Biotech Hangout

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Episode 104 Jun 24, 2024

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On this week’s Biotech Hangout, hosts Josh Schimmer, Brad Loncar, Tim Opler, Eric Schmidt and Sam Fazeli are joined by special guests Jacob Plieth and Madeleine Armstrong for a deep dive into ASCO 2024, including the highs and lows on the data front. The hosts also discuss the shifting interests from pharma companies as some suggest T-cell engagers may have overtaken ADCs and radios in the oncology space. In non-ASCO news, the group covers NASH data from Lilly and Viking and Structure’s data in obesity. The hosts also discuss the latest on BioSecure Act, improving inflation numbers and pickup in the XBI, Moderna’s first vaccine approval outside of COVID, and more. This episode aired on June 7, 2024.

Episode 103 Jun 05, 2024

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On this week’s Biotech Hangout, hosts Daphne Zohar, Josh Schimmer, Yaron Werber, Luba Greenwood and Dawn Bell start the show with a look at the XBI and M&A activity from the week, including multiple deals topping over $1 billion. The hosts highlight a few of these big transactions, including Biogen acquiring Hi-Bio for $1.15 billion, Merck acquiring Eyebio for $1.3 billion, J&J buying Yellow Jersey for $1.25 billion, and Novartis buying out Mariana for $1 billion, among others. With private acquisitions in the spotlight, the group digs into some of the high caliber private companies emerging in biotech. The group also covers data updates and related stock price reactions from Summit (the company’s shares tripled after cancer treatment data), Insmed (shares rocketed following Phase 3 trial results for the company’s experimental airway disease drug), Biohaven (its protein-degrader drug falls short of investor expectations), and Roivant’s update on FcRn development plans. In a lively discussion, the hosts share varying viewpoints on whether a CEO should respond or comment to criticism on social media, plus they look ahead to ASCO, and more. This episode aired on May 31, 2024.

Episode 102 May 28, 2024

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On this week’s Biotech Hangout, hosts Chris Garabedian, Josh Schimmer, Brad Loncar, Eric Schmidt and Tim Opler kick off the episode with a spotlight on women’s health, which was sparked by Bayer’s Phase 3 data readouts for menopause symptoms. The group also cover Incyte’s $2B share repurchase which leads into a discussion on stock buybacks and the ‘broken’ R&D model. The group also recaps ASGCT 2024 and new gene editing technologies. In deals of the week, the hosts discuss deals and financings from the week, including Takeda and AC Immune’s $100M license agreement, Uniquity Bio’s $300M launch and J&J;s $850M purchase of Proteologix. In other data news, hosts discuss Merck’s TIGIT/PD-1 Phase 2 safety concerns, Ionis/Biogen discontinue ALS treatment, COVID-19 data from Shionogi and AstraZeneca, and a look at obesity ‘limited data’ versus Vertex’s data transparency. Other topics include Bolt Therapeutics discontinuing its oncology asset, Dynavax denied expanded use by FDA, Recursion’s stock surges with fastest supercomputer claim, and short selling and meme stocks in biotech. *This episode aired on May 17, 2024.

Episode 101 May 28, 2024

Show notes

On this week’s Biotech Hangout, hosts Eric Schmidt, Daphne Zohar, Josh Schimmer and Paul Matteis kick off the show with a look at M&A in the sector and debate whether we’re in a “good market” for biotech, if the sector is overly dependent on M&A as an investment thesis and the therapeutic areas that are most attractive for M&A. The hosts also discuss “hot” targeted oncology modalities including radiopharm, ADCs and bispecifics, and predict which of these technologies will likely continue to benefit from M&A interest. Following earnings this week, the hosts cover Janux Therapeutics’ stock price dropping 11.5% while CytomX stock moves +120% to -40% in a matter of minutes. Acelyrin’s founder stepped down as CEO, which opens up a discussion amongst the hosts on how disruptive change at the top can be for an organization and when investors should and shouldn’t care about CEO transitions. The group also discusses Bluebird and Vertex prepping for the first commercial use of sickle cell gene therapies. The episode wraps up with a review of other news from the week including Maze’s deal with Shionogi for Pompe disease, Walking Fish shuts down, Denali’s regulatory update, and FDA sets June date for Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer's drug donanemab adcomm. *This episode aired on May 10, 2024.

Episode 100 May 10, 2024

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On this week’s Biotech Hangout, hosts Daphne Zohar, Eric Schmidt, Yaron Werber and Luba Greenwood are joined by special guest and STAT reporter, Adam Feuerstein. The episode kicks off with the hosts sharing their thoughts on industry sentiment and some of the revealing trends in the week’s Stifel report before diving into Q1 earning reports from Ascendis, Amgen and SpringWorks. The hosts talk about ONO’s acquisition of Deciphera for $2.4B, X4’s FDA approval of XOLREMDI, and how COVID fatigue could be causing us to minimize the threat of the avian influenza H5N1. The group also discusses Biden’s Cancer Moonshot getting killed by Congress, a federal judge throws out two drugmaker IRA lawsuits and the FTC goes after drug company’s “junk” patents in obesity and other device combos. Adam sparks a group discussion around his exclusive STAT article on how an emerging safety issue in MorphoSys’ Phase 3 cancer study may complicate its acquisition by Novartis. Other topics covered this week include BridgeBio spinning out an oncology company as it focuses on the anticipated launch of its heart drug, US government moving to reclassify marijuana from schedule 1 to schedule 111 drug, and more. *This episode aired on May 3, 2024.

