The Readout Loud

By Stat

What's The Readout Loud about?

STAT’s weekly biotech podcast, breaking down the latest news, digging deep into industry goings-on, and giving you a preview of the week to come.

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The Readout Loud episodes:

05.02.2024
304: Controversial brain tissue research, obesity drug sales and Novartis’ M&A drama
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...
04.18.2024
303: A new obesity startup, an acquisition gone wrong, & the future of Teledoc
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...
04.11.2024
302: Vertex's big deal, biotech's red numbers, & an industry history lesson
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...
04.04.2024
301: Biotech mega-rounds, a cancer vaccine setback & CEOs keep their promise
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...
03.28.2024
300: What the mifepristone case means, GLP-1 skepticism, & Chinese biotech
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...
03.21.2024
299: Live! From the STAT Breakthrough Summit East
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...
03.14.2024
298: A dilemma in ALS, the first MASH drug, & why gene therapy is hard
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...
03.07.2024
297: VC turmoil, GLP-1 competition, & the war on recovery
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...
02.29.2024
296: Legal insider trading, booming biotech stocks, & the next GLP-1
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...
02.22.2024
295: Humira’s legacy, CEO symbolism, and genomic surgery
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,...
02.15.2024
294: Pharma goes to Washington, Alnylam's future, & Gilead's dealmaking
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...
02.08.2024
293: AI in medicine, detangling hype, and Icelandic DNA
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...
02.01.2024
292: Vertex's polarizing data, Aduhelm's adieu, & an FDA icon
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...
01.25.2024
291: The plight of the VC, Gilead's latest setback, & more M&A
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...
01.18.2024
290: Biotech layoffs, slumping stocks, and a 2024 preview
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...
01.11.2024
289: Live! From #JPM24
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...
12.21.2023
287: 2023 in review, CEO report cards, and a look at the year ahead
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...
12.14.2023
286: FTC v. biotech, Pfizer's kitchen sink, & Vertex's future
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...
12.07.2023
285: CRISPR history, biotech struggles, & a big week for deals
With the first CRISPR-based medicine expected to win FDA approval any minute now, STAT’s Megan Molteni joins us to discuss how we got here and what it means for the future. Then, Bruce Booth from Atlas Venture joins us to...
11.30.2023
284: AbbVie’s big deal, CAR-T’s risks, & getting a biotech job
We discuss why AbbVie is spending $10 billion on a cancer-focused company that spent four decades on the path to its first FDA approval, a deal with implications for biotech in 2023 and for a burgeoning area in oncology. We’ll...
11.16.2023
283: A CRISPR milestone, algorithms amok, & biotech mixology
Our colleague Casey Ross joins us to tell the bombshell story of how the nation's largest health insurer used a computer algorithm to deny patient care and boost its profitability. Then, biotech veteran Michael Gilman calls in to offer a...
11.13.2023
From Tradeoffs: Can the U.S. put an end to surprise ambulance bills?
From our reporting partners at Tradeoffs: Congress banned most surprise medical bills back in 2020, with one major exception: ambulance rides. Most people agree that patients should be shielded from these unexpected charges. But who should pick up the tab instead? This...
11.09.2023
282: Lilly’s obesity drug, the power of radiation, & a biotech implosion
As so-called radiopharmaceuticals make headlines in oncology, we explore their fascinating scientific backstory and the biotech gold rush to make them. We also discuss the approval of Eli Lilly’s curiously named treatment for obesity, the latest implosion for a promising...
11.02.2023
281: Decoding biotech hype, the Sarepta saga, & au revoir to a CEO
