The BioWorld Insider Podcast

It used to be a lot easier to find partners. After two years of strong dealmaking, the volume and value of partnerships slid in the first quarter of 2023. M&As also are down compared to prior years. But there are some reasons to be cheerful. Looking at first quarter numbers and surveying the big picture on this BioWorld Insider podcast are Karen Carey, BioWorld’s managing editor and senior data analyst, along with Tim Shannon, a general partner at Canaan. Carey just wrote about biopharma deals and completed M&As in the first quarter. Shannon, who’s been with Canaan since 2009, has a new fund sporting $850 million in new capital, including an oversubscribed $650 million fund for seed and series A financings. They both offer their insights into the first quarter’s numbers and what may lie ahead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It all goes to show how a good idea can’t be kept down. Madam Curie started radiopharmaceuticals in the late 1800s and now it’s a multibillion-dollar industry. BioWorld’s seven-part series on a new era of radiopharmaceuticals reveals their increasing importance as part of cancer treatments because they have fewer side effects and cause far less damage to tissue than previously. The big idea is taking the hallmarks of two cancer therapies – radiology and chemotherapy – and merging them. That’s what makes this evolving technology a disrupter. The series, led by BioWorld Staff Writer Tamra Sami, takes a close look at the different radiopharmaceutical moieties and the science behind them, the supply chain vulnerabilities, the regulatory landscape, the patient journey and therapies in the pipeline. Sami summarizes this special report in the latest edition of the BioWorld Insider Podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As James Peyer, the CEO of Cambrian Biopharma Inc., watched his grandfather fail every cancer treatment and pass away, he also saw the structure of his future company being born. Waiting until people became sick was the wrong way to treat disease, he found. Instead, Cambrian was created to develop anti-aging therapies, a unique business model that fits the new field of geroscience. To do that, Cambrian became a biotech business, a VC fund and an incubator. Peyer spoke to the BioWorld Insider Podcast about his pipeline and how he goes about fundraising in a little understood field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After many years of research and development, drug-induced weight loss has matured into a viable therapeutic option. But do the drugs directly help people become healthier or is it the weight loss? There are longstanding concerns that the health effects of weight might be overrated. And new studies show fitness improves health outside of weight. So, can a person still be considered healthy despite being over a “normal” weight? How will future medical science consider what is called the obesity epidemic? In this edition of the BioWorld Insider podcast, BioWorld Science Managing Editor Anette Breindl, discusses her new analysis of multiple studies related to weight loss, metabolic health and fitness which in many ways goes against the mainstream health care state of mind about obesity.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We wrapped up 2022 and are preparing for 2023 on this BioWorld Insider podcast. Staff writer Lee Landenberger talked to four CEOs, visionaries of companies producing new science and drug development. The CEOs offered their insights into what happened this year and looked at the challenges and opportunities for next year.  Karen Zaderej, CEO of Axogen Inc., detailed a successful phase III study of its peripheral nerve repair product, Advance Nerve Graft, despite staffing challenges at hospitals. Sean Bohen, CEO of Olema Oncology Inc., whose company is developing therapies to treat women's cancers, reflected on how Olema overcame financing challenges.Rob Ross, the CEO of Surface Oncology Inc., spoke about how equity funding has dried up and has forced Surface to be creative in order to keep moving forward with its antibody against IL-27 to treat non-small-cell lung cancer.Rob Etherington, the CEO of Clene Nanomedicine Inc., revealed how his company will be leaning into strategic M&A and licensing opportunities to keep its multiple sclerosis candidate, which can improve function on top of standard-of-care MS drugs, moving forward. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An analyst recently observed that mental health treatments are stuck where cancer was 50 years ago. However, there have been major advancements in developing psychedelic medicines to address that problem. BioWorld staff writer Lee Landenberger talked with James Lanthier, the CEO of Mindset Pharma, which is developing what it calls “next-generation” psychedelic medicines to treat neurological and psychiatric disorders. Lanthier discussed challenges facing companies developing psychedelic treatments and how to overcome the one-size-fits-all, trial-and-error approach to mental health treatment that often seems stuck in the past. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BioWorld writers bring you the details of new R&D alliances, financings, IPOs and M&A every day. These stories are the heartbeat of the relationships between industry giants and their smaller, more innovative peers. But what's the top-line read for dealmaking these days? With nearly 1,000 biopharma deals completed through early August amid a volatile economic climate, there's a lot to talk about. Join the BioWorld Insider podcast as we talk with Senior Analyst Karen Carey, whose data-driven research delivers a detailed picture of the ups and downs. For starters, the sector has seen sharp declines this year in stocks and less money being raised. “What we are seeing seems to be a correction of the intense enthusiasm – the zeal for biopharma during 2020 and 2021 when nobody knew what was going on with COVID,” Carey said. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Extending the human lifespan, a BioWorld special report, the team examined the latest science, the key biological drivers that can be targeted pharmacologically and the companies developing potential “Fountain of Youth” candidate drugs. In this episode of the BioWorld Insider Podcast, the team discussed the report’s highlights and key takeaways. In what could be a holy grail for humanity, anti-aging drugs would simultaneously reduce the risk of multiple age-related illnesses in one. BioWorld found that investments in life-extending drugs and the number of clinical trials are on the rise. Can we hopscotch over the many diseases of aging? The impact could be staggering. Equitable access to drugs and therapies tackling aging could reduce health care costs in a major way and improve quality of life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As multidisciplinary care extends survival and improves the quality of life for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), can a host of new ALS drugs vying to slow its progression make a difference? A surprise extension of the U.S. FDA review for Amylyx Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s AMX-0035 to review new data, plus near-term readouts from a major ALS platform trial may soon provide answers. Join the BioWorld Insider podcast as we talk with executives from Amylyx and Clene Inc., and a key Penn State ALS expert on what the future of medicine may hold for ALS patients.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Could investments in biopharmaceutical companies in 2022 be as aggressive as 2021, which saw a record 1,968 biopharma deals worth about $213.5 billion? So far, 2022 may be the lowest financing year since 2017 overall. But, drilling down to venture capital, private companies raised $5.7 billion in Q1 through 129 transactions, making it the second-best first quarter in history with 2021 at the top. Apparently, investors and private companies have maintained their appetite into 2022. Simultaneously, deal volume is down but values are up, which means that biopharma executives are realizing they can gain access to innovative technologies for a lot less money through licensings and collaborations. BioWorld Senior Analyst Karen Carey explores the data with staff writer Lee Landenberger, explaining what happened in Q1 and where Q2 is headed.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) always had a full schedule, but COVID-19 amped it up tremendously. Some public health policy observers wonder whether the increased responsibility meets the CDC’s needs and if the CDC pays enough attention to the committee. William Schaffner, professor of preventive medicine in the Department of Health Policy as well as professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, joined ACIP in 1982. He has deep insight on how the committee works as the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases’ liaison to ACIP. He joined BioWorld staff writer Lee Landenberger to talk about the committee and how it makes the big decisions that ultimately affect public health policy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the study of long COVID-19 continuing to evolve, the BioWorld team is taking a closer look at the condition -- a complex syndrome affecting more than 100 million people globally -- and what's being done about it. In this episode, BioWorld Senior Science Editor Anette Breindl and Staff Writer Lee Landenberger, fresh off writing a pair of detailed stories about these issues, join us to talk about how consensus around what long COVID is has emerged. Why is that consensus important and what sort of treatments are in the pipeline? Are patients moving closer to the center of the conversation as we continue to navigate this pandemic, which the World Health Organization reminded us recently is very much not yet over? Listen to find out! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies across all stages of drug development is presenting interesting new challenges around the world. One key question of growing importance: Can an AI algorithm be an inventor? If so, can the AI system apply for or receive a patent? We spoke to Ryan Abbott, a professor of law and medicine, as well as the leader of the Artificial Inventor Project and Jim Belfiore, senior vice president of innovation at Clarivate, to learn more about the implications of these questions and how patent offices and courts are handling them so far. What’s at stake in recognizing a more prominent role for AI in the innovation sphere? Could AI inventorship potentially create IP asset inflation? Listen to find out.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In another record year for biopharma fundraisings, more money than ever pulsed through the industry. The volume and value of pharma IPOs and venture capital financings are at their highest levels. Private financings for 2021 easily outdistanced those from 2020, much of it powered by SPACs. Where is it all going in 2022? Two experts joined BioWorld to share their thoughts. Kleanthis Xanthopoulos is a co-founder and executive chairman of Shoreline Biosciences. For more than 20 years he’s been an executive, company founder, CEO, investor and board member in biopharma research. Also joining the discussion was Joe Hernandez, CEO and executive chairman of Blue Water Vaccines, who founded or led eight health care and pharmaceuticals companies.