Episode 99 Apr 30, 2024

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On this week’s Biotech Hangout, hosts Daphne Zohar, Josh Schimmer, Sam Fazeli and Yaron Werber discuss macro updates from the week including President Biden’s proposal to increase capital gains and apply a tax on unrealized capital gains and FTC’s rule to ban non-competes nationwide. The group also covers the roller coaster ride of Q1 earnings including reports from AstraZeneca, BMS, Novartis and Biogen. In oncology news, the hosts review the underwhelming ASCO titles, Acrivon’s positive data for ovarian and endometrial cancers, the FDA approval of ImmunityBio’s Anktiva and Sam Blackman from Day One joins the panel to discuss the accelerated approval of OJEMDA. In financings and deals, the hosts cover Xaira Therapeutics $1B raise, Incyte’s acquisition of Escient, Metsara’s launch in obesity, Cellares/BMS collaboration and a joint venture between Takeda, Astellas and Sumitomo. The hosts also get into a stimulating discussion on liked versus unliked CEOs. *This episode aired on April 26, 2024.

Episode 98 Apr 30, 2024

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On this week’s Biotech Hangout, Chris Garabedian, Josh Schimmer, Tim Opler and John Maraganore discuss how it’s been a big year for PIPEs and some of the controversy that has come along with it. The hosts also open up a discussion on supply and demand of venture capital and then pivots to Genentech ending its strategic collaboration with Adaptimmune. The group discusses other deals and financings of the week including Future Pak’s proposal to acquire Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi’s plans to divest Amuniz Pharmaceuticals and Regeneron enters venture investing with a $500 million fund. The hosts also discuss data readouts from Ultragenyx, Biohaven, Sage, Cerevel/Abbvie, Eli Lilly, Roche and Novartis. The show closes out with the latest on WuXi and the impact on biotech, Humira biosimilars grabbing huge market shares and Baker Brothers returns $10 billion to investors. *This episode aired on April 19, 2024.

Episode 97 Apr 16, 2024

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On this week’s episode of Biotech Hangout, hosts Brad Loncar, Daphne Zohar, Luba Greenwood and Eric Schmidt kick off the discussion with Vertex’s plans to acquire Alpine Immune Sciences for almost $5 billion in cash, making it the largest deal for the sector in 2024. The hosts also discuss inflation effects on biotech stocks and M&A, macro takeaways from AACR and more fallout from the BioSecurity Act and implications for the industry. The group covers the US Department of Justice’s complaint filed against Regeneron related to its eye drug, Eylea, and the unfortunate impact on the industry’s reputation around drug pricing. The hosts also discuss Novartis’ deal to pay $150 million for Arvinas’s prostate cancer therapy and e-therapeutics CEO Ali Mortazavi joins the panel to discuss the London Stock Exchange challenges and his company’s plans to delist from the LSE’s junior market, AIM. *This episode aired on April 12, 2024.

Episode 96 Apr 16, 2024

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On this week’s Biotech Hangout, Chris Garabedian, Josh Schimmer, Dawn Bell, Paul Matteis and Yaron Werber discuss the white hot ADC space as Genmab pays $1.8 billion to acquire Profound Bio and its ADC portfolio, Ispen’s $900 million pact with Sutro and Merck KGaA’s $1.4 billion ‘BioBucks’ AI deal with Caris Discovery. The hosts also cover the week’s big private deals including Metsera $350 million funding, Oruka’s $275 million PIPE, Obsidian’s $175 million Series C, Alterome’s $132 million Series B and Neurosterix $63m spinout from Addex. The group also discusses Amylyx’s decision to withrawl ALS drug and Acorda and Eiger both file for bankruptcy. On the data and regulatory front, the hosts discuss Roivant’s positive Phase 2 study results in eye disease, Gritstone’s Phase 2 neoantigen cancer vaccine results, LENZ’s Phase 3 data for Presbyopia and Vertex’s Phase 3 kidney disease trial. *This episode aired on April 5, 2024.

Episode 95 Mar 27, 2024

Show notes

On this week’s episode of Biotech Hangout, hosts Brad Loncar, Josh Schimmer, Grace Colon, Chris Garabedian, and Eric Schmidt discuss the latest biotech industry news including M&A, regulatory news, pricing strategies, and progress within women’s health and neurological disorders. The hosts cover data from Roche’s IL-6 program, Biohaven’s degrader program, followed by Crinetics’ Phase 3 data in acromegaly. On the M&A front, the hosts discuss AstraZeneca’s acquisition of Fusion Pharmaceuticals. The group also talks through Orchard Therapeutics’ breakthrough $4.25 million drug, and the impact of high drug prices on the industry as a whole. They also weigh in on the BioSecure bill that caused WuXi to leave BIO, and the broader impact of this decision on the biotech sector. The group also discussed a new executive order and initiatives that serve to address disparities in research for women’s health conditions. The hosts round out the show by discussing trends in early-stage investment, and the growing role of neurological conditions globally. *This episode aired on March 22, 2024.

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