Really, another podcast? Yes—but it’s the only podcast at the intersection of biotechnology, politics, patients, and the planet. View the video promo here.
Episode #1: The First Dose. Meet 16-year-old Izzy Thorpe-Wall, who spoke to Jim the day before she took her first dose of BIO member Vertex’s stunning Cystic Fibrosis breakthrough treatment. The way she approaches her disease with such grace at such a young age will inspire you.
Episode #2: Superbuggin’. Yes, this episode’s a bit darker, offering a frightening look at antibiotic resistance and two nasty bugs plaguing people around the world: incurable gonorrhea and deadly hospital superbug C. diff. Yikes.
What they’re saying: “Resistance to [gonorrhea treatment] ceftriaxone has reached 5% globally, and in certain parts of the Far East it’s 25-30%. But the cupboard’s bare. There is no new drug,” said Glyn O. Edwards, CEO of Summit Therapeutics PLC.
On the bright side: Edwards’ company has discovered some breakthroughs to get around current antibiotic resistance in bad bacteria without killing the body’s good bacteria, and he explains why we need to incentivize antibiotic innovation and stop “starving” antibiotic companies of capital.
What’s ahead: Watch for the next episode on innovations in aviation biofuels, coming February 24—and later, we’ll talk about everything from gene therapies to bananas.
Why it matters: Biotech innovation is threatened by price controls, unnecessarily burdensome regulations, and misinformation. We’re telling the stories of the people behind the science, and why we need policy that allows this innovation to flourish.
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