Biotech consultant Frank David joins us to explain the wild world of subgroup analyses and how to discern science from spin. We also discuss the latest news in the life sciences, including the future of Sarepta and the retirement of...
10.26.2023
280: ESMO highlights, Roivant's big deal, & biotech VC on the rise
Our colleague Andrew Joseph joins us to explain the decades-old cancer-treating technology that had its star turn at this week's big oncology conference in Europe. We also discuss the latest news in the life sciences, including the future of Alzheimer’s...
10.19.2023
279: Live from the 2023 STAT Summit
Live from Boston at the 2023 STAT Summit, we discuss the latest news in the life sciences, including a milestone in genome editing, a twist in the search for ALS treatments, and the polarizing process of saying words in biotech.
10.12.2023
278: Merger Mondays, Ozempic panic, & CRISPR'd pigs
We discuss Bristol Myers Squibb’s multibillion-dollar acquisition of Mirati Therapeutics and what it means for a biotech sector still in a slump. We also explain the latest news in the life sciences, including Wall Street’s freakout over GLP-1, CRISPR’ing animals,...
10.05.2023
277: Is the Nobel committee evolving? Plus, preventing public health's wiliest virus
It’s Nobel week on the podcast, and reporter Megan Molteni details the unique story of this year’s winners for medicine, Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman. Then, our colleague Jason Mast joins us to explain the scientific and ethical quandaries facing...
09.28.2023
276: Who discovered GLP-1? Plus: BrainStorm at the FDA and biotech's slump
Our colleague Elaine Chen joins us to explain the story of Svetlana Mojsov, a chemist who played a vital role in the discovery of GLP-1 who has spent decades fighting for proper recognition. We also discuss the latest news in...
09.21.2023
275: A thorny ALS debate at the FDA, and the promise of artificial wombs
Our colleague Lizzy Lawrence joins us to explain the promise of artificial wombs and the debate over how to ethically develop them. We also discuss a momentous upcoming meeting in which FDA will consider the thorny case of a potential...
09.14.2023
274: Covid’s latest surge, Alnylam at the FDA, & the end of an era
Our colleague Helen Branswell joins us to discuss the state of the Covid-19 pandemic heading into the fall and the rollout of boosters shots aimed at the latest viral variants. We also discuss the latest news in the life sciences,...
09.07.2023
273: Back to school for biotech, Biogen's potential pivot, & Illumina's next chapter
Josh Schimmer and Eric Schmidt, two longtime analysts teaming up at Cantor Fitzgerald, join us for a back-to-school conversation as biotech enters the busy back third of 2023. We also discuss the latest news in the life sciences, including some...
08.24.2023
272: Vivek's star turn, leaky drug data, & biotech as family business
We discuss how Vivek Ramaswamy, fresh off his headline-grabbing debut at the first Republican presidential debate, went from a drug industry entrepreneur to a GOP rising star — and how his former biotech colleagues are reacting to it. We also...
08.18.2023
271: Racing for gene therapy, a pioneering approval, & startups in the lurch
Our colleague Jason Mast joins us to explain how the approval of a landmark gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy set in motion a frantic race to get children treated before their 6th birthdays. Then, HSBC Managing Director Jonathan Norris...
08.10.2023
270: Your guide to Wegovy’s blockbuster heart study
In the wake of a massively important clinical trial of Novo Nordisk’s obesity drug Wegovy, our colleague Elaine Chen joins us to explain what we know and don’t know about data that could change the practice of medicine. Then, Mizuho...
08.03.2023
269: Biotech layoffs, eye drug drama, & gene therapy milestones
First, we discuss how some recent layoffs and a reverse merger mean for biotech in 2023. We’ll also discuss the latest news in the life sciences, including a dramatic saga in ocular medicine, the volatile business of Covid-19, and some...
07.27.2023
268: Biogen's sticky situation, Wegovy's risks, & biotech insider trading
First, we discuss why Wall Street was less than convinced by Biogen's attempt to assuage concerns about its credibility. Then we explain an insider trading scandal that bridges biotech and elite-level soccer, the latest concerns over Wegovy, and the rest...
