EP 143: Debunking Healthcare's Biggest Myths with Zach Weinberg and Derek Thompson

57 snips

May 13, 2025

Guest

Derek Thompson

Guest

Zach Weinberg

Zach Weinberg, Co-Founder and CEO at Curie.Bio, joins Derek Thompson, a writer at The Atlantic, for a riveting discussion on U.S. healthcare. They delve into the successes and failures of COVID-19 vaccine policies, addressing public distrust towards mRNA technology. The duo also tackles the contentious NIH budget cuts, exploring how they impact scientific research. With insights on drug pricing, they highlight the economic incentives in medical innovation and the future of drug development amid growing regulatory challenges.

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INSIGHT

Evolution of COVID Vaccine Efficacy

COVID vaccines initially prevented transmission which justified mandates.
Later variants escaped transmission prevention, turning vaccination into a personal choice.

INSIGHT

Mistrust Despite Vaccine Success

Mismanagement of COVID policies fueled public mistrust in science.
Success of mRNA vaccines contrasts irony of political backlash and funding cuts.

INSIGHT

Critical Role of NIH Funding

NIH funds basic biology research that cannot be patented and privately funded.
Cutting NIH funding jeopardizes drug discovery by limiting understanding of disease causes.

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In this episode, Logan is joined by Zach Weinberg (Co-Founder/CEO @ Curie.Bio) and Derek Thompson (writer at The Atlantic) for a candid discussion on the state of U.S. healthcare and scientific progress. They unpack what went right, and wrong, with COVID vaccine policy, the public backlash against mRNA technology, and the ripple effects on trust in science.

The conversation also dives into the real reasons behind NIH budget cuts, the economics of drug discovery, and the business incentives in medical R&D. It’s a sharp, thought-provoking look at the intersection of policy, innovation, and public perception.

(00:00) Introduction to Drug Pricing in the US
(00:23) Broad Healthcare Topics and Open-Ended Discussion
(02:37) COVID-19 Vaccines: Successes and Public Perception
(06:21) The Evolution of COVID-19 and Vaccine Efficacy
(07:59) Public Policy and Vaccine Mandates
(13:10) Impact of School Closures and Public Sentiment
(19:23) NIH Funding and the Importance of Basic Research
(25:04) Challenges in Science Funding and Public Perception
(35:19) Government vs. Private Investment in Science
(36:40) Operation Warp Speed: A Case Study
(39:07) Antibiotic Resistance Crisis
(43:22) The Drug Pricing Debate
(44:05) Challenges in Drug Discovery
(54:06) Regulatory Hurdles in Medical R&D
(58:06) The Future of Drug Development
(01:04:19) Concluding Thoughts

Executive Producer: Rashad Assir

Producer: Leah Clapper

Mixing and editing: Justin Hrabovsky

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Logan Bartlett is a Software Investor at Redpoint Ventures - a Silicon Valley-based VC with $6B AUM and investments in Snowflake, DraftKings, Twilio, and Netflix. In each episode, Logan goes behind the scenes with world-class entrepreneurs and investors. If you're interested in the real inside baseball of tech, entrepreneurship, and start-up investing, tune in every Friday for new episodes.