Explore every episode of the podcast BioCentury This Week
Dive into the complete episode list for BioCentury This Week. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
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Title
Pub. Date
Duration
Ep. 391 - China deals, Beam lawsuit, MFN models, Nobel winners
06 Oct 2026
00:30:09
Pharma partnering in China is getting earlier and broader, with Merck & Co., Novo Nordisk and Novartis striking multibillion-dollar deals for assets spanning new modalities and disease areas. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury's analysts assess the trend and why co-development deals could draw scrutiny in Washington. The analysts also discuss the complexities of Beam's trade secret suit against YolTech, why the GLOBE Medicare pricing model matters more for the precedent it sets than for its savings, and the Nobel Prize for optogenetics as the first therapy based on the technology nears an FDA decision.
Ep. 390 - Live from Amsterdam: Grand Rounds Europe takeaways
30 Sep 2026
00:34:28
Mechanisms broad enough to matter across many diseases, from mitochondrial health to the biology of aging, emerged as a defining theme at Grand Rounds Europe in Amsterdam. On a special live edition of the BioCentury This Week podcast, BioGeneration Ventures' Oskar Slotboom, NautaDutilh's Ruud Smits and Leyden Labs' Dinko Valerio join BioCentury's analysts to discuss women's health and sleep as lenses on disease, and the shift toward prevention. The panel also weighs the limits of "Frankenstein" multiparatopic molecules and AI-driven discovery, knowledge gaps in autonomous labs, new China first-in-human rules, and what Novartis' Lp(a) miss means for genetically validated targets.
Ep. 389 - IgA nephropathy, Overton hearing, reverse mergers' new look
29 Sep 2026
00:37:22
Seven global approvals in five years, validated biomarkers and FDA flexibility have turned IgA nephropathy from a neglected rare disease into a crowded field, with Biogen, Novartis, Takeda, Climb Bio and Jade chasing targets such as APRIL, BAFF and CD38. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury's analysts assess how next-generation therapies are competing on safety and longer dosing intervals. The analysts also discuss Heidi Overton's FDA commissioner confirmation hearing and lingering questions about her independence, new pharma tariff guidance that leaves exemptions unclear, and how reverse mergers paired with nine-figure PIPEs became a viable IPO alternative. Plus, Merck's $400 million upfront bet on a preclinical KRAS G12C molecular glue.
Ep. 388 - Biotech IPOs, CAR T safety & pharma tariffs
22 Sep 2026
00:32:00
The first biotech IPO in a month, Electra's upsized $350 million offering, fell in its trading debut, testing investor appetite while a wave of reverse mergers showcases an alternate route to NASDAQ. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury's analysts examine momentum in the biotech IPO market. The team also unpacks fatal toxicities in Novartis' autoimmune CAR-T trials and what they reveal about manufacturing, dosing and immune biology risks across the modality. In Washington, Steve Usdin previews Heidi Overton's FDA Commissioner confirmation hearing and reports on the persistent uncertainty around pharma tariffs ahead of the Sept. 29 deadline.
Ep. 387 - Psychedelics at FDA, Mike Davis’ CDER & tRNAs
15 Sep 2026
00:30:59
Note: This episode was briefly published with an incorrect audio file, which has since been corrected.
FDA is prepared to approve psychedelic therapies for chronic psychiatric disorders before sponsors have fully determined how long the effects last or when patients should receive second or subsequent doses. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury's analysts assess the latest guidance on psychedelics from FDA. The team also discusses takeaways from Michael Davis' first interview as CDER director, plus preclinical advances positioning suppressor tRNA for Duchenne, cystic fibrosis, and other nonsense-mutation diseases. They also highlight Emerging Company Profiles on BrainChild and Cloverleaf.
A pair of high profile clinical setbacks has wiped out more than $40 billion in market cap for Novartis, most of which stemmed from the Phase III miss of antisense oligonucleotide therapy pelacarsen. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury's analysts unpack the fallout for Lp(a) as a cardio target and whether issues with the target, modality or treatment setting contributed to the therapy's lack of efficacy. The analysts also review BioCentury's annual big pharma deals analysis, which found industry's largest players leaning into disruptive platforms such as bispecifics, in vivo CAR Ts, siRNAs, and degraders. In Washington, Steve Usdin reports on most-favored nation drug pricing carve-outs and policy pressure on mid-tier biotechs – plus the conspicuous lack of U.S. biotechs coming to the table -- pays tribute to the late Peter Barton Hutt, the former FDA Chief Counsel who shaped foundational elements of modern FDA law.
