BioCentury This Week

Simone Fishburn, Editor in Chief of BioCentury, Selina Koch, Executive Editor, and Lauren Martz, Executive Director of Biopharma Intelligence, discuss major trends in biopharma. They highlight the shift towards human-first, causal biology aimed at improving drug translation. Key topics include immunoproteomics outpacing genomics in inflammation and immunology target discovery. The trio also explores advancements in neuroscience, emphasizing how precision medicine can validate targets using biomarkers, ultimately reshaping clinical approaches in drug development.

A vote on the Biosecure Act in the U.S. House of Representatives early next week shines the spotlight back on legislation seeking to rein in Chinese CDMOs and genomics companies, as Congress returns to work. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors handicap the legislation’s chances of passage in the House and Senate and assess what’s at stake for the law authorizing rare pediatric disease priority review vouchers.They also discuss the results of BioCentury’s snap poll gauging the biopharma industry’s reaction to the IRA Medicare drug price negotiation program, recalling the latest trends among pharma’s deals with biotechs over the past 12 months. Plus, a preview BioCentury’s annual Back to School package, next week’s new Grand Rounds R&D conference and highlights from this month’s Distillery roundup of translational papers.View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/65338500:00 - Introduction01:36 - Biosecure on Deck04:33 - Priority Review Vouchers08:11 - BioCentury IRA Survey17:07 - Back to School: Target Discovery19:49 - Translational HighlightsReach us by sending a text

Shaking up an underwhelming year for fresh biotech paper, a trio of biotechs filed to go public on NASDAQ last week. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss the IPO filings by MBX and Massachusetts companies Zenas and Bicara. Washington Editor Steve Usdin returns to the podcast to provide updates on the Inflation Reduction and Biosecure acts, as well as the life sciences policies of presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. And Director of Biopharma Intelligence Karen Tkach Tuzman zeroes in on the latest trends among pharma’s deals with biotechs over the past 12 months and the latest start-up out of Versant Ventures, Borealis.View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/65335400:00 - Introduction01:48 - Biotech IPOs12:48 - Washington Update20:39 - Versant, Novartis Newco24:34 - Pharma-Biotech Deal TrendsReach us by sending a text

David Flores, co-founder, President, and CEO of BioCentury, leads a vibrant discussion on the upcoming Grand Rounds conference in Nashville. They delve into the critical role of translating academic discoveries into marketable therapies and the unique challenges faced by the biotech industry. Special guests include experts from McKinsey and Candel Therapeutics, who provide insights into Nashville's emerging biotech ecosystem. The conversation also touches on the need for better collaboration between researchers and investors to elevate local innovations.

The Biden administration has disclosed what Medicare will pay for the first graduates of its drug price negotiation program but biopharma companies, biotech investors and patient advocates are still waiting for the government to reveal how those prices were determined — details that are critical to informing the decisions that will shape the future of medicine. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss what last week’s disclosure tells us — and what information is yet to come.They also discuss why psychedelics companies believe they can avoid the hurdles that tripped up Lykos Therapeutics as it sought approval of its MDMA program to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and preview this year’s BioCentury Back to School report, which focuses on whether biotech can write a more successful playbook for translating from target to product.Take part in BioCentury’s Snap Survey on the IRA and Part D pricing. We’ll be publishing the results next week, which means we need your input now! All results will be anonymous.View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/65329800:00 - Intro01:32 - Medicare Drug Pricing11:38 - Psychedelic Setback18:53 - Back to School PreviewReach us by sending a text

Pharmaceutical companies and some investors may have once again become wary of gene therapy, but the modality’s future is bright, according to Jim Wilson. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss takeaways from BioCentury’s exclusive interview with the AAV trailblazer, including Wilson’s prediction that the benefits of the therapies will extend beyond rare genetic diseases, and the rationale for his new therapeutics company, Gemma Biotherapeutics.BioCentury’s head of corporate alliances & business development, Josh Berlin, then joins the podcast team to detail the challenges and opportunities for biotech in South Korea, and to preview some of the highlights of the upcoming Grand Rounds conference. The event, BioCentury’s first R&D conference, takes place Sept. 9-11 in Nashville, Tenn. and tackles the roadblocks in the translation of science into new medicines.View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/65323900:00 - Intro01:31 - Wilson’s Vision for Gene Therapy14:23 - Inside Korea's Biotech21:45 - BioCentury's Grand RoundsReach us by sending a text

Delve into the evolving partnerships between biotech firms and academic institutions, showcasing how smaller companies are leveraging academic resources outside the usual hubs. Discover insights from the latest Alzheimer’s treatment data for Leqembi, which could reshape approaches to the disease. The episode also touches on James Wilson's departure from the University of Pennsylvania, raising questions about the future of gene therapy leadership. These discussions highlight the dynamic nature of the biopharma ecosystem and emerging collaboration trends.

Europe’s CHMP has again ruled in contrast to FDA for a neurology product, this time on Biogen and Eisai’s Leqembi for Alzheimer’s disease. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury editors discuss the similarities and differences between Leqembi lecenamab and Aduhelm aducanumab, the first anti-amyloid mAb from Biogen and Eisai and what it means for the next in line from that class, Kisunia donanemab from Eli Lilly. The editors also break down last week’s ODAC meeting, which discussed trials in perioperative cancer for checkpoint inhibitors, and talk about the looming delay in reauthorization of the rare pediatric priority review voucher program. They also assess the implications of the investigation by the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party into clinical trials run in Chinese military hospitals and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous region, a story broken last week by Washington Editor Steve Usdin.View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/65301002:06 - CHMP Leqembi Decision09:53 - Perioperative Cancer17:45 - Pediatric Review Vouchers 23:55 - Beyond BiosecureReach us by sending a text

Alpha emitters are the latest trend in the hot radioligand space, but there’s debate about which isotope offers the best attributes for optimizing safety and efficacy. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss the benefits and challenges that come with developing radiopharmaceuticals using lead-212 versus its more well-known counterpart actinium-225. They also discuss Editor-in-Chief Simone Fishburn’s conversation with Susan Galbraith, EVP of Oncology R&D at AstraZeneca, the latest innovations in delivering lipid nanoparticles to specific tissues beyond the liver, and the most recent oral GLP-1 obesity data from Roche.View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/65300800:00 - Intro05:36 - Radiopharma Alpha Emitters12:18 - AZ’s Susan Galbraith21:40 - Lipid Nanoparticles25:22 - Oral GLP-1 RaceReach us by sending a text

Buysiders are upbeat headed into the back half of the year, but uncertainty over the Federal Reserve’s timing on interest rate cuts is keeping that sentiment in check. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors preview the public markets’ second half of 2024, discussing the appetite for biotech IPOs and M&A and what investors are looking for as they read the Fed tea leaves.They also discuss Congress’ FDA budget squeeze, the growing momentum of the Biosecure Act — which seeks to rein in Chinese CDMOs and genomics companies in the U.S. — and the legacy of IR/PR pioneer Lisa Burns, who passed away this month after spending years advising biotech CEOs and investors.View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/65296800:00 - Intro02:54 - 3Q Markets Preview12:33 - Policy Update18:40 - Remembering Lisa BurnsReach us by sending a text