NutritionScience #HealthTech #LifeSciences #PodcastRecommendation

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DISCLAIMER: This is a consistently changing situation. The episode was recorded approximately 4 PM EDT Monday, July 21, 2025.  As of 7.40 PM EDT Monday, July 21, 2025 (Source: Sarepta), "Sarepta Therapeutics notified the U.S. FDA of its decision to voluntarily and temporarily pause all shipments of ELEVIDYS (delandistrogene moxeparvovec) for Duchenne muscular dystrophy in the United States, effective close of business Tuesday, July 22, 2025."

🎙️ When Hope Collides with Risk: Sarepta’s Gene Therapy Crisis

In this episode of Petri Dish Perspectives,  Manead goes off-script to unpack one of the hottest biotech stories in the headlines today: the unraveling of Sarepta Therapeutics.

What began in a small Oregon lab in 1980 as Antivirals Inc. evolved into Sarepta, a pioneer in the fight against Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). From early exon-skipping breakthroughs to the dazzling promise of its gene therapy, Elevidys, Sarepta has long been a symbol of hope for families facing an otherwise devastating disease.

But in 2025, that hope hit a hard wall: patient deaths, regulatory clashes, and a growing crisis that’s shaking confidence in gene therapy as a whole. In under 30 minutes, Manead breaks down Sarepta’s 40-year journey, the science, the promise, the standoff with the FDA  and what this turning point means for the future of genetic medicine.

This isn’t just another biotech update, it’s a raw look at what happens when cutting-edge hope meets the harsh edge of reality.

Grab your coffee or tea, hit play, and stay curious.

🎧 New episodes every Thursday!

#Biotech #GeneTherapy #Sarepta #DMD #FDA #RareDisease #PetriDishPerspectives #BiotechUnleashed

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🔬✨ From Cystic Fibrosis Breakthroughs to Gene Editing Cures

In this episode of Petri Dish Perspectives: Biotech Unleashed, Manead unpacks how Vertex turned cystic fibrosis from a fatal disease into a treatable condition and why they’re now tackling sickle cell, diabetes, and more with CRISPR and stem cell science.

Discover how visionary chemists, Nobel-winning gene editors, and patient advocates built one of biotech’s most inspiring success stories, proving that deep science and real patient impact can go hand in hand.

Grab your coffee and hit play! 🚀

#Biotech #VertexPharma #CRISPR #GeneEditing #CysticFibrosis #RareDisease #HealthcareInnovation #PetriDishPerspectives #BiotechPodcast

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🧬 From VC to Blockbusters: The Genentech Story
In Episode 11 of Petri Dish Perspectives: Biotech Unleashed, host Manead dives into the legendary rise of Genentech, the startup that sparked the biotech revolution. From its humble beginnings in a borrowed lab to pioneering insulin, tPA, Herceptin, and more, learn how Genentech turned recombinant DNA into real-world cures. Discover the bold VC bets, game-changing antibodies, and the Roche acquisition that preserved its science-first culture. A must-listen for biotech nerds and curious minds alike!

🎧 #Genentech #BiotechPodcast #Herceptin #Avastin #Rituxan #RecombinantDNA #OncologyInnovation #PetriDishPerspectives #HealthcareInnovation #PharmaHistory #RocheGroup #StartupToSuperpower

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💡 From Vitamin C to AI-Driven Diagnostics: Roche’s Legacy Unleashed
In this episode of Petri Dish Perspectives: Biotech Unleashed, we explore the extraordinary evolution of Roche, from its origins as a 19th-century Swiss chemical company to becoming a global leader in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics.

You’ll hear how Roche launched the world’s first branded vitamin C, pioneered molecular diagnostics with PCR, and laid the groundwork for today’s precision medicine revolution. We’ll also dive into how Roche’s unique dual-engine model—drugs + diagnostics, that helped shape modern healthcare.

🎧 Whether you're a biotech nerd or just curious about the science behind your health, this episode is packed with insight, history, and a glimpse into Roche’s future.

#Roche #Biotech #Diagnostics #VitaminC #PCR #PrecisionMedicine #HealthcareInnovation #PharmaGiants #PetriDishPerspectives #BiotechPodcast

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