Ep. 385 - MFN deals, Lilly takeout, FDA pick Overton
01 Sep 2026
00:35:37
Mid-sized biopharma companies are under growing pressure to accept most-favored nation drug pricing deals with the White House. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury's analysts assess the trade-offs companies face, the litigation risks around mandatory Medicare MFN pricing demonstrations, and what happens to companies that don't sign on. The analysts also discuss Eli Lilly's acquisition of Merida, its thirteenth takeout of the year, Heidi Overton's nomination as FDA commissioner and what it signals about FDA independence, and Revolution Medicines' 35-day filing-to-approval timeline under FDA's national priority review voucher pilot.
Ep. 384 - Back to School Special: The global FIH trials race
28 Aug 2026
00:42:31
China has changed the global narrative on delivering early human clinical data, with a new bar for speed and efficiency. And now drug developers and policymakers around the world have gotten the message and know that this is no time for complacency. On a special edition of the BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury's analysts discuss why transformational reform for early clinical development will require rethinking the risk-control paradigm for first-in-human trials. It’s the subject of the 2026 Back to School issue, the 34th edition of an annual analysis that takes on one of the most pressing topics facing the biopharma industry.
Ep. 383 - Moderna, Genentech obesity deal, Trump's FDA pick
25 Aug 2026
00:19:13
A Phase III win for a melanoma vaccine from Moderna and Merck & Co. has opened the door to personalized neoantigen vaccines. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s analysts discuss the vaccine’s prospects and the broader implications. The analysts also discuss Roche/Genentech’s deal with Hanmi, which will add to the MNC’s obesity pipeline an asset that the pharma believes could be first in class, and the White House's pick of a Trump loyalist to lead FDA – a move that has revived questions of the agency's independence.
A baker’s dozen of biotechs shrugged off the summer haze to raise nearly $800 million in venture cash. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s analysts discuss the financings, which included money for a potential challenger to Amgen’s blockbuster Tepezza and a new venture from immunology professor Georg Schett with backing from Deerfield Management, Boulevard Bio. The analysts also discuss new approaches to drug cancer’s “undruggable” β-catenin pathway, and whether Capricor’s latest regulatory move will give Duchenne muscular dystrophy therapy deramiocel new life at FDA.
Ep. 381 - FIH urgency in the U.S. Plus: federated learning, biotech IPOs
11 Aug 2026
00:31:43
Pressure is on FDA, policymakers and academic centers in the U.S. to respond to challenges from China, Australia, and beyond to run first in human trials faster and more efficiently. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s analysts discuss how stakeholders in the U.S. are responding to the challenge. The analysts also discuss the next frontiers of federated learning in drug discovery and the latest crop of biotech IPOs on NASDAQ, which raised over $1.2B in strong IPO run last week.
Rumors flew this weekend about a mega-merger of AstraZeneca and Bristol Myers — but would such a deal make sense? On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s analysts explain why they aren’t buying it. The team also discusses what lessons can be learned from the regulatory roller-coaster ride of Replimune’s RP1 vusolimogene oderparepvec and psychedelic therapies’ inflection point in treating depression.
Ep. 379 - Argenx M&A, AI giants and biopharma, catalyst scorecard
28 Jul 2026
00:34:09
Argenx the tier-jumping European biotech, believes its proposed $2.2 billion purchase of Forte Biosciences will add a second multi-indication product upon which it can run the strategy that has made autoimmune drug Vyvgart efgartigimod alfa a blockbuster. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s analysts discuss the deal and put it in the context of a new cohort of large-cap companies increasingly active in biotech M&A. The analysts also assess how recent releases from Anthropic, NVIDIA, Google, OpenAI and Amazon fit into biopharma R&D workflows — and with one another. Finally, they analyze the 1H26 clinical and regulatory catalyst scorecard, which therapies hit their milestones, which missed, and what’s next through year-end. This episode of the BioCentury This Week podcast has been brought to you by CBRE.
Ep. 378 - U.K. cabinet shuffle, Taiwan biotech and Biogen data
21 Jul 2026
00:42:07
The departure of U.K. Science Minister Patrick Vallance is a blow for U.K. biotech. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s analysts discuss what Vallance’s exit, the appointment of John Healey as Chancellor of the Exchequer and other changes arriving with the new Prime Minister could mean for life sciences in the country. BioCentury’s analysts also discuss an ambitious U.K. data initiative launched this month. The Health Data Research Service is intended to be a single front door to all NHS health records, offering large-scale longitudinal health data across diverse populations.
Beyond the U.K., the team turns to companies to watch in Taiwan, what’s next for Biogen’s anti-tau therapy, Eli Lilly’s proposed acquisition of psychedelics company AtaiBeckley, and the latest changes at FDA. This episode of the BioCentury This Week podcast has been brought to you by CBRE.