07.20.2023
267: BridgeBio's big week, Lilly's Alzheimer's data, & succession at Stanford
Neil Kumar, CEO of BridgeBio, joins us to talk about how his small company came to develop what could be a big drug — and why classical Greek literature remains relevant. We also discuss the latest news in the life...
07.13.2023
266: Wegovy in the brain, pivotal Alzheimer's data, & pulling Threads
Our colleague Megan Molteni joins us to explain the evolving science suggesting products like Wegovy are less weight loss drugs than treatments for human desire. We also explain why this summer is shaping up to be a pivotal moment for...
06.29.2023
265: Novavax's CEO promises a turnaround & how Lilly roiled the obesity market
Our colleague Elaine Chen joins us to explain how the era of Wegovy could be short-lived in light of powerful new weight-loss medicines from Eli Lilly. Then, John Jacobs, the new CEO of Novavax, stops by to explain his plan...
06.22.2023
264: Messy PBM conflicts, debatable vaccines, & the future of flu season
Our colleague Bob Herman joins us to explain his year-long investigation into some brazen conflicts of interest in the world of prescription drug pricing. Then, STAT's Helen Branswell calls in to walk us through a news-packed week for vaccines, including...
06.15.2023
263: Biogen's messy board, Laronde's data problem, & the downside of a boom
Our colleague Allison DeAngelis joins us to share her reporting on how the handsomely funded Laronde Therapeutics, billed as “Moderna 2.0,” ran into behind-the-scenes problems with its scientific data. We also discuss how Biogen's boardroom scandal has roiled a company...
06.08.2023
262: Merck v. USA, the best of ASCO, and Leqembi at the FDA
STAT Washington correspondent Rachel Cohrs joins us to explain Merck's lawsuit against the federal government and why the company believes drug pricing negotiation is “tantamount to extortion." We also discuss the health effects of Canadian wildfires, the highlights of the...
06.01.2023
261: Fake medical devices, real cancer drugs, & curious Ozempic effects
Our colleague Lizzy Lawrence joins us to explain the shocking story of a medical device company that sold fake implants and the warped system that made the scam lucrative. We’ll also preview the year’s biggest cancer research meeting and discuss...
05.25.2023
260: ChatGPT in medicine, a boom in weight loss pills, & Sarepta at the FDA
As hospitals and health care companies are racing to implement large language models like ChatGPT into their businesses, STAT reporter Casey Ross joins us to explain what experts want the world to know before embracing generative AI. We also discuss...
05.18.2023
259: The FTC v. Amgen, Sarepta's future, & Galapagos' turnaround
Jared Holz, biotech strategist at Mizuho Securities, joins us to explain why federal regulators are suing to block Amgen's $28 billion merger with Horizon Therapeutics and what it means for the drug industry. We also discuss the latest on Sarepta...
05.11.2023
258: Pharma vs. PBMs, Sarepta at the FDA, & a bold idea gone awry
We discuss a Senate hearing that put major pharma CEOs in the same room with the middlemen they love to blame for rising drug prices, with mixed results. We also explain what is a massive week for Sarepta Therapeutics, the...
05.04.2023
257: Lilly's Alzheimer's success, a milestone FDA approval, & Moderna's shrinking business
Eli Lilly’s investigational medicine for Alzheimer’s met its goals in an all-important clinical trial, and we explain the results, their implications, and the backstory of what could be a blockbuster drug. We also discuss the latest news in the life...
04.27.2023
256: Explaining the E.U.'s pharma overhaul, Lilly's booming business, & a long-awaited drug approval
Andrew Joseph, STAT's Europe correspondent, joins us to explain the EU's sweeping proposal to overhaul how new drugs are regulated on the continent — and why the pharmaceutical industry is fighting it. We also discuss the latest news in the...
04.20.2023
255: Sarepta's pivotal moment, biotech's big week, & the future of Covid boosters
Our colleague Helen Branswell joins us to explain the latest news on Covid-19 boosters and the implications of a Marburg outbreak in Equatorial Guinea. Then we dive into the long history of a gene therapy from Sarepta Therapeutics, a polarizing...

