James van Geelen, a guest who attended JPMorgan's Health Care Conference and specializes in health care and medical technology, shares insights from the conference on AI and GLP-1 weight loss drugs. The podcast also discusses emerging trends in weight loss drugs, the impact of interest rates on funding for pharma, and the need for combination drugs for weight loss.
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Quick takeaways
GLP1 drugs and oral medications are gaining interest in the healthcare industry due to their easier manufacturing process and high demand from potential patients.
AI platforms for drug development showcased at the conference, such as Recursion Pharma's GPT, have generated significant interest and enthusiasm among attendees for their potential to streamline the drug development process and reduce time and cost spent on unsuccessful treatments.
Deep dives
GLP1 Drugs and Oral Medications
One of the main topics discussed at the JPM Healthcare Conference was the growing interest in GLP1 drugs and oral medications. It was noted that oral drugs for diabetes treatment, such as those developed by Lily and Novo, are not primarily driven by patient preference for tablets over autoinjectors, but rather the high cost and availability of autoinjectors. The oral drugs are easier to manufacture, and there is a demand for them, with millions of potential patients. Another focus in the GLP1 space is finding combination drugs that prevent muscle loss during weight loss. Regeneron's acquisition of Versanis and their drug called the Migramad showed promising results in clinical trials, where patients lost body weight but also gained lean muscle mass.
The Rise of AI in Drug Development
AI was a prominent topic at the conference with several companies, including Recursion Pharma and Nvidia, showcasing their AI platforms for drug development. Recursion Pharma demonstrated their drug GPT (similar to OpenAI's GPT-3) that can generate new drug candidates based on specified criteria. The AI platform can refine the options based on side effects, structure-activity relationships, and dose-response curves. The goal is to streamline the drug development process by reducing time and cost spent on unsuccessful treatments. The potential efficiency and accuracy of these AI platforms have generated significant interest and enthusiasm among conference attendees.
Interest Rates and Funding Availability
Interest rates and funding availability were also discussed, particularly in relation to the healthcare and pharma industry. The shift towards lower interest rates and improved funding conditions has brought optimism to investors and companies. The bio-pharma industry, which heavily relies on research and development, has faced challenges due to funding constraints in the past. The positive outlook on funding availability and potential lower costs of capital has sparked enthusiasm and a more favorable investment environment for pharma and biotech companies.
For anyone interested in investing in the health-care space, JPMorgan's annual Health Care Conference has become one of the most important events of the year. We were not able to get to San Francisco this year, but one of our favorite Odd Lots guests, James van Geelen of CitriniResearch.com, was in attendance. He called into this week's episode of Lots More to tell us what the leading players in health care and medical technology are buzzing about right now — and he confirms that AI and GLP-1 weight loss drugs are at the top of everyone's mind."