Ep. 377 - Trends in life sciences talent with CBRE's Ian Anderson
15 Jul 2026
00:29:16
After nearly three years of sluggish job growth, hiring is turning a corner in the U.S. life sciences industry, while the talent pool is expanding beyond the sector’s traditional hubs. On a special episode of the BioCentury This Week podcast, Ian Anderson, senior director, head of U.S. life sciences & healthcare research at CBRE, joins BioCentury’s analysts to discuss the company’s recent report on life sciences talent trends, and how those trends are driving property demand. This episode of the BioCentury This Week podcast has been brought to you by CBRE.
00:01 - Sponsor Message: CBRE 00:45 - Industry Inflection Point 04:17 - Report Methodology 10:08 - Growth Beyond Big Hubs 15:28 - Capital Markets Signals 18:48 - AI and Space Use 20:50 - Emerging Talent 26:34 - Up-and-Coming Cities
To submit a question to BioCentury’s editors, email the BioCentury This Week team at podcasts@biocentury.com.
M&A enthusiasm is carrying biotech amid tepid reception for launches. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s analysts discuss BioCentury’s 3Q26 Public Markets Preview, asking whether M&A momentum can carry biotech through year-end and what happens if the AI trade goes bust? Editor in Chief Simone Fishburn gives her perspective on what incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s agenda means for U.K. life sciences. The analysts also discuss Ionis’ ATTR-CM miss and Takeda’s orexin program. This episode of the BioCentury This Week podcast has been brought to you by CBRE.
Ep. 375 - Novartis' ADC gambit & regulation as catalyst for U.K. biotech
07 Jul 2026
00:33:44
Novartis is deepening its antibody-drug conjugate capabilities with its $1.1 billion acquisition of U.K. biotech Myricx Pharma. On the latest episode of the BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s analysts discuss how the deal fits with the Swiss pharma’s cancer toolkit. The analysts then discuss MHRA CEO Lawrence Tallon’s Guest Commentary in BioCentury on making regulation a catalyst for U.K. life sciences and why the primary defeat of Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) is a setback for FDA reforms. They also assess how single-cell Parkinson’s atlases reveal neuronal and glial disruptions in specific regions and stages, and the thin evidence underpinning Congress’ probe of China trial consent. This episode of the BioCentury This Week podcast has been brought to you by CBRE.
Ep. 374 - Parkinson's deep dive & FDA trial reforms
29 Jun 2026
00:34:14
New Parkinson’s disease programs aim to move beyond the historical norm of symptom management, branching into targeted therapeutics and cell therapies. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s analysts review the most promising targets and trends shaping the Parkinson’s treatment landscape. The team then turns to AstraZeneca’s build-out of its obesity portfolio, followed by FDA’s Operation TrialBlazer and what the reforms mean for reducing the time to launch a clinical trial in the U.S. — and whether they can help close the gap with China. Finally, the analysts review recent FDA reversals of controversial regulatory decisions made under former Commissioner Marty Makary’s leadership and whether companies and investors can expect this reversion to the mean to carry forward.
Ep. 373 - AbbVie M&A, FDA reversals, a CAR T first
23 Jun 2026
00:30:10
AbbVie's $10.9 billion deal to acquire Apogee will expand its immunology pipeline by delivering assets for atopic dermatitis and asthma. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s analysts discuss the takeout and the assets AbbVie gains. The analysts then discuss moves by FDA to reverse controversial setbacks that occurred under the agency’s former leadership and assess Acting CDER Director Michael Davis’ memo outlining how his predecessor repeatedly overruled career staff to quash a drug approval. The analysts also discuss continuing signs of political involvement at FDA. Finally, they discuss China NMPA’s first-ever approval of a CAR T for solid tumors, satricabtagene autoleucel (satri-cel) from Carsgen.
Biotech IPOs that are getting out remain hot — but will that continue into the fall? On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s analysts discuss the market for fresh biotech paper on NASDAQ, including the $770 million debut by Parabilis, the largest IPO in the sector’s history. The analysts also discuss the Biosecure Act and U.S. policy toward China; the cachexia pipeline; and BioCentury’s updated Innovation Distillery.
