Biotech Hangout

Biotech experts discuss latest industry news including M&A, pricing strategies, and advancements in women's health and neurological disorders. Topics include Roche's IL-6 program, Biohaven's degrader program, Crinetics' Phase 3 data in acromegaly, AstraZeneca's acquisition of Fusion Pharmaceuticals, Orchard Therapeutics' breakthrough drug, high drug prices impact, BioSecure bill effects, initiatives for women's health research, trends in early-stage investment, and neurological conditions globally.

On this week’s episode of Biotech Hangout, hosts Daphne Zohar, Brad Loncar, Tim Opler, Michal Preminger, Eric Schmidt and Yaron Werber discuss the latest biotech news, including commentary on the biotech sector performance in 2024 and a pharma R&D investment overview. The hosts cover the week’s notable M&A, including AstraZeneca’s acquisition of Amolyt plus Novartis’ acquisition of IFM Due and a related discussion on option-to-buy deals. The group also discusses Ionis meeting the primary endpoint in its Phase 2 MASH trial and Madrigal’s historic accelerated approval for NASH/MASH. Other topics include Eli Lilly’s partnership with Amazon pharmacy to dispense prescription medicines and the impact of cutting out the middle man, as well as anticipated regulatory updates for Legend and 2Seventy Bio. The hosts weigh-in on the BioSecure Act that led BIO to cut ties with WuXi and the impact the bill may have on other Chinese CROs. The group also flagged recently reported Phase 2 data for Silence Therapeutics’ Lp(a) therapy and Acadia’s schizophrenia treatment pimavanserin fails Phase 3 study. *This episode aired on March 15, 2024.

On this week’s episode of Biotech Hangout, hosts Brad Loncar, Daphne Zohar, Tim Opler, Brian Skorney, Luba Greenwood and Yaron Werber discuss the latest biotech news, including the delay of Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s drug donanemab as the FDA requires an AdComm and Amylyx’s ALS Phase 3 trial failure that caused the stock to drop 80%. The hosts also weigh in on how the 2024 presidential election will impact biopharma and takeaways from the 2024 Cowen conference, including the number of generalist investors in attendance and how obesity has become a dominant narrative in the industry. The group also discusses the Boundless Bio IPO and how the ticker ($BOLD) was previously used by another company before being acquired, as well as how positive I&I data from Apogee caused the stock to double. Other topics covered include the impact of PBMs on drug pricing and big pharma companies pivoting to say that the IRA is not a bad thing for biopharma in order to preserve positive relationships with the government. The hosts close out with a discussion on Peter Thiel’s “failure teaches you nothing” viral tweet and a conflict-of-interest debate regarding Harvard researcher David Sinclair who is under fire once again for promoting unproven benefits of longevity drugs. *This episode aired on March 8, 2024.

On this week’s Biotech Hangout, hosts Daphne Zohar, Josh Schimmer, Eric Schmidt, Bruce Booth, Brian Skorney and Prakhar Agrawal discuss the latest biotech news, including the recent sector melt-up and what is driving the latest rally. When discussing the week’s financing news, the hosts share different vantage points on wall-crossed PIPEs and the impact on stock performances. The group also discussed Viking Therapeutics soaring stock price on the heels of robust data for VK2735, its experimental weight loss drug. Other positive data discussed was from Akili and Shionogi announcing EndeavorRx met its primary endpoint and Shionogi has filed for approval with regulators in Japan, leading to a deeper discussion on digital therapeutics and issues around reimbursement. Additional topics covered include Chinese CROs back in the crosshairs and the implications for the sector, accelerated approvals for gene therapy and whether the FDA is getting too lenient on approvals, and a discussion on leadership in biotech. *This episode aired on March 1, 2024.

On this week’s Biotech Hangout, hosts Daphne Zohar, Brad Loncar, Josh Schimmer, Eric Schmidt and Yaron Werber discuss the latest biotech news, including the IPO window creaking back open and aftermarket performance up 12-19% for secondary offerings and IPOs. The hosts also discuss the FTC challenges facing industry M&A and another roadblock for AbbVie’s Cerevel deal. The retirement of AbbVie CEO Richard Gonzalez prompts a discussion amongst the hosts on important qualities of a CEO. A range of FDA-related news from the week is also covered including the approval of Iovance’s Amtagvi as first T-cell therapy for a solid tumor; Ionis and AstraZeneca’s fast track designation for Phase 3 ATTR-CM drug eplontersen; two drug trials at Rapt Therapeutics put on hold; the review of Sarepta’s Elevidys for traditional approval; United Therapeutic’s litigation and Alnylam’s endpoint changes to Phase 3 study design for Amvuttra. Other topics include Bayer slashing its dividend by 95%, IQVIA’s global R&D trends report, and a discussion on the biotech business model sparked by news that Regeneron and Vertex have crossed the $100B market cap threshold. *This episode aired on February 23, 2024.

