Episode 169 - January 16, 2026

On this week’s episode, Chris Garabedian, Paul Matteis, Mike Yee, and Sam Fazeli recap the 2026 J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, noting that the biotech outlook for 2026 is broadly positive. Investor sentiment is noted as healthy but not overheated, and from the specialist community, the outlook is similarly upbeat. On the venture side, the M&A landscape also looks strong, with one of the best pre‑JPM financing weeks in at least a decade. The conversation turns to company updates, with Alnylam’s 2030 strategy as well as Moderna’s cost-cutting initiatives and upcoming vaccine readouts. On the deal front, the group covers AbbVie’s $650M partnership with China-based RemeGen on a next‑gen PD‑1/VEGF bispecific antibody. AI developments were another key theme at JPM, including Pfizer’s claim that AI contributed to $5.6B in cost reductions. In regulatory news, FDA flexibility, new CMC guidance for cell and gene therapies, and updates on Dr. Makary’s CNPVs are overviewed. Next, the co-hosts cover the latest obesity news, including new oral GLP-1s and potential competition from Pfizer and Amgen in the monthly injectables market, as well as BMS and AbbVie’s interest in entering the space. The episode concludes with rapid‑fire round of data updates in DMD, gene therapy, myeloma, cystic fibrosis, and Alzheimer’s prevention. *This episode aired on January 16, 2026.