Ep. 371 - Moving faster at the academia-industry interface
11 Jun 2026
00:32:43
Getting into the clinic fast to de-risk assets has become the name of the game in biotech, and at the academia-industry interface, too. From AI to NAMs to starting a Phase I trial in the U.S., BioCentury’s 3rd Grand Rounds-U.S. conference brought together academic innovators, biopharma leaders and early-stage investors to debate key bottlenecks in translation and how to make early-stage R&D investible. Sam Blackman, entrepreneur in residence at GV and co-founder of Day One Biopharmaceuticals, and Aaron Coe, managing director of innovation for the Allen Institute, joined BioCentury’s analysts on stage last week in Seattle for a podcast recording to wrap up Grand Rounds and discuss key takeaways from the event.
Editor’s note: We invite you to join BioCentury and Regional Host Chairs Forbion and BGV at our next edition of BioCentury Grand Rounds, scheduled for Sept. 23-25 in Amsterdam.
00:53 - World-Class Regional Hosts 02:56 - Building Grand Rounds Community 05:21 - Two Nobels, One City 07:43 - AI Goes End-to-End 09:47 - The Data Problem 14:12 - AI, Animals, Australia 19:53 - Study Startup Bottlenecks 26:11 - Early Science Investability
To submit a question to BioCentury’s editors, email the BioCentury This Week team at podcasts@biocentury.com.
Ep. 370 - Calmer waters for FDA; Servier, Lilly deals
09 Jun 2026
00:34:57
FDA’s new leadership is sailing the agency into calmer waters amid a search for a permanent commissioner and permanent center directors. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury Washington Editor Steve Usdin discusses how FDA’s new, interim leaders have changed the tone at the agency and why they are putting medicines derailed under former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary back on track. Usdin also highlights FDA’s new real-time clinical trials initiative. BioCentury’s analysts then turn to deals, including an analysis of the 20 deals Eli Lilly has done this year; Servier’s move to expand in neurology via BD; and Monday’s billion-dollar deals by Incyte, which will acquire Vega Therapeutics, and Johnson & Johnson, which is buying Firefly Bio. The team also discusses Grand Rounds U.S., held last week in Seattle, including the conference’s Rising Star prize winner Sylvain Simon of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.
Ep. 369 - ASCO advances, China innovation & U.S. science under threat
02 Jun 2026
00:39:13
Revolution Medicines continues to impress with more pancreatic cancer data, earning a standing ovation at ASCO over the weekend. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s analysts discuss the detailed data for the company’s daraxonrasib, Akeso’s Harmoni-6 readout, as well as other results from the meeting. BioCentury’s analysts then argue that U.S. biotech executives and policymakers should embrace the challenges and opportunities that come with the rise of innovation in China — rather than sticking their heads in the sand. They also discuss why leaders of the U.S.’s biggest drug companies should use their influence to stop an OMB proposal that threatens the foundations of U.S. science. Plus: takeaways from BioCentury's conversation with Alkermes CEO Richard Pops on The BioCentury Show.
At ASCO among presentations focused on pancreatic cancer innovation beyond KRAS; however, abstracts for the cancer conference also highlight ADCs, bispecifics and diagnostics that are broadening the field’s approach to the cancer. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s analysts discuss Revolution’s daraxonrasib, other readouts to watch for in pancreatic cancer and what else is on BioCentury’s radar at this year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting.
BioCentury’s analysts also discuss a push by China hawks in Congress to get the Trump administration to invoke national security powers to narrow Chinese life sciences companies’ access to U.S. markets, technology and capital; an initiative by Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.) that seeks to modernize how clinical trials are conducted in the U.S.; and a BioCentury analysis on new antibody-drug conjugate linker techniques. This episode of the BioCentury podcast is brought to you by Jeito Capital.
Ep. 367 - FDA, obesity targets and the rise of DACs
19 May 2026
00:30:40
Marty Makary wasn’t the only official on the outs at FDA last week in another tumultuous turn of events for the regulatory agency. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury Washington Editor Steve Usdin discusses who’s in, who’s out and what’s next at FDA — and why the changes may mean more conservative decision-making at the agency in the near term. BioCentury’s analysts also discuss the new obesity targets that came to light at last week’s annual meeting of the European Congress on Obesity, the market for biotech IPOs, and the emergence of degrader-antibody conjugates. DACs pair the tissue-targeting logic of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) with the catalytic activity of protein degraders. 3C Therapeutics is the latest entrant to the field, pitching its TriCore platform as a modular backbone for DAC generation. This episode of the BioCentury podcast is brought to you by Jeito Capital.
Ep. 366 - Europe's need for speed: Bio€quity takeaways
12 May 2026
00:43:35
China’s speed in generating first-in-human data has catalyzed a race across the globe to reshape regulatory requirements to compete. BioCentury’s analysts, along with special guests Detlev Mennerich, head of Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, and Mehdi Ainouche, partner at Jeito Capital, discussed where Europe fits in that landscape and other takeaways from the 26th annual Bio€quity Europe conference in Prague. This special episode of BioCentury This Week has been brought to you by Jeito Capital.
