Biotech Hangout Podcast By Daphne Zohar Josh Schimmer Brad Loncar Tim Opler and more cover art

Biotech Hangout

Biotech Hangout

By: Daphne Zohar Josh Schimmer Brad Loncar Tim Opler and more
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A weekly discussion of all things biotech – breaking news, data, deals, and FDA actions – with a community of biotech industry leaders and experts. Join the live streams hosted by @BiotechCH, @daphnezohar, @bradloncar and @biotech1 on Twitter Spaces every Friday at 12pm ET.Daphne Zohar, Josh Schimmer, Brad Loncar, Tim Opler and more Biological Sciences Science
Episodes
  • Episode 177 - March 27, 2026
    Mar 27 2026

    On this week’s episode, Grace Colón, Josh Schimmer, Eric Schmidt, and Brian Skorney open with a look at the macro backdrop. With market volatility and interest rate uncertainty, the hosts agree the macro is still “driving the bus,” tempering what might otherwise be stronger bullish sentiment. Even so, biotech continues to demonstrate relative resilience – XBI holding up better than the broader market – reinforcing the view that investors still want to own biotech. In deals, the co-hosts discuss Gilead’s more than $2 billion purchase of Ouro Medicines for its autoimmune disease drug, Merck’s $6.7 billion takeover of Terns to bolster its oncology pipeline, and Novartis’ deal for Exellergy to strengthen its allergy portfolio. The conversation shifts to regulatory news, including the approval of Denali’s Hunter syndrome drug, Avlayah, which comes shortly after the FDA rejected Regenxbio’s gene therapy for the same condition. Other recent rare disease approvals are noted, with the group interpreting them as signs of slightly increased regulatory flexibility following leadership changes, though uncertainty remains across the health agencies. The episode concludes with recent data news and market reactions from Sarepta and Arrowhead, Maze versus Vertex in kidney disease, Beam’s data in AATD, Lyme disease vaccine data from Pfizer and Valneva, and a preview of data to be presented at AAD. *This episode aired on March 27, 2026.

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    56 mins
  • Episode 176 - March 13, 2026
    Mar 13 2026

    On this week’s episode, Sam Fazeli, Josh Schimmer, Paul Matteis, and Graig Suvannavejh kick off with a discussion on the impact of current geopolitics on biotech investor sentiment, noting that biotech is fundamentally insulated from oil prices and emphasizing that the sector is becoming cash‑flow positive at a pace not previously seen. Shifting to regulatory news, the group discusses Vinay Prasad’s departure from the FDA and highlights that upcoming rare disease readouts will serve as a test of the FDA’s flexibility. They also cover the FDA’s new Adverse Event Monitoring System, which consolidates multiple adverse event reporting databases into a single platform. Next, the co-hosts highlight John Crowley’s opinion piece in STAT News on Biotech’s 50th anniversary (marked by the founding of Genentech), emphasizing the importance of protecting U.S. biotech and pharmaceutical pricing to sustain innovation. On the deal front, the group discusses Servier’s $2.5B cash acquisition of Day One Biopharmaceuticals’ oncology asset, as well as the recurring rumor of an Abivax takeover. The episode closes with a review of recent clinical data and company updates from IDEAYA Biosciences, Roche, Benitec Biopharma, RenovoRx, Vertex, Xenon, and Dianthus, along with broader commentary on FDA decision‑making following the approval of leucovorin. *This episode aired on March 13, 2025.

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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Episode 175 - March 6, 2026
    Mar 6 2026

    On this week’s episode, Mike Yee, Eric Schmidt, Matt Gline, and Yaron Werber kick off with a discussion on the sector's resilience amid market volatility, highlighting positive capital markets developments. The fourth quarter of 2025 saw approximately $10 billion in follow-on financing, with the first quarter of 2026 approaching about a $2.5 billion IPO run rate, which would be the highest single quarter in the past few years. The co-hosts express cautious optimism, notingthat after a long period where companies were struggling to capitalize themselves, the overall mood has improved. The discussion then shifts to the big news from this week and intellectual property dynamics including the $2.25B Roivant/Moderna settlement and its impacts on Moderna’s cash position, alongside IP implications for mRNA/LNP platforms. Regulatory updates are mentioned through UniQure’s rejection and FDA decision-making, emphasizing the complexity of FDA reviews. The group also explores the GLP-1 obesity market potential and its impact on consumer sectors, particularly with the emergence of oral GLP-1 therapies; payer dynamics are also discussed. Next, the co-hosts discuss financial guidance and “sandbagging” using the Harrow case as an example in transparency in financial guidance and its impact on investor expectations. The episode concludes with the group highlighting Miami as an emerging hub for biotech and finance conferences, offering efficient scheduling for deal-making. *This episode aired on March 6, 2026.

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    52 mins
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