What's The Readout Loud about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Readout Loud episodes:

304: Controversial brain tissue research, obesity drug sales and Novartis’ M&A drama

303: A new obesity startup, an acquisition gone wrong, & the future of Teledoc

302: Vertex's big deal, biotech's red numbers, & an industry history lesson

301: Biotech mega-rounds, a cancer vaccine setback & CEOs keep their promise

300: What the mifepristone case means, GLP-1 skepticism, & Chinese biotech

299: Live! From the STAT Breakthrough Summit East

298: A dilemma in ALS, the first MASH drug, & why gene therapy is hard

297: VC turmoil, GLP-1 competition, & the war on recovery

296: Legal insider trading, booming biotech stocks, & the next GLP-1

295: Humira’s legacy, CEO symbolism, and genomic surgery

294: Pharma goes to Washington, Alnylam's future, & Gilead's dealmaking

293: AI in medicine, detangling hype, and Icelandic DNA

292: Vertex's polarizing data, Aduhelm's adieu, & an FDA icon

291: The plight of the VC, Gilead's latest setback, & more M&A

290: Biotech layoffs, slumping stocks, and a 2024 preview

289: Live! From #JPM24

287: 2023 in review, CEO report cards, and a look at the year ahead

286: FTC v. biotech, Pfizer's kitchen sink, & Vertex's future

285: CRISPR history, biotech struggles, & a big week for deals

284: AbbVie’s big deal, CAR-T’s risks, & getting a biotech job

283: A CRISPR milestone, algorithms amok, & biotech mixology

From Tradeoffs: Can the U.S. put an end to surprise ambulance bills?

282: Lilly’s obesity drug, the power of radiation, & a biotech implosion

281: Decoding biotech hype, the Sarepta saga, & au revoir to a CEO

280: ESMO highlights, Roivant's big deal, & biotech VC on the rise

279: Live from the 2023 STAT Summit

278: Merger Mondays, Ozempic panic, & CRISPR'd pigs

277: Is the Nobel committee evolving? Plus, preventing public health's wiliest virus

276: Who discovered GLP-1? Plus: BrainStorm at the FDA and biotech's slump

275: A thorny ALS debate at the FDA, and the promise of artificial wombs

274: Covid’s latest surge, Alnylam at the FDA, & the end of an era

273: Back to school for biotech, Biogen's potential pivot, & Illumina's next chapter

272: Vivek's star turn, leaky drug data, & biotech as family business

271: Racing for gene therapy, a pioneering approval, & startups in the lurch

270: Your guide to Wegovy’s blockbuster heart study

269: Biotech layoffs, eye drug drama, & gene therapy milestones

268: Biogen's sticky situation, Wegovy's risks, & biotech insider trading

267: BridgeBio's big week, Lilly's Alzheimer's data, & succession at Stanford

266: Wegovy in the brain, pivotal Alzheimer's data, & pulling Threads

265: Novavax's CEO promises a turnaround & how Lilly roiled the obesity market

264: Messy PBM conflicts, debatable vaccines, & the future of flu season

263: Biogen's messy board, Laronde's data problem, & the downside of a boom

262: Merck v. USA, the best of ASCO, and Leqembi at the FDA

261: Fake medical devices, real cancer drugs, & curious Ozempic effects

260: ChatGPT in medicine, a boom in weight loss pills, & Sarepta at the FDA

259: The FTC v. Amgen, Sarepta's future, & Galapagos' turnaround

258: Pharma vs. PBMs, Sarepta at the FDA, & a bold idea gone awry

257: Lilly's Alzheimer's success, a milestone FDA approval, & Moderna's shrinking business

256: Explaining the E.U.'s pharma overhaul, Lilly's booming business, & a long-awaited drug approval

255: Sarepta's pivotal moment, biotech's big week, & the future of Covid boosters