00:01 - Sponsor Message: Jeito Capital 03:14 - China’s Speed Challenge 04:08 - Europe’s Clinical Trial Opportunity 11:48 - Speed vs. Capital Efficiency 15:52 - Takeaways from Richard Pazdur 19:58 - FDA Uncertainty and Global Alternatives 26:50 - Biopharma M&A Outlook 33:34 - The Next Wave of Science
To submit a question to BioCentury’s editors, email the BioCentury This Week team at podcasts@biocentury.com.
Marty Makary’s hold on the top job at FDA is slipping, with White House leaks about President Donald Trump’s displeasure with the FDA commissioner shifting the question from whether he will be fired to when. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, Washington Editor Steve Usdin discusses the pressures on Makary, how long he will hold onto his post, and the leading candidates to succeed him. BioCentury’s analysts then discuss solutions to AAV’s redosing problem, which could reignite industry interest in a modality that has fallen out of favor, and other topics in the spotlight at this week’s American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy annual meeting. The analysts also discuss opportunities to attend and present academic posters at the third BioCentury Grand Rounds U.S. conference June 3-5 in Seattle. This episode of the BioCentury This Week podcast has been brought to you by Jeito Capital.
Ep. 364 - UCB’s Candid buy, Grand Rounds and leukodystrophies
05 May 2026
00:32:15
UCB is the latest biopharma player to consummate a multibillion-dollar deal amid a surge in biotech M&A activity, acquiring Ken Song’s Candid Therapeutics, one of the leading T cell engager companies. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s analysts discuss the $2 billion takeout and the opportunity in the TCE space. They also assess the drug development landscape for leukodystrophies and the market for biotech IPOs on NASDAQ, where a trio of biotechs exceeded expectations last week, lifting hopes that the window for new listings is broadening. Looking ahead to June, the analysts also preview the third BioCentury Grand Rounds U.S. conference. This episode of the BioCentury This Week podcast was brought to you by Jeito Capital.
Ep. 363 - New targets at AACR, biopharma deals, Kurma fund
28 Apr 2026
00:30:21
More than 175 new oncology targets surfaced at this year’s American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting in San Diego, with the focus on new ways to enhance the immune response against solid tumors and to make existing immunotherapies more effective. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s analysts assess the new targets identified among the thousands of abstracts at AACR, as well as emerging pan-RAS inhibiting antibody-drug conjugates. The analysts also discuss Eli Lilly's latest deal — for a JAK-2 inhibitor from Ajax — and what the current pace of M&A and partnerships says about the state of biopharma dealmaking. This episode also features Kurma Partners’ new venture fund and the latest in BioCentury’s Emerging Company Profile series, spotlighting U.K.-based rheumatoid arthritis company Elevara Medicines. This episode of the BioCentury This Week podcast was brought to you by IQVIA Biotech.
Bispecific antibodies and dual-payload antibody-drug conjugates were in the spotlight at this year’s American Association for Cancer Research meeting in San Diego as biotechs unveiled their latest preclinical and first-in-human oncology data. On a special edition of the BioCentury This Week podcast, IQVIA Biotech CMO James Kyle Bryan joins BioCentury’s analysts to discuss what AACR revealed about modalities gaining traction, plus shares his perspective on de-risking clinical development and eliminating the “white space” that delays biotechs’ timelines in the clinic. This episode of the BioCentury This Week podcast was brought to you by IQVIA Biotech.
Ep. 361 - Kelonia, Kailera, pyschedelics and T cell engagers
21 Apr 2026
00:44:02
The past week has delivered the largest M&A deal ever for a private, venture-backed biopharma, the second-largest follow-on ever for a NASDAQ-traded biotech and what could soon become the largest biotech IPO ever on NASDAQ. On the latest BioCentury This Week, BioCentury’s analysts discuss Eli Lilly's $3.25 billion takeout of in vivo CAR T company Kelonia, the market debut by obesity play Kailera and an upsized follow-on by Revolution on the back of its pancreatic cancer data. The analysts also discuss how autoimmune T cell engagers are diverging from their oncology roots and the potential implications of President Donald Trump’s executive order on psychedelic therapies. BioCentury’s analysts also take time to remember Sofinnova Partners’ Denis Lucquin, father of French biotech. This episode of the BioCentury This Week podcast was brought to you by IQVIA Biotech.
