If you had lung cancer, you’d take one kind of drug. If you had liver cancer, you’d take another drug. Makes sense, right? But scientists have found another, more effective, more targeted way to treat cancer — one that you need a code to unlock. In this episode we look at the surprising history and the hopeful future of immunotherapy, and how the genetic code of cancer itself has been used to find a way to treat the disease.

Healthcare innovations aren’t just about drugs, but how care is delivered. But one of the fastest-growing areas of health care is focusing less on WHAT’s wrong with you, but WHERE the healing actually happens, and HOW doctors can deliver that care right to your home. In this episode we learn how a fitness craze from the 80’s is helping provide medical care right to a patient’s front door.

The discovery of DNA in the 1850s allowed us to see into the genetic code of individual humans. Now gene editing, a technique by which the gene or genes that make us susceptible to some diseases, allows that code to be rewritten. In this episode we look at the ways in which gene editing is being used to turn that century-old breakthrough into the future of medicine.

Thanks to modern medicine, we are living longer lives than ever before. But our longer lives have led to an increase in age-related degenerative illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s and ALS – neurological degenerative disorders that have proven very difficult to treat because of one of the strongest security systems in the human body: The Blood Brain Barrier. This episode looks at how an idea as old as the Trojan Horse could be used to finally break down that barrier for good.

We kick off this new season with a medical breakthrough story you might THINK you know, but isn't that straightforward. We dive into how the "speedy" development of mRNA vaccines is actually a story with decades of twists and turns. In this episode we look at the mRNA technology that is behind many COVID-19 vaccines, and how an idea that once looked like it was destined to fail got a new life just in time to save so many of ours.

Throughout this season, we are exploring some of the amazing medical breakthroughs that have changed lives – and continue to change what’s possible in the world of medicine. And all of this progress stems from investment: of time, of money, of research and ingenuity. In this episode, we’re looking at the common thread that links all the incredible stories we’ll be hearing over the coming season: that alchemy that brings about these life-saving innovations in healthcare.

Invisible Forces is a podcast that investigates the unseen influences that drive our spending, our saving and our global economy. Hosted by Jefferies' insider Shannon Murphy, season three is all about one invisible force – the alchemy that can turn a series of unlikely events, surprises and setbacks into medicine’s biggest successes. We’ll hear from biotech industry leaders and our own Jefferies experts about some of the biggest breakthroughs in medical history – and the investments that brought them into reality.

Culturally in 2020, the conversation around racial injustice has hit a breaking point. COVID-19 exacerbated inequities in health outcomes for Black and Latino Americans, and in the wake of George Floyd’s death, we’ve seen a massive movement against systemic racism. The people have spoken - now how will businesses, markets and economies respond? Today, consumers are seeking ways to support Black-owned businesses with their dollars, and companies are looking to hire more equitably and inclusively. Even our technology is getting a redesign – to correct biases built right into the programming of tech tools we use everyday. Hosts Shannon Murphy and Erin Shea are joined by colleague Nadia Batchelor to explore how this powerful movement can create enduring changes in businesses around the world.

2020 has been a year of instability and upheaval, so it’s no surprise many of us have been especially focused on our security. And that comes in many forms – securing our health, our homes, our finances, and even our digital lives. We used to talk about ‘safety in numbers’ – but during the pandemic as we’ve been in quarantine and isolation, we’ve had to rethink what security looks and feels like today. In this episode, hosts Shannon Murphy and Erin Shea explore how this need for fortification has been accelerated by work-from-home orders and lockdowns, and how this year has changed our idea of security for good.

Consumers today, especially younger buyers, are in the market for more environmentally friendly products - and the good news is, their options are only growing. Hosts Shannon Murphy and Erin Shea look at how the trend towards conscious consumption is driving change in just about every industry, from fashion to food to home decor. In this episode we dig into how tech is powering green innovations in a wide range of industries. We hear from business leaders about how this force is not only good for the Earth, but good for your company's bottom line, and we ask: as the buying power of Gen Xers and Millennials grows into the trillions, how will this trend change our markets over the next decade?