On this week’s Biotech Hangout, hosts Daphne Zohar, Josh Schimmer, Tim Opler, Chris Garabedian and Grace Colon discuss the latest in biotech news, including another strong week of IPOs, most notably with Kyverna Therapeutics’ IPO upsizing by 49% to $300M. On the acquisition theme, the hosts discuss Novartis’ plans to acquire MorphoSys for $2.9B and Gilead walking away from its acquisition of Tizona. The hosts also cover some obesity-related updates, including Lilly’s tirzepatide Phase 2 trial for MASH and Amgen’s Phase 1 data for weight-loss candidate, MariTide. Other data discussed this week includes Vertex’s ‘vanza triple,’ 4D Molecular Therapeutics’ interim Phase 2 data in wet AMD and J&J’s Phase 3 with Nipocalimab. Additional topics of discussion include plans by Novo Holdings (Novo Nordisk’s parent company) to buy Catalent to boost Wegovy supply, the FDA modernizing the way it tracks post-market data by using AI, and Scion Life Sciences’ debut with a new $310M fund. *This episode aired on February 9, 2024.

On this week’s Biotech Hangout, hosts Daphne Zohar, Tim Opler, Dawn Bell, Ethan Perlstein and Eric Schmidt discuss the latest in biotech news, including the overall performance of IPOs this year, including Metagenomi’s IPO this week and what it means for the IPO window. The hosts also debate the value of tracking 13Fs as an investment strategy, M&A news including Gilead’s $4.3B acquisition of CymaBay, plus offerings and some related data for Larimar ($150M offering and Phase 2 data), PRIME Medicine ($140M offering), Sana ($165M offering), Crispr ($250M offering) and KalVista ($160M offering and Phase 3 data). The group also commented on news from two companies – Merrimack Pharmaceuticals and LianBio – who will both be winding down and returning the capital to shareholders. Additional topics of discussion include CSL’s Phase 3 trial failure to hit primary endpoint, Alnylam’s decision to change its statistical analysis plan on Helios-B, and private financing mega rounds that drew attention this year, including BioAge Labs’s $170M Series D and Latigo’s $135M Series A financing. This episode aired on February 16, 2024.

On this week’s Biotech Hangout, Daphne Zohar, Josh Schimmer, Grace Colon, Paul Matteis and guest host Yuval Cohen, Corbus CEO, discuss the latest industry news including Corbus’ recent data and offering, plus Immunocore’s private offering ($352M), Vaxcyte’s public offering ($750M) and Alto Neuroscience’s IPO ($120M). They also cover Evaluate’s top 10 most anticipated drug list, Vertex’s non-opioid drug meets its goal in trials, Dyne Therapeutics weighs takeover interest options and Biogen ends development and sales of Alzheimer’s Disease drug. The hosts debate whether the week’s deals (Regeneron buying 2seventy bio’s pipeline and Protagonist Therapeutics and Takeda’s licensing deal) create or destroy shareholder value. Other topics of discussion include biotech advocacy, including bipartisan R&D tax credit restoration bill and Janet Woodcock’s exit interview, plus Vanda Pharmaceuticals’ claim against the FDA. *This episode aired on February 2, 2024

On this week’s Biotech Hangout, hosts Brad Loncar, Tim Opler, Luba Greenwood and Brian Skorney discuss the latest industry news including 2 biotech IPOs from ArriVent Bio ($175M) and CG Oncology ($380M). They also discuss Sanofi buying Inhibrx ($2.2B), Kura Oncology’s private placement ($150M) and Gilead’s failed phase 3 study. The hosts cover class-wide black box warnings from the FDA, including Amgen’s Prolia, plus Eli Lilly’s investigational gene therapy for hearing loss data, HPV vaccine study in Scotland and The House Ways and Means Committee approves restoration of R&D tax credit. *This episode aired on January 26, 2024

This week, hosts Daphne Zohar, Brad Loncar, Josh Schimmer, John Maraganore and Grace Colon discuss the news of the week including several early-stage IPO filings that kicked off the year: Kyverna Therapeutics, CG Oncology and Alto Neuroscience. The hosts also cover AI enabled biomarkers following the FDA’s clearance of two AI diagnostic tools, plus the FDA expands approval of Vertex and CRISPR’s Cagevy as a first CRISPR-edited therapy for beta-thalassemia. They also discuss early-stage funding and an amicus brief that many biotech executives have signed, following the decision on Mifepristone. Other topics include BridgeBio Pharma securing capital from Blue Owl Capital and Canada Pension Plan Investments, Regenxbio Phase 2 data, Wiley Chambers retires and Vivek Ramaswamy drops out of the presidential race. Plus, Bernat Olle, Vedanta Biosciences CEO, joins the group to discuss his recent Timmerman Report article on investor and entrepreneur discussions. *This episode aired on January 19, 2024