The Readout Loud

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 an FDA icon.

Here's where you can subscribe to our biotech newsletter, The Readout. And here's where you can subscribe to our newsletter on the business (and secretive inner workings) of the U.S. health care industry, Health Care Inc.

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 the latest biotech to get bought out by a major pharma firm.

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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 in 2024, including some major data readouts and a few pivotal FDA decisions.

Here's where you can subscribe to our biotech newsletter, The Readout.

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 the latest twist in the Sarepta Therapeutics saga, a ubiquitous dealmaker, and life on the party circuit.

For more on what we cover, here's the news on Sarepta; here's more on Nvidia; here's the story on Centerview; here’s where you can find episodes of Color Code; here’s where you can subscribe to the First Opinion Podcast; and here's where you can subscribe to our biotech newsletter, The Readout.

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 drug industry.

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 sciences, including Pfizer’s downbeat future, Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ next big thing, and a newly minted biotech VC with a very famous name.

Here's where you can subscribe to our biotech newsletter, The Readout.

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 discuss what was yet another downbeat year for biotech and whether there’s reason for optimism heading into 2024.

To keep up with biotech news throughout the week, here's where you can subscribe to our newsletter, The Readout.

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 also talk about the latest news in the life sciences, including safety concerns for CAR-T cancer treatment, the slumping industry job market, and some curious explanations for clinical failures.

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 behind-the-scenes peek at what it’s like to be a startup CEO in this economic downturn — and which cocktail recipes help make it bearable. We also discuss a pioneering approval for a genome-editing medicine.

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 week, as state and federal policymakers grapple with that question, we delve into why finding a fair solution is harder than you’d think.

You can also check out our STAT story for more information. 

Note: This episode has been re-uploaded after technical difficulties.