Who got exclusive access to Eli Lilly's highly anticipated obesity candidate? Why are drugmakers spending so much money on acquisitions? And are hair loss drugs a good investment? We discuss all that and more on this week's episode of “The Readout LOUD,” STAT's biotech podcast. We bring on our colleague Lizzy Lawrence to discuss her scoop that Lilly and the Food and Drug Administration have allowed one person to receive the pharma company's obesity candidate, retatrutide, through the FDA’s “compassionate use” program. We also discuss the resurgence of M&A, Lilly's interest in a hair loss drug, and then the FDA's reversal on rare disease drugs.

This week: New hope for people living with Huntington’s disease, and a report card on RFK Jr.’s effort to remake health in America.  The Food and Drug Administration reversed its opposition to a closely watched gene therapy for Huntington’s disease, clearing a path for its maker, the biotech company UniQure, to file for U.S. approval. Joining us to discuss this new development and what it means for the Huntington’s community is Lauren Holder, a Huntington’s disease advocate who is living with the early stages of the disease.  A pledge to “Make America Healthy Again” earned Robert F. Kennedy Jr. his job as the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. He entered the role with a long to-do list, and a goal of delivering measurable improvements within two years. How has he fared? Isabella Cueto, STAT’s chronic disease reporter, has been closely tracking Kennedy and the MAHA movement’s actions, and joins us to discuss.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.