The Pharma Letter Podcast

Епизоде

• BenevolentAI CEO on the future of AI-led medicine 06.05.2026 30мин

  This week on The Pharma Letter Podcast, we’re joined by Kenneth Mulvany, founder and executive chair of BenevolentAI: one of the UK’s earliest and most high-profile attempts to apply machine learning to drug discovery. Founded in 2013, BenevolentAI set out to build what it describes as a science-based AI platform capable of mining vast biomedical data to identify novel targets and accelerate the path to new medicines. The company gained global attention during the pandemic, when its tec...
• ConcertAI CEO Eron Kelly on Big Tech's role in biotech 13.03.2026 17мин

  This week on The Pharma Letter Podcast, we’re joined by Eron Kelly, chief executive of ConcertAI: a company applying artificial intelligence to accelerate oncology research and clinical development. ConcertAI sits at the intersection of life sciences and large-scale data, working with biopharma companies, research networks, and technology partners to turn real-world clinical and genomic information into insights that can guide drug development decisions. Mr Kelly stepped into the CEO role a...
• How blood cancer treatment is evolving in the Middle East 08.12.2025 22мин

  This week on the Podcast, we are joined by Dr Amr Hanbali. During Blood Cancer Awareness Month, Guy Martin, news editor at The Pharma Letter, sat down with Dr Hanbali to discuss his experiences treating patients with CAR T-cell therapy in the Middle East. With extensive experience in hematology and the treatment of blood disorders such as leukemia and myeloma, Dr Hanbali has been closely involved in expanding access to advanced therapies across the region. Dr Hanbali discussed the evolution o...
• Nouscom bets on dual vaccine strategy to outsmart cancer 25.07.2025 19мин

  This week on The Pharma Letter Podcast, we’re joined by Marina Udier, chief executive of Nouscom — a biotech company developing cancer vaccines. Founded in 2015, the firm is working on cancer vaccines that use a viral vector platform to train the immune system to recognize and attack cancer. The company is developing both personalized and off-the-shelf approaches, aiming to treat a range of tumors. Before taking the helm at Nouscom, Dr Udier built a diverse career across healthcare — working ...
• Is this a revolution in Alzheimer's? 12.06.2025 20мин

  This week on The Pharma Letter Podcast, we’re joined by Howard Fillit, co-founder and chief science officer at the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF). As the FDA approval of anti-amyloid drugs like lecanemab and donanemab marks a new era in the treatment of Alzheimer’s, questions remain around cost, access, and real-world impact. A geriatrician and neuroscientist, Dr Fillit has argued for a broader approach to Alzheimer’s—one that targets not just amyloid, but the full biology...
• Why Boehringer and GSK are betting on Ochre 23.05.2025 18мин

  This week on The Pharma Letter Podcast, we’re joined by Quin Wills, co-founder and chief scientific officer of UK biotech Ochre Bio. A physician-scientist with a background in genomics and computational biology, Quin has spent much of his career focused on the biology of liver disease — a path that has shaped Ochre’s approach to RNA-based therapies and human-based validation models. Founded in 2019, the Oxford-based biotech is developing a pipeline of RNA medicines for chronic liver conditi...
• ICON's AI strategy: faster, smarter trials 08.05.2025 15мин

  This week on The Pharma Letter Podcast, we are joined by Tony Clarke, senior VP of IT digital operations at ICON (Nasdaq: ICLR). As a leader in digital transformation within clinical research, Tony has been at the forefront of implementing AI-driven solutions to enhance drug development. A global contract research organization (CRO), ICON has been tracking industry attitudes toward digital innovation. In 2019, the company conducted a survey to gauge investment trends in new technologies...
• How real-time data could transform clinical trials 11.03.2025 15мин

  In this week’s podcast, we welcome Iddo Peleg, CEO and co-founder of Yonalink, who provides insights into the current and future state of the clinical trial industry. As we move headlong into 2025, a year that appears set to be characterized by global economic and political turmoil, Iddo discusses major trends in the industry, including challenges posed by the COVID-19 aftermath and the potential impacts of regulatory upheaval on clinical trials. He also outlines how Yonalink’s ...
• Japanese pharma in the UK 14.02.2025 19мин

  In this episode, we’ll take a look at the role of Japanese pharmaceutical groups in the UK, with Jackie Davis, general manager at Astellas Pharma. Tokyo-headquartered Astellas (TYO: 4503) has developed a strong portfolio in urology, oncology and immunology, most recently with US FDA approval for Vyloy (zolbetuximab), a key addition to its cancer treatments. It’s one of many Japanese companies with a strong presence in the UK, represented nationally by the Japanese Pharmaceutical Group, of w...
• How can we use AI to program antibodies? 14.11.2024 16мин

  This week, we discuss a novel AI-driven approach to drug development, and its potential to transform the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. We are joined by Yanay Ofran, chief executive and founder of Israel-based Biolojic Design, a company that is working on programmable antibodies. Biolojic's platform has already yielded a first-of-its-kind computationally designed antibody, now in Phase II trials, as well as a pipeline aimed at autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. The firm ...
• Breakthroughs in MASH, with 89bio CEO 25.06.2024 22мин