Ep. 360 - FDA’s FIH plans. Plus: billion-dollar deals, funds
14 Apr 2026
00:33:38
A pathway proposed by FDA to cut the time it takes biopharma companies to get to first-in-human trials is more ambitious than similar policies in Australia, China and the U.K. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s analysts assess the proposal, as well as a concession for the biopharma industry on first-in-human studies in PDUFA reauthorization negotiations with FDA. The analysts also discuss the latest pair of billion-dollar biotech deals: Gilead's $3.2 billion takeout of antibody-drug conjugate company Tubulis and the acquisition of Soleno by Neurocrine for $2.9 billion for its Prader-Willi asset. Finally, BioCentury’s analysts discuss the new $6.3 billion Blackstone Life Sciences fund and the €1 billion vehicle unveiled last week by European VC Jeito Capital. This episode of the BioCentury This Week podcast was brought to you by IQVIA Biotech.
00:01 - Sponsor Message: IQVIA Biotech 03:24 - FDA First-in-Human 11:44 - America First PDUFA Policy 17:43 - Gilead Buying Tubulis 23:41 - Blackstone's New Fund 28:37 - Jeito Capital 30:44 - Parker Institute
To submit a question to BioCentury’s editors, email the BioCentury This Week team at podcasts@biocentury.com.
Ep. 359 - 2Q markets preview, tariffs and biotech takeouts
07 Apr 2026
00:38:41
Biotech has been resilient as the financial markets teeter under global volatility. For now, M&A and financings, if not IPOs, are continuing, but will the Mideast conflict halt biotech’s recovery? On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s Stephen Hansen breaks down the near-term and long-term outlook for a biotech industry hoping to continue the growth of 2H25. BioCentury’s analysts also discuss the impact of the Trump administration’s tariffs on the biopharma industry and last week’s biggest deals: the pending $6.3 billion takeout of Centessa by Eli Lilly and the proposed $5.6 billion acquisition of Apellis by Biogen. This episode of the BioCentury This Week podcast was brought to you by IQVIA Biotech.
Register now as a delegate or apply to join the 2026 Presenting Company Class before the 26th Bio€quity Europe May 4-6 in Prague sells out.
Biotech innovators around the world are finding speed to be the driver for investment and partnering — speed to early human data and speed to de-risk assets. The new momentum from Asia, in particular China, has added a fresh challenge for European biotech on top of falling equity and R&D investment in Europe and a complex drug pricing landscape. On a special edition of the BioCentury This Week podcast on the eve of the 26th Bio€quity Europe conference, EQT Life Sciences' Christoph Broja and Prague Bio CEO Petra Kinzlová join BioCentury’s analysts to discuss the challenges faced by European biotech today and what the best strategy is to compete in this new era.
Kinzlová also describes a growing biotech ecosystem in the Czech Republic, which will host Bio€quity Europe May 4-6.
Ep. 357 - Deal-O-rama, Gilead and Tallon's U.K. vision
30 Mar 2026
00:28:38
A flurry of deals, several with sizable upfront payments, has energized the biotech sector in March. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s Paul Bonanos assesses last week’s deals by Merck, which is laying out $6.7 billion to acquire Terns, and Gilead, which is buying Ouro for about $1.7 billion up front. Gilead’s deal comes as the Foster City, Calif.-based biotech is looking to defend its position in HIV while resetting in inflammation and immunology and growing its oncology footprint through business development. BioCentury’s Lauren Martz analyzes the company’s pipeline following her recent conversation with CMO Dietmar Berger. Turning to the U.K., Editor in Chief Simone Fishburn details her conversation with CEO of MHRA, Lawrence Tallon, regarding what new reforms in the U.K. mean for drug developers and how he views initiatives helping to build the sector and place the U.K. in the race to become a destination for clinical trials.
Rates for the 26th Bio€quity Europe May 4-6 in Prague increase after this week. Register now as a delegate or apply to join the 2026 Presenting Company Class before the conference sells out.
Ep. 356 - Arrowhead’s arc. Plus: AI in biotech venture, Synnovation, MFN
24 Mar 2026
00:33:59
After 20 years of platform building and resets, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals is making a bid to become a large-cap biotech. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s analysts discuss how the company has built a pipeline and set of enabling technologies that could enable a steep period of value creation based on RNAi. The team then analyzes the $2 billion deal between Synnovation and Novartis for a pan-mutant-selective PI3Kα inhibitor. The analysts also assess where AI is integrating into the biotech venture funnel and provide insights into ultra-rare disease advocacy, FDA’s search for a successor to CBER Director Vinay Prasad, and the Trump administration’s most-favored nation (MFN) drug pricing policy.
