The Drug Discovery World Podcast

Explore the latest developments in drug discovery, including a pharmaceutical company's strategic acquisition aimed at CNS treatments. Learn about innovative partnerships, like those between Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Orna Therapeutics, driving advancements in gene therapies. Discover a promising collaboration focused on ALS therapies, as well as Xylo Core Therapeutics' impressive funding success to further angina treatment research. The podcast covers exciting industry trends and insights as 2025 kicks off with strong momentum.

This is the latest episode of the free DDW narrated podcast, titled “Where are the global breakthroughs, opportunities and developments in cancer research?”, which covers three articles written for DDW Volume 24 – Issue 2, Spring 2023 of DDW. They are called: “Global breakthroughs in cancer drug discovery”, “The Achilles’ heel of cancer”, and “Immunotherapy is here to stay”. At the time of writing in the first article, AstraZeneca UK had appointed David Brocklehurst as Head of Oncology in the UK. I spoke with him about how AstraZeneca is innovating to displace chemotherapy and research areas of significance. In the second article, Genoscience Pharma’s Philippe Halfon and Eric Raymond share their expertise on targeting the recycling of unsustainable production of palmitoylated cancer-associated proteins.  In the third article, I spoke with Frédéric Triebel, the French immunologist/oncologist who is best known for his 1990 discovery of the LAG-3 immune control mechanism. Triebel shares insights from his career, expands on his experience with the company he founded, Immutep, and comments on the future of immuno-oncology.

The discussion kicks off with the impact of long COVID on cognitive functions, such as brain fog, and the urgent need for targeted drug development. Experts explore the biological changes linked to post-COVID cognitive impairment, urging the pharmaceutical sector to prioritize this issue. The landscape of the UK life sciences ecosystem is highlighted, showcasing collaborative efforts in cancer treatment innovation. Additionally, the conversation shifts to fragment-based drug discovery and click chemistry, emphasizing their potential to revolutionize therapeutic effectiveness.

Recent funding initiatives are making waves in drug discovery, with $300 million secured by an AI-driven firm and Ottimo Pharma's impressive financing. Collaborations, including Tessera Therapeutics and the Gates Foundation, aim to tackle fibrosis and sickle cell disease. Genetic medicine is advancing with breakthroughs for sickle cell treatment and a new bifunctional antibody in cancer therapy. The role of AI in research continues to expand, enhancing capabilities and igniting innovation across the industry.

This week highlights cutting-edge advancements in cell and gene therapies. There's exciting news about the first in vivo BCMA CAR-T candidate reaching clinical trials. Researchers are making strides against placental growth restriction, aiming to enhance maternal and child health. The podcast dives into groundbreaking cancer treatments, including promising trials for multiple myeloma. New research centers are emerging, focusing on gene therapies for heart disease and rare disorders, paving the way for future medical breakthroughs.

This episode of the DDW narrated podcast series is titled “New ways to treat cancer”, which covers three articles written for DDW Volume 24 – Issue 2, Spring 2023 of DDW. They are called: “3D Genomics and targeted cancer therapies”, “Democratising proteomics for cancer and beyond”, and Meet the Researcher: John Maher” In the first article, Anthony Schmitt, PhD, Senior Vice President, Science at Arima Genomics, discusses the applications of 3D genomics in cancer research. In the second article, DDW Editor Reece Armstrong speaks to Nautilus Co-Founder and Chief Scientist Parag Mallick, about the company’s recent collaboration which aims to uncover the proteins that could be behind a rare and fatal childhood cancer. In the third article, John Maher, Leucid Bio, told me about his work and offers valuable advice to others in this field.

The latest episode of the DDW Highlights podcast is now available to listen to. 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’s leading news stories all shine a light on innovation within drug discovery, including a potential ‘best-in-industry’ weight loss drug, a gold-based compound that shrinks tumours by 82%, and a second-generation CAR-T therapy. You can listen below, or find The Drug Discovery World Podcast on Spotify, Google Play and Apple Podcasts. 

This episode of the DDW narrated podcast series is titled “The far-reaching impact of drug discovery technology”, which covers three articles written for Volume 24 – Issue 2, Spring 2023 of DDW. They are called: “Accelerating time to market through digitalisation”, “Why digital biomarkers will power tomorrow’s Alzheimer’s therapies”, and “The path to improved safety of gene-based products”. In the first article, Sascha Fischer Business Development Manager for Automation at Genedata looks at three critical digitalisation components that enable end-to-end lab automation, improve the return on investment (ROI) on instrumentation investments and streamline time-to-market.  In the second article, Rivka Kreitman, CIO of NeuraLight explores the landscape of therapies for Alzheimer’s and explains why digital biomarkers are key to combatting the disease. In the third article, Kerstin Pohl, Senior Global Marketing Manager, Gene Therapy & Nucleic Acid at SCIEX, looks at the application of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry for analysing host cell proteins.

The latest episode of the DDW Highlights podcast is now available to listen to. 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’s leading news stories all feature early-stage clinical trials, including a short interfering RNA for cardiovascular disease, a new type of drug for type 2 diabetes, a gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a T cell therapy for hepatitis B, and a monoclonal antibody to prevent respiratory syncytial virus. 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 ‘Exciting start-ups and developments in drug discovery’, which covers two articles written for DDW Volume 24 – Issue 1, Winter 2022/2023. They are called: ‘What Lithuania offers life sciences start-ups’ and ‘Avoiding detection – the cancer cells evading the body’s natural defence’. In the first article, DDW Editor Reece Armstrong takes a look at Lithuania’s life sciences sector and what it means for start-ups operating in the country. In the second article, DDW Editor Reece Armstrong explores recent research looking into why cancer cells are so effective at avoiding the body’s immune system.