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Join host, Jo Fahy, and pharmaceuticals and healthcare reporter, Jessica Davis Pluss, to weigh up the forces shaping pharma in 2026. From AI’s real gains in clinics and labs, to the case for inclusive data, we also discuss the politics of who funds innovation, and why rare diseases and antibiotics deserve our focus. 

SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.

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How did longevity go from a social media trend to a focus of serious science?
In this special bonus episode our host, Jo Fahy, is joined in the studio by pharmaceuticals and healthcare reporter, Jessica Davis Pluss. We trace how Switzerland was uniquely positioned to become a global hub for healthier ageing. We also compare lifespan and health span, examine why access to clinics is so tightly guarded, and discuss why the pharmaceutical industry is moving cautiously in this growing field.

SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.

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Lost cells on Apple, Spotify and any where you listen to your podcasts. 

SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.

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Want a longer life that still feels like yours? We sit down with psychologist Christina Röcke of the University of Zurich’s Healthy Longevity Center to unpack what actually fuels healthy aging—and what’s just marketing noise. From blue-zone myths to AI-driven biohacking, we trace why the longevity boom exploded and where the evidence really points: consistent movement, quality relationships, realistic stress strategies, and communities that make healthy choices simple.

Join Swissinfo for a debate on this topic or read more of our science stories,  by visiting our website swisinfo.ch. You can help other people to find our podcast by leaving us a five-star review.

Journalist: Jessica Davis Plüss
Host: Jo Fahy
Audio editor/video journalist: Michele Andina
Distribution and Marketing: Xin Zhang

SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.

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We trace how a soil-derived drug led to the discovery of mTOR, why growth control sits at the core of aging biology, and where evidence ends for humans. Michael Hall’s quiet breakthroughs explain fasting, autophagy, and rapamycin without the hype.

To read more about this topic and for more science stories, visit our website swisinfo.ch. You can help other people to find our podcast by leaving us a five-star review.

Journalist: Jessica Davis Plüss
Host: Jo Fahy
Audio editor/video journalist: Michele Andina
Distribution and Marketing: Xin Zhang

SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.

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What if the most valuable drug candidates aren’t found but designed on demand? We follow a chemist’s journey from a pencil-and-paper notebook to generative algorithms that propose novel, IP-free molecules tailored to specific targets, and we open the door to how Swiss pharma is rebuilding discovery around AI.

To read more about this topic and for more science stories, visit our website swisinfo.ch. You can help other people to find our podcast by leaving us a five-star review.

Journalist: Jessica Davis Plüss
Host: Jo Fahy
Audio editor/video journalist: Michele Andina
Distribution and Marketing: Xin Zhang

SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.

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We trace how sex and gender shape drug development, from male-heavy mouse studies to the split results in Lecanemab’s Alzheimer’s trial. Experts explain why regulators should keep approvals moving while demanding smarter design, better reporting, and post-approval answers.

For more science stories, visit our website swisinfo.ch, and you can help other people to find our podcast by leaving us a five-star review.

Journalist: Jessica Davis Plüss
Host: Jo Fahy
Audio editor/video journalist: Michele Andina
Distribution and Marketing: Xin Zhang

SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.

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Alzheimer’s disease is more than age-related memory loss—it’s a serious brain disorder. In this episode of the Swiss Connection Science podcast, Swissinfo healthcare reporter Jessica Davis Pluess explores the science, hope, and controversy surrounding new Alzheimer’s drugs like Leqembi and Kisunla. With billions invested and global regulatory decisions diverging, what do these treatments mean for patients and healthcare systems? 

Visit SWI swissinfo.ch for more on this topic and a video on this story. Please come to SWI swissinfo.ch for more of our science stories from Switzerland.

Journalist: Jessica Davis Plüss
Host: Jo Fahy
Audio editor/video journalist: Michele Andina
Distribution and Marketing: Xin Zhang

SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.

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The search for the elixir of life has been going on since time immemorial – and Switzerland has played a key role. Although scientists have yet to come up with a winning formula, the Alpine nation has a booming market for treatments, pills and gadgets that claim to slow ageing and help us live healthier, longer lives.

Visit SWI swissinfo.ch for more on this topic and a video on this story. Please come to SWI swissinfo.ch for more of our science stories from Switzerland.

Jounalist: Jessica Davis Plüss
Host: Jo Fahy
Audio editor/video journalist: Michele Andina
Distribution and Marketing: Xin Zhang

SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.

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We’ve received the sad news that former CERN director and experimental physicist Herwig Schopper has passed away at the age of 101. He was considered the grandfather of the world’s most powerful particle accelerator, helped promote peace through a Middle Eastern science hub, and voiced his concerns about the Nobel Prize. In 2024, just before his 100th birthday, we had the chance to visit him at his home on Lake Geneva. We spoke with him about some of the highlights of his career and his personal thoughts on research and its potential to contribute to peacebuilding.

SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.