  This week we’re focusing on an area of clinical research that has been of great interest for a number of years, that is NASH, also known as MASH. It’s a high area of unmet medical need, with over 20 million diagnosed cases across Europe and the USA, and while there are more than 80 therapies currently in the pipeline, only around 5% of these are in Phase III development. One company working in this area is San Francisco-based 89bio (Nasdaq: ETNB), which has a candidate now in Phase II...
• How to develop cancer drugs faster, with Ellipses Pharma 17.01.2024 22мин

  This week we are speaking with the chief executive of British drug development company Ellipses Pharma. Founded in 2018 to create new cancer therapies, the firm is following a unique multimodal approach to clinical development, leveraging a variety of technologies. That’s not the only way that Ellipses is rethinking drug development. The company uses a consultative model to provide an unbiased vetting process for candidates, with the goal of de-risking initial asset selection. Ellips...
• CRO sector surges in bio revolution 24.10.2023 12мин

  In the world of outsourced clinical research, ICON is a big fish in a pond full of other increasingly big fish. In this episode of The Pharma Letter Podcast, we chat with the company’s chief commercial officer, George McMillan. Like many in the industry, the Dublin-headquartered clinical research organization (CRO) has sought to grow in size to take advantage of increasing demand for its services. A coming together of numerous advances in biotechnology over recent years has led to a new wa...
• Lilly looks to lead in Alzheimer's 17.07.2023 17мин

  With an Accelerated nod for Aduhelm (aducanumab) and now full approval for Leqembi (lecanemab) in the USA, Biogen (Nasdaq: BIIB) and Eisai (TYO: 4523) have overturned decades of failure in Alzheimer’s. But at the annual meeting of the Alzheimer’s Association (AAIC), it’s another neurology heavyweight taking center stage, as Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) makes clear its intention to remain a leader in the treatment of this challenging disease. At the AAIC in Amsterdam, we’re speaking with two key fi...
• AAIC preview with Eisai deputy CCO Michael Irizarry 06.07.2023 22мин

  In the runup to the annual meeting of the Alzheimer’s Association, this week we are speaking with Michael Irizarry, deputy chief clinical officer at Eisai US. At the event in July, there will be plenty to discuss, with recent new data from Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) suggesting its anti-amyloid candidate, donanemab, is likely to provide healthy competition for Eisai's (TYO: 4523) own Alzheimer’s product, lecanemab - marketed in the USA as Leqembi. Like Lilly, Eisai has been a pioneer in neurology...
• A new way to innovate, from Flagship Pioneering 20.04.2023 23мин

  Set against a backdrop of foundering confidence in biotech stocks, the success of some companies incubated by Massachusetts-based Flagship Pioneering has been remarkable. Flagship has invested billions of dollars getting startups off the ground, many of which, such as Foghorn Therapeutics (Nasdaq: FHTX), Codiak Biosciences (Nasdaq: CDAK) and Rubius (Nasdaq: RUBY), have gone on to become publicly-traded companies. Moderna Therapeutics (Nasdaq: MRNA), the poster child for the firm’s strategy,...
• Will radical new EU regs hobble industry? 31.03.2023 22мин

  A draft of the European Commission’s ongoing review of pharmaceutical legislation has leaked, prompting a bitterly-worded reaction from drugmakers, which accuse legislators of “sabotaging” the industry. There is no doubt that the proposals represent serious change. Maarten Meulenbelt, partner and expert on EU regulatory affairs at Sidley Austin, describes them as the most far-reaching for decades. On this week’s episode of The Pharma Letter Podcast, Mr Meulenbelt will walk us through...
• Galapagos update—with CEO Paul Stoffels 02.02.2023 20мин

  This week on The Pharma Letter Podcast, we are joined by Galapagos (Euronext: GLPG) chief executive Paul Stoffels. After an illustrious career as chief scientific officer at Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), Dr Stoffels is ready for a new chapter in his home country of Belgium. His instalment as Galapagos CEO is also a kind of homecoming. Founded in 1999, the firm emerged from a joint venture between Crucell and Tibotec, an infectious disease specialist for which Dr Stoffels served as ch...
• US midterms and beyond: the outlook for pharma 28.11.2022 18мин

  The outcome of the recent midterm elections in the USA surprised many by returning a Democrat-led Senate, preventing Republicans from gaining control of the next Congress. Analysts, having expected a stronger showing for Republicans, put some of the blame on former president Donald Trump, whose endorsements and active involvement in campaigning were said to frighten off moderates. In this week’s episode of The Pharma Letter Podcast, we are joined by Stephanie Kennan, senior VP for federal pub...
• Focus on rare liver diseases, with Albireo CEO Ron Cooper 19.10.2022 16мин

  *Partnered content In Boston, Massachusetts, one company is now making significant headway in the development of an innovative treatment for rare pediatric liver diseases. Led by president and chief executive officer Ron Cooper, Albireo (Nasdaq: ALBO) has since 2021 boasted both US and EU approval for the novel bile acid modulator Bylvay (odevixibat). The oral medicine addresses an unmet need by providing the first non-surgical treatment option for people with progressive familial intrahep...