Biopharmas developing therapies for obesity are looking to a future where the quality of weight loss matters as much as the quantity — what targets and programs could help realize that vision? On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss the signaling pathways that may exclusively target fat mass while preserving, or even increasing, lean mass — and which companies are playing in the space.
The editors also assess what Vinay Prasad’s past comments say about how he might lead FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) — and examine how investors are evaluating the possibility that he might move the bar for regulatory approvals. The team then introduces the first in a new BioCentury series, with a look at a Literature Dive into ovarian cancer “atlases” — large-scale molecular profiling studies that point to predictive signatures and patient stratification strategies. This episode was sponsored by Jeito Capital.

View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/655898

#biotech #biopharma #pharma #obesity #FDA #CBER #LifeScience #OvarianCancer

00:01 - Sponsor Message: Jeito Capital
03:22 - Obesity: Quality over Quantity
15:47 - Prasad at FDA
27:58 - Ovarian Cancer Atlases

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This year’s Bio€quity Europe conference — the 25th edition of the event — will focus on what’s next for Europe amid biotech’s current complex moment, Editor in Chief Simone Fishburn said on a special edition of the BioCentury This Week podcast previewing the meeting, which kicks off May 12 in Bruges, Belgium. McKinsey & Co.’s Alexandra Zemp and Henk Joos, an investment specialist at Medvia, which fosters health innovation in Flanders, joined BioCentury to discuss the state of Belgium’s biopharma ecosystem and preview some of the conference’s networking events, fireside chats and panel discussions. Claire Macht, portfolio director, Europe, of BioCentury’s conference partner EBD Group, also joined the podcast to detail what to expect in terms of one-on-one partnering meetings at the event.
Bio€quity Europe 2025 is sold out, but space on the waitlist remains, and digital passes are available. See the conference website for more information.

View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/655883

#biotech #biopharma #pharma #networking #LifeScience

00:00 - Introduction
01:25 - What's Next for Europe?
06:58 - Belgium's Biotech Ecosystem
10:29 - McKinsey on European Biotech
15:27 - Partnering, Panels of Note

To submit a question to BioCentury’s editors, email the BioCentury This Week team at podcasts@biocentury.com.

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Among the formerly undruggable targets gaining translational momentum, SMARCA2 has intrigued researchers for its potential to treat challenging solid tumors. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury's editors zero in on preclinical research supporting different degraders of SMARCA2 at this year’s American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting.
They also discuss takeaways from Editor in Chief Simone Fishburn’s conversation with David Baker, the Nobel-prizewinning pioneer in protein design, and Steve Usdin reports that pharmaceutical industry executives are in a state of alarm over President Trump’s push to include a “most favored nation” policy for Medicaid drug purchases in budget reconciliation legislation. Usdin also discusses why industry executives are confident of a fix for the Inflation Reduction Act’s “pill penalty” and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary’s decision to reject proposals to reorganize the agency. This episode was sponsored by Jeito Capital.

View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/655851

#biotech #biopharma #pharma #LifeScience #RandD #DrugDevelopment #AACR #SMARCA2

00:01 - Sponsor Message: Jeito Capital
03:01 - AACR Spotlight
11:21 - David Baker Protein Design
19:12 - Trump's Drug Pricing Plan

To submit a question to BioCentury’s editors, email the BioCentury This Week team at podcasts@biocentury.com.

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Belief in tau — both as a target and surrogate endpoint — for Alzheimer’s is building among leaders in the field. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, Executive Editor Selina Koch discusses how tau could be reaching a tipping point. Also on this week’s episode, Washington Editor Steve Usdin details how political moves have begun to intrude into the Trump administration’s regulation of vaccines, a topic that’s also taken up by Phil Krause and Luciana Borio in a BioCentury Guest Commentary published Monday. BioCentury’s editors then discuss delays for drug regulation at FDA, Merck KGaA's $3.9 billion deal to acquire Springworks, and why biotech IPOs could soon have a moment in Hong Kong. This episode of BioCentury This Week podcast is sponsored by RemeGen.

