The Readout Loud

Hosted by STAT

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410

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Jun 2026

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About the show

STAT’s weekly biotech podcast, breaking down the latest news, digging deep into industry goings-on, and giving you a preview of the week to come.

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60 recent

June 11, 202636 min

405: An obesity drug deep-dive, and peptides move mainstream

Can any of the new obesity medications in development stand out from the pack? Which company just broke records with its IPO? And will the Food and Drug Administration allow greater access to experimental peptides? We discuss all that and more on this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s biotech podcast.[2:37 PM]Undark’s Sara Talpos joins the podcast to discuss her reporting on the peptide BPC-157, and how its jumped from a Croatian lab to bodybuilding forums on Reddit to the FDA. (STAT co-published Talpos articles; the second piece was was supported by the Pulitzer Center). We also discuss the latest news in the life sciences, including obesity data from the American Diabetes Association meeting and a record-breaking IPO.

June 4, 202637 min

404: What RevMed's pancreatic cancer drug meant for one patient

Why did oncologists give a standing ovation to a data presentation on Revolution Medicines' pancreatic cancer drug, daraxonrasib? Why did biotech stocks perform so badly this week? And are concrete beaches better than normal beaches? We discuss all that and more on this week's episode of “The Readout LOUD,” STAT's biotech podcast. We bring on Leanna Stokes, who was diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer in 2023. She discusses how participating in RevMed's trial for daraxonrasib has affected her disease and life, and what the drug means for patients and the field. We also chat about other data presented during last week's meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the market reaction to Abivax's ulcerative colitis data, and the upcoming meeting of the American Diabetes Association.

May 28, 202647 min

403: Biotech exec Jeremy Levin on the industry's strategic turning point

On this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD,” we chat with longtime biotech executive Jeremy Levin about his new book, “Biotech in the Balance: Saving a Strategic Industry in an Age of Distrust.” That sounds alarmist, and it is in some respects, but as Levin explains, the book is also a roadmap to a brighter future for the biotech industry.

May 21, 202644 min

402: Guarding biotech from China and big bets in longevity

On this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD,” the hosts discuss STAT's Breakthrough Summit West, where powerful leaders from health care and science rubbed shoulders. They share some of the juicy conversations and insights, including BridgeBio CEO Neil Kumar's comments that the company is publishing “not the right structures” in their research publications. Listeners also will hear Allison's interview with Joe Betts-LaCroix, CEO of the Sam Altman-backed longevity company Retro Biosciences. Retro is preparing for its first clinical data readout and examining just how much impact AI can have in drug development. The hosts also discuss colleague Damian Garde's article on how China is tearing biotech apart and one self-appointed spokesperson’s strategy.

May 14, 202640 min

401: Makary’s departure and Cassidy’s tenuous Senate seat

This week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD” is all about health politics. We bring on FDA reporter Lizzy Lawrence to discuss Makary’s departure — why he is leaving, which of his policies will stick, and what we know about his acting replacement, Kyle Diamantas. Washington correspondent Chelsea Cirruzzo also joins us to discuss a closely tracked Republican Senate primary election this weekend. Bill Cassidy, chair of the Senate health committee, is up against two upstart rivals, including a Trump-backed candidate. The outcome of the primary could have far reaching implications for Trump’s health care agenda.

May 7, 202633 min

400: Seaport's IPO adventure, obesity pill battles, and Makary's troubles

On this week’s episode of "The Readout LOUD," we chat with Seaport Therapeutics CEO Daphne Zohar, fresh off the biotech’s successful IPO. Plus, Elaine, Allison, and Adam chat about this week’s notable news, including the obesity pill battle between Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, a Phase 3 study win for Cytokinetics, and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary’s White House troubles. Oh, by the way, this is the 400th episode of your favorite biotech podcast.

April 30, 202641 min

399: Hair-raising trial results, and Servier’s M&A wishlist

Why are investors excited about hair loss drugs? Will artificial intelligence make clinical trials run more smoothly? And how does a nonprofit pharma company compete in the M&A arena? We get into all that and more on this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s weekly biotech podcast. Veradermics CEO Reid Waldman joined us to discuss his company’s data, and why hair loss is such a trendy topic in biotech. Then, Servier Pharmaceuticals CEO David Lee joined us to discuss the company’s acquisition of Day One Biopharmaceuticals.

April 23, 202637 min

398: A CAR-T biotech's dramatic turnaround, and drugmakers' tactics to drive more scripts

How did a biotech company that almost ran out of money three times get acquired for over $3 billion? Will the M&A streak continue? And why are drugmakers working with a telehealth company called Prescribery? We discuss all that and more on this week's episode of "The Readout LOUD," STAT's weekly biotech podcast. Venture capitalist Bryan Roberts joins us to discuss his firm’s investment in Kelonia Therapeutics, the CAR-T biotech that Eli Lilly just said it would buy for $3.25 billion. We also bring on our colleague Katie Palmer to talk through her story about pharma companies using bargain-basement telehealth providers to drive drug prescriptions and sales.

April 16, 202649 min

397: A pancreatic cancer breakthrough, and new hope for an off-the-shelf CAR-T treatment

On this week’s episode of the Readout LOUD: a pancreatic cancer breakthrough and new hope for an off-the-shelf CAR-T treatment in lymphoma. Your favorite biotech podcasting crew is back to full strength this week, and we’re bringing you two newsy guest interviews. First, we’ll talk with Allogene Therapeutics Chief Medical Officer Zach Roberts about new study results that bolster the company’s efforts to develop an off-the-shelf CAR-T therapy for B-cell lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.Then, we’ll dive into the biggest news of the week: Revolution Medicines and the stunning survival benefit reported for its experimental drug in a Phase 3 pancreatic cancer study. Paul Oberstein, a pancreatic cancer expert from NYU Langone, will join us to discuss the Revolution Medicines data and what it means for pancreatic cancer patients.

April 9, 202632 min

396: A new trick for old science, and biotech VCs' scrambled playbook

Why is old exon science getting new traction? What’s unsettling biotech VCs? And who will be the next CEO of PhRMA? Adam is out, so Elaine and Allison dive into the latest news, including how China and artificial intelligence are straining biotech VC firms, in addition to more M&A. They also discuss how a cancelled Food and Drug Administration meeting led to a biotech’s demise. Plus, there’s new hope for an old theory on treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy. STAT reporter Jason Mast details the clinical testing underway.