Biotechs have been pricing follow-ons at a steady pace, with some companies parlaying data into upsized deals, and others even beginning to debut on NASDAQ — but will geopolitical tensions and war in the Middle East scuttle the forward momentum? On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s analysts take the temperature of the markets for biotech." They also discuss last week’s late-stage epilepsy data from Xenon Pharmaceuticals, which revived the biotech’s stock and the Kv7 target. And, in a Rare Disease Spotlight, BioCentury’s analysts discuss how Friedreich ataxia is moving into a mechanistic second act, with biotechs pivoting from stabilizing the mitochondrial damage caused by frataxin loss to developing therapies designed to fix the gene itself.
Biotechs in South Korea and other regions of Asia outside of China need to lean into innovation to distinguish themselves from their Chinese counterparts. On a special edition of the BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s analysts are joined by industry guests Ya-Ting Lei and Luther (Ruizhe) Zhao to discuss why the best path for biotechs in Korea and Japan is to lean into target, biology and modality risk, as well as other takeaways from the fifth BioCentury-BayHelix Biopharma Summit, which ran March 9-12 in Seoul and Daejeon, South Korea. Lei is director of BD Asia at Merck KGaA, and Zhao is VP, China clinical analytics at Caidya.
Ep. 353 - Prasad Departure and Future of Fibrosis Therapies
09 Mar 2026
00:37:04
The second ousting of Vinay Prasad from FDA in the past eight months won’t lead to major changes at the agency, other than selecting a successor tasked with keeping FDA out of the news ahead of the coming midterm elections. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, Washington editor Steve Usdin lays out why the former CBER director was pushed out at FDA and what’s next for the agency following his departure. BioCentury’s editors also discuss the next wave of therapies for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, including whether new candidates might go beyond slowing disease to halt or even reverse progression, the biological complexity that makes fibrosis so challenging, and what the 20-plus Phase II programs could teach the field about fibrosis biology. Also up for discussion were recent clinical wins — as well as more complicated readouts — from psychedelic therapies; plus the latest data updates from obesity treatments, with a focus on amylin agonists.
Ep. 352 - A Multipolar Biopharma World; Rare Disease Spotlight
03 Mar 2026
00:34:42
Can a strong U.S. biopharma industry be reconciled with the successful emergence of China? And can China be a catalyst of positive change across the global industry, even if this implies some level of rebalancing away from the U.S.? On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s analysts discuss a Guest Commentary by McKinsey Senior Partner Emeritus Franck Le Deu, who argues that a multipolar biopharma world in which the U.S. continues to thrive even as China becomes meaningfully stronger can emerge. The analysts also discuss BioCentury’s latest Rare Disease Spotlight, which focuses on a wave of therapies aiming to activate retinal function in Stargardt disease patients. Turning to FDA, BioCentury Washington Editor Steve Usdin discusses recent public statements by FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, questions about Vinay Prasad’s future, and the plausible mechanism pathway.
Gilead is acquiring Arcellx for $7.8 billion up front three years after forging a partnership with the biotech around a cell therapy for multiple myeloma. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s analysts assess what the deal does for the Foster City, Calif.-based biotech’s pipeline. The analysts also discuss the case for using ctDNA as a surrogate endpoint for early cancer trials. Turning to Washington, Steve Usdin offers his takeaways from last week’s PhRMA Forum, which focused on China and the Trump administration’s most favored nation (MFN) drug pricing policy, and on the lessons that can be drawn from FDA’s about-face on the recent vaccine application from Moderna.
Ep. 350 - Oral SERD Spotlight. Plus: Setbacks at FDA
17 Feb 2026
00:26:16
As targeted protein degradation gains momentum, oral selective estrogen receptor degraders are emerging as one of its most advanced proving grounds. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s Lauren Martz assesses how the oral SERD landscape is evolving. Washington Editor Steve Usdin then discusses setbacks at FDA for an orphan therapy from Disc Medicine and a vaccine from Moderna, and why he is calling on life sciences industry leaders to publicly demand the dismissal of Vinay Prasad, FDA’s CSO, CMO, and director of CBER.
2025 marked the end of a four-year slide in series A financings for biotechs, with 144 biotechs raising an aggregate of $8 billion, up $1 billion from the prior two years. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s Danielle Golovin assesses which companies VCs backed last year and what their investments say about where technology is headed. Washington Editor Steve Usdin offers a perspective on why compounded Wegovy is an assault on the biopharma industry and also explains how the spending bill signed into law last week is a rebuke to proposed White House biomedical cuts. And Executive Editor Selina Koch unpacks her interview on The BioCentury Show podcast with neuroscientist and Seaport Chair Steven Paul, noting that while serendipity drives drug discovery in psychiatry, it’s engineering that gets it across the finish line.
