

Biotech Hangout
Daphne Zohar, Josh Schimmer, Brad Loncar, Tim Opler & more
A weekly discussion of all things biotech – breaking news, data, deals, and FDA actions – with a community of biotech industry leaders and experts. Join the live streams hosted by @BiotechCH, @daphnezohar, @bradloncar and @biotech1 on Twitter Spaces every Friday at 12pm ET.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 15, 2024 • 58min
Episode 88
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

Feb 2, 2024 • 58min
Episode 87
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

Jan 25, 2024 • 1h 2min
Episode 86
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

Jan 18, 2024 • 1h
Episode 85
The podcast discusses the latest biotech news, including takeaways from JPM 2024 conference and various deals like Merck's acquisition of Harpoon Therapeutics and Johnson & Johnson's acquisition of Ambrx. They also talk about preclinical companies filing for IPO, Vertex's diabetes trial pause, Astellas receiving a CRL, and the possibility of a company suing a shortseller.

Jan 16, 2024 • 1h 5min
Episode 84
In the first Biotech Hangout of 2024, RA Capital’s Peter Kolchinsky joins hosts Daphne Zohar, Josh Schimmer, Tim Opler, Paul Matteis and Luba Greenwood to discuss the latest biotech news. They start with the last M&A deals of 2023 including Bristol Myers Squibb’s acquisition of Karuna and Rayzebio, and AstraZeneca’s acquisition of Gracell. They discuss insights from RA Capital’s latest sector analysis and the outlook for the sector in 2024, plus JPM predictions. The hosts also cover news from the first week of 2024 including Longboard Pharmaceuticals and Dyne Therapeutics data, Novartis’ expanded collaboration with Voyager, the FDA’s hold on Iovance’s TIL therapy and their approval of AstraZeneca and Ionis’ rare nerve disease treatment. Other topics include Goldman Sachs life science investment fund and ImmunityBio’s royalty financing. *This episode aired on January 5, 2024

Jan 10, 2024 • 1h 10min
Episode 83
Guest host Nick Shipley and the Biotech Hangout crew discuss policy affecting biotech, the state of the XBI, Bluebird Bio's setbacks, Pfizer's 2024 forecast revenue, and various ADC deals. They also cover updates from ASH, the new Amgen CSO, and share their thoughts on what to expect in 2024.

Jan 4, 2024 • 60min
Episode 82
Biotech Hangout welcomes biotech analysts Josh Schimmer, Tim Opler, Chris Garabedian, Dawn Bell, and guest host Eric Schmidt. They cover topics such as the JPM year in review, XBI performance, Abbvie's acquisition of Cerevel, big GLP-1 deal from Roche and Carmot, AstraZeneca/IRA case, three big investors days from J&J, Sanofi and Neurocrine Biosciences, CVS's drug coverage update, and Eyepoint Pharmaceutical's wet AMD data.

Jan 4, 2024 • 57min
Episode 81
On this week’s episode of Biotech Hangout hosts Daphne Zohar, Tim Opler, Josh Schimmer, Chris Garabedian, John Maraganore and Ethan Perlstein discuss the latest industry news including takeaways and sentiment from the recent Jefferies, Stifel, American Heart Association and ACR conferences. They also discuss Ajinomoto acquiring Forge Biologics ($620M), Crispr and Vertex MHRA approval in the UK, Verve data and Novo Nordisk’s SELECT trial details. They hosts discuss Astellas’ acquisition of Propella ($175M) and the differences between Propella and PureTech’s lymphatic-focused technologies, on the back of PureTech’s Phase 2 data. Other topics include three merger agreements: Graphite Bio/ Lenz Therapeutics, Q32 Bio/Homology Medicines and Selecta Biosciences/ Cartesian Therapeutics, adcomm for Merck’s inhibitor for chronic cough and more. *This episode aired on November 17, 2023

Nov 20, 2023 • 1h 3min
Episode 80
In this episode of Biotech Hangout, the hosts discuss upcoming conferences, Eli Lilly's weight management drug approval, Cargo Therapeutics' IPO terms, and Adverum's 3-year AMD data. They also cover news on Moonlake Therapeutics and Ventyx Biosciences, BioNTech's R&D day, Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine data, and activist investor Elliot Investment Management's stake in BioMarin.

Nov 17, 2023 • 1h
Episode 79
Matthew Gline, Roivant CEO, joins the hosts to discuss the current market for public biotechs, Sarepta's trial miss, Roivant's deal with Roche, Lexeo Therapeutics' IPO, 4D Molecular Therapeutics' CF Phase 1 data, and AstraZeneca's investment in Cellectic. They also talk about large fund raises, Bluebird Bio preselling its PRV to Novartis, Amgen stopping selling PSMA BiTE, Crispr Therapeutics/Vertex adcomm, and Pfizer closing several sites. They analyze Sanofi's share drop, stock reactions in the industry, challenges in the biotech IPO market, gene therapy for CF and macular degeneration, biotech deals and investments, and the pricing and value of PRVs in the industry. Lastly, they analyze recent market performance and future prospects.


