The Drug Discovery World Podcast

In the In Conversation With series, a part of the free DDW podcast, DDW speaks with members of the drug discovery industry about their work and how it helps turn science into business.    In this episode, Megan Thomas is in conversation with Emma Johnson, CEO of Essential Pharma, about the company’s move into clinical development, with the acquisition of Renaissance Pharma’s immunotherapy asset in development for the treatment of high-risk neuroblastoma in children.  You can listen below, or find The Drug Discovery World Podcast on Spotify, Google Play and Apple Podcasts. 

In the In Conversation With series, a part of the free DDW podcast, DDW speaks with members of the drug discovery industry about their work and how it helps turn science into business.    In this episode, Megan Thomas is in conversation with Joel Stanley, CEO of Ajna Biosciences. We explore the promise and challenges of botanical drugs, focusing on Ajna Biosciences’ approach to developing therapeutics derived from plants such as cannabinoids and psychedelics. Joel reflects on his experience co-founding Charlotte’s Web during the early medical cannabis movement and how that shaped his perspective on botanical drug development. You can listen below, or find The Drug Discovery World Podcast on Spotify, Google Play and Apple Podcasts. 

The latest episode of the DDW Highlights podcast is now available to listen to below. DDW’s Megan Thomas narrates five key stories of the week to keep DDW subscribers up-to-date on the latest industry updates. The news this week has emphasised the importance of shared knowledge and expertise to the development of new drugs, whether that is through research collaboration agreements or mergers and acquisitions, with a number of new deals across different therapy areas. You can listen below, or find The Drug Discovery World Podcast on Spotify, Google Play and Apple Podcasts. 

This is the latest episode of the free DDW narrated podcast, titled “Strategies and challenges in therapeutic development and lab practice”, which covers three articles written for DDW Volume 24 – Issue 4, Fall 2023. They are called: “The inner workings of antibiotics”, “Targeting advances in immunotherapies”, and “The considerations for building sustainable labs in pharma”. In the first article, Dr Luke Clifton, Instrument Scientist at ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, explains the molecular mechanism behind antibiotics. In the second article, DDW Editor Reece Armstrong speaks to Christian Leisner, Chief Executive Officer of antibody therapeutics’ developer CDR-Life about methods to increase access to antigens and improving immunotherapy treatments. In the third article, DDW Editor Reece Armstrong speaks to Will Fogden, UK Development Manager, Kadans Science Partner, about sustainable efforts in pharma and the considerations industry needs to take into account when developing sustainable buildings.

The latest episode of the DDW Highlights podcast is now available to listen to below. DDW’s Megan Thomas narrates five key stories of the week to keep DDW subscribers up-to-date on the latest industry updates. This week has seen some incredible advances in immunotherapy, including the development of a therapy that combines natural killer and CAR-T cells, and an off-the-shelf cancer vaccine that could revolutionise treatment for patients with one of the most common cancer-driving mutations. You can listen below, or find The Drug Discovery World Podcast on Spotify, Google Play and Apple Podcasts. 

The latest episode of the DDW Highlights podcast is now available to listen to below. DDW’s Megan Thomas narrates five key stories of the week to keep DDW subscribers up-to-date on the latest industry updates. In the week that the US Department of Health and Human Services cancelled multiple contracts investigating mRNA vaccines, a number of other clinical trials have made the headlines.  You can listen below, or find The Drug Discovery World Podcast on Spotify, Google Play and Apple Podcasts. 

In the In Conversation With series, a part of the free DDW podcast, DDW speaks with members of the drug discovery industry about their work and how it helps turn science into business.    In this episode, Megan Thomas is in conversation with Steve Ruston, CEO of Persica Pharmaceuticals. Ruston has been CEO since the company was founded and has been a key player in developing Persica’s non-opioid, one-off treatment. In this episode, we discuss the shift toward treating bacterial causes of chronic low back pain, the use of MRI biomarkers in trials, the evolving role of non-opioid therapies amid the opioid crisis, and how Persica’s scientific insights and early trial success could drive renewed investment in a historically challenging field. You can listen below, or find The Drug Discovery World Podcast on Spotify, Google Play and Apple Podcasts. 

The latest episode of the DDW Highlights podcast is now available to listen to below. DDW’s Megan Thomas narrates five key stories of the week to keep DDW subscribers up-to-date on the latest industry updates. With the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) taking place this week in Toronto, Canada, there have been a number of updates in the neuroscience drug discovery field. You can listen below, or find The Drug Discovery World Podcast on Spotify, Google Play and Apple Podcasts. 

Dive into groundbreaking advancements in drug manufacturing, with major investments from AstraZeneca and Biogen leading the charge. Learn about the challenges faced by Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical as the FDA rejects their gene therapy over manufacturing issues. Discover how new UK regulations are reshaping personalized medicine, making treatments like CAR-T more accessible. This overview highlights the exciting shifts in the industry towards innovative manufacturing and tailored patient care.

In the In Conversation With series, a part of the free DDW podcast, DDW speaks with members of the drug discovery industry about their work and how it helps turn science into business.    In this episode, Megan Thomas is in conversation with Thijs Spoor, CEO of the radiopharma company Perspective Therapeutics. The conversation covers how Perspective is advancing alpha-emitting radiopharmaceuticals to transform cancer treatment, with Spoor discussing the scientific, regulatory, and commercial challenges shaping the future of personalised oncology. You can listen below, or find The Drug Discovery World Podcast on Spotify, Google Play and Apple Podcasts.