View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/655780

#biotech #biopharma #pharma #lifescience #alzheimers #RandD #DrugDevelopment #IPO

00:01 - Sponsor Message: RemeGen Co.
02:06 - Tau Time for Alzheimer's
13:10 - Vaccine Drama at FDA
23:32 - Merck KGaA's SpringWorks Buy
24:52 - Hong Kong Biotech IPOs

To submit a question to BioCentury’s editors, email the BioCentury This Week team at podcasts@biocentury.com.

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Biopharma companies are vying to dethrone Vyvgart as a leading therapy for myasthenia gravis, with the latest data for therapies treating the rare autoimmune neuromuscular disease coming at this month’s American Academy of Neurology. On a special episode of the BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss the landscape for MG therapies, including anti-BLyS and APRIL therapy telitacicept from Remegen. Joining BioCentury’s editors are Qing Zuraw, chief development officer of podcast sponsor RemeGen, and Amit Sachdev, PI on global trials of the biotech’s therapy. BioCentury’s editors also preview the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting, where degraders and bispecifics are defining translational trends at this year’s event. This episode of BioCentury This Week podcast was sponsored by RemeGen.

View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/655751

#biotech #biopharma #pharma #lifescience #AAN #AACR

00:01 - Sponsor Message: RemeGen Co.
01:02 - Myasthenia Gravis at AAN
08:31 - RemeGen's Telitacicept
18:03 - AACR: Targets and Trends

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The academia-industry interface is more important than ever for sustaining biomedical innovation’s forward momentum, even as the Trump administration injects turbulence into academic funding for universities. On a special edition of the BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s Simone Fishburn and Karen Tkach Tuzman preview Grand Rounds, BioCentury’s second annual R&D conference, along with special guests.
Spots are filling up for the Grand Rounds U.S. Presenting Company Class of 2025. Find out how to apply here.

View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/655696

#biotech #biopharma #pharma #lifescience #academia #chicago #asco

00:00 - Introduction
01:42 - Key Themes and Featured Sessions
07:37 - Chicago's Role in Biotech Innovation
15:06 - McKinsey's Insights
25:18 - Upcoming Events and Networking Opportunities

To submit a question to BioCentury’s editors, email the BioCentury This Week team at podcasts@biocentury.com.

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The biotech community is reeling, fearful and furious about the fallout of tariff, FDA and NIH policies, according to BioCentury’s newly released Risk Sentiment survey. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss takeaways from the survey, which polled 328 biopharma stakeholders during April 10-14. The editors dissect the latest from Washington, including comments from FDA Commissioner Marty Makary on a new pathway for ultrarare drugs and his plans to reform advisory committee meetings, as well as last week’s executive order on drug pricing. They also discuss how China’s biotechs may have cracked one of the key bottlenecks for both speeding up and de-risking early drug development — and what this means for U.S. biotech. This episode of BioCentury This Week podcast was sponsored by RemeGen.

View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/655690

#biotech #biopharma #pharma #lifescience #FDA #politics #policy #law

00:01 - Sponsor Message: RemeGen Co.
02:00 - Sentiment Survey
20:18 - Makary's FDA Plans
29:51 - China Speed

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FDA’s plan to move away from animal toxicity testing could expedite INDs and cut costs for biopharma companies, while helping the U.S. maintain its position as a clinical research hub. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s editors discuss the agency’s new three-year road map to reduce animal safety studies for mAbs. The editors then discuss the deepening morale crisis at FDA after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accused the agency of corruption, encouraged staff to report supervisors over approval decisions they oppose, and endorsed conspiracy theories about the “deep state.” They assess the impact of whipsawing tariff policies and turmoil at FDA on biotech indexes — and why the sky isn’t falling just yet for biotech’s specialist investors. The editors also highlight recent stories on base editors’ efficiency boom and how exosomes are finding new life. This episode of BioCentury This Week podcast was sponsored by RemeGen.

View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/655622

00:01 - Sponsor Message: RemeGen Co.
02:38 - Replacing Animal Models
09:40 - RFK Jr. & FDA
19:36 - NIH
30:02 - BioPharma Market Pulse
33:23 - Innovation Highlights

To submit a question to BioCentury’s editors, email the BioCentury This Week team at podcasts@biocentury.com.

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