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The FDA’s June 2021 approval of Aduhelm (aducanumab), the first plaque-targeting therapy, rattled the company, regulators and the market. BioWorld brought together two experts to get their thoughts as each is involved in developing vaccines or treatments for Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. Michael Agadjanyan is the president of Nuravax Inc., which is developing antibodies for preventing Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. We also spoke with Robert Glanzman, who is chief medical officer of Clene Nanomedicine Inc., which is developing a nanotherapeutic for Parkinson’s disease. Both have strong views on Aduhelm. They also had a spirited debate on the science of curing dementia.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Complex manufacturing processes and supply chains have always been part of the biopharma industry story, with many people in more than a few nations typically involved along the way. While that observation applies to plenty of other areas of business, Paul Testa, executive vice president for operations and supply chain at Tokyo-based Kyowa Kirin, tells us about the crucial difference with medicine: “We can wait for toilet paper or building materials, but the patient cannot wait because their health care is at stake,” he said. Continuity, reliability of supply, business process and automation were all key priorities for him before the pandemic and haven’t drastically changed since. But “there's an added layer of complexity with COVID and a lot of the intricacies of managing those details that we all deal with,” he said. How does the Japanese concept of 和 (wa) fit in? Listen to find out.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amid industry’s ongoing drive to speed drug discovery, clinical development and commercial success, government regulation can sometimes seem slow moving. But even a quick look at regulatory highlights from 2021 shows nothing could be further from the truth. From COVID-19 and cancer to Aduhelm and the broader health care ecosystem, so much has changed – and not just in the U.S. Join us for perspective on this fast-changing landscape from Peter Pitts, president of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, among other roles. “All of a sudden, everybody is a regulatory expert,” he said. Will free beer get us where we need to go? Listen to find out.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The COVID-19 pandemic is so all encompassing and complex, with dramatic details shifting almost hourly, that it can be easy to lose track of the big picture. And there are so many questions. Has industry pushed out vaccines too fast? Was there adequate testing? Did they take shortcuts? Why were governments pushing for boosters before the scientific data was available? We asked BioWorld’s regulatory editor Mari Serebrov, who has covered the pandemic since the beginning, to help put it all into perspective. She has strong insights into vaccine development, including the handful of winners and quite a few failures in the more than 1,000 vaccines and therapeutics in the pipeline. Listen to the discussion on how industry has pushed out vaccines and drugs in this turbo-charged timeline.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new pill, molnupiravir, from Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. and partner Merck & Co. could cut hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 in half. The companies are already seeking emergency use authorization in the U.S. and global governments are pledging to buy big lots of the medicine, pending regulatory approvals.But some people are already crying foul over the proposed price, $712 for a treatment, which includes twice daily doses for five days – because the U.S. government helped pay for the research. Molnupiravir was invented at Emory University and had partial funding and support from the U.S. government.Joseph Allen, executive director of the Bayh-Dole Coalition, joined the BioWorld Insider Podcast this week to explain how this scientific discovery may have never had a chance to move out of the university onto pharmacy shelves without the government’s support of innovation. The cost of health care, including drugs, is an entirely separate topic and should be treated as such, he said. Allen explained that the Bayh-Dole Act, which then-Senator Joe Biden voted for in 1980, also has something called a march-in provision. In the absence of good-faith efforts being made to commercialize an invention discovered with government support, it enables the government to force licensing of the technology to another party. While some have argued the same mechanism could be used to set the price of federally funded medicines, Allen said that’s never been the law’s intention. However, the pricing saga plays out, the pill would be a far more convenient alternative to other currently used therapies which are injected.Listen to BioWorld Insider podcast to better understand the controversial story behind the story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer morbidity and mortality in women worldwide. While widespread use of HPV vaccination is dramatically reducing the number of women developing the disease where vaccination is common, the global number of new cases is projected to climb over the next decade. Treatment options until now have been limited to surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy. Recent data showed adding Keytruda to standard first-line chemotherapy improved survival, but there's still substantial need for new treatments. This week, one arrived: The Danish firm Genmab and its U.S. partner, Seagen, won accelerated FDA approval for the antibody-drug conjugate Tivdak (tisotumab vedotin). Join us as we talk about the approval and the future of Genmab with the company's president and CEO, Jan van de Winkel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.