RNAi and exon-skipping therapies headline the list of regulatory and pivotal data catalysts in 2026, while new lipid-lowering mechanisms, modalities, and precision medicines define cardiovascular disease catalysts this year. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s analysts discuss the most important milestones of the year in new modalities, CV and renal diseases. The analysts also discuss a new regulation in China introducing orphan drug exclusivity that could incentivize development of rare disease therapies.
New rules in China will accelerate the country’s cell and gene therapy sector by reshaping how investigator-initiated trials are conducted and commercialized. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s analysts discuss the new framework and why it will create a powerful incentive for deploying new gene and cell therapies. Executive Editor Selina Koch discusses which milestones she is watching in neurology in the year ahead, from psychedelics to Alzheimer's disease. Finally, Senior Biopharma Analyst Danielle Golovin discusses a pair of stories from BioCentury’s Emerging Company Profile series: one focused on Yale spinout Bexorg Inc., which is rethinking CNS drug discovery with a whole-human-brain model, and another on Elkedonia S.A.S., a French start-up aiming at ELK1 to reboot neuroplasticity in depression.
The biotech bull is back, and buysiders believe this market has staying power for the first time in nearly five years. On a special episode of the BioCentury This Week podcast, Director of Biopharma Intelligence Stephen Hansen and colleagues discuss Hansen’s 2026 Public Markets Preview, which found interest rates, policy in Washington and fundamentals finally aligning and a wave of launches and M&A that could keep capital flowing into the sector.
Next-generation induced proximity technologies are coming of age after a decade of industry focus on PROTACs. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s analysts discuss Senior Biopharma Analyst Danielle Golovin’s four-part analysis of how next-generation targeting chimeras (TACs) are evolving. The analysts assess the $2.2 billion takeout of Rapt Therapeutics by GSK, which gave the pharma an allergy asset that the biotech sourced in China in 2024, and movement in Washington on priority review vouchers, NIH’s budget and the White House’s “most favored nation” drug pricing policy. The analysts also discuss takeaways from their meetings on the sidelines of the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference.
Ep. 344 - JPM Momentum and Asia’s Hotbeds of Innovation
15 Jan 2026
00:43:19
The J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference kicked off this week with sunny skies over San Francisco and more financial momentum than the biotech industry has seen in years. On a special “on the road” edition of the BioCentury This Week podcast, recorded on the sidelines of the annual JPM conference, special guests joined BioCentury’s analysts to discuss the biotech ecosystems in Asia. The wide-ranging conversation spans dealmaking, including the pricing dynamics of assets in China and RNAi’s prospects of becoming the region’s next hot modality; plus the state of the capital markets, the global implications of “China speed” in the clinic, and what’s changing for start-ups in Japan. Joining BioCentury were Panacea Venture’s James Huang, MayTech Global Investments’ Ingrid Yin, DLA Piper’s Ting Xiao and CBRE’s Matt Gardner. The podcast was recorded at the 12th East-West Healthcare Reception, hosted by BioCentury, MayTech Global and Panacea.
Riding the tailwind of a strong 2H25, the days leading up to biotech’s annual kickoff meeting in San Francisco delivered billions in capital raised and more than two dozen deals announced. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury’s analysts discuss two of the largest deals announced at the start of the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, a partnership for a bispecific between AbbVie and RemeGen and the launch of “NewCo” AirNexus Therapeutics by Haisco Pharmaceutical and a syndicate led by Frazier Life Sciences. The analysts also discuss Washington Editor Steve Usdin’s policy outlook for the year ahead, and Executive Director of Biopharma Intelligence Lauren Martz’s analysis of trends in FDA’s 2025 approvals.
The New Year begins with biotech running along parallel storylines. There’s cause for optimism as the industry’s financing gears have begun to churn again and innovation remains as strong as it has ever been, while there's cause for concern as the world’s most stable, progressive, science-based regulatory system has become unpredictable amid new leadership at HHS, FDA, and NIH. On the first episode of the BioCentury This Week podcast’s seventh year, BioCentury’s analysts assess the state of play for biotech in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. The discussion ranges from recent changes at NIH to what’s next for rare pediatric disease priority review vouchers, and from Europe’s opportunity as FDA enters uncertain terrain to Japan’s evolving biotech landscape.
Early bird rates for BioCentury and BayHelix’s fifth East-West Biopharma Summit end Friday. Act now to join investors, dealmakers and innovators in Seoul this March to source innovation from Asia, or accelerate your own pipeline by finding the right Asia partner.