3
May
2021
RT-PCR Tests for COVID-19 Have Quantitative Power. Let’s Start Using It
Over the past 16 months, 192 billion COVID tests have been carried out globally. A majority are real-time polymerase chain reaction tests (RTqPCR) tests. Every one of those has been reported to patients as an either/or result: positive or, more usually, negative. These tests are capable of doing much, much more than just giving a simple yes/no answer. The “q”... Read More
3
May
2021
Single Cell Analysis Comes of Age, Lighting the Way for Precision Therapies
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29
Apr
2021
J&J Back After Pause, Sanofi Aids Moderna, and a Flood of Women Join Biotech Boards
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29
Apr
2021
AbbVie Bets $90M on Capsida Approach to AAV Gene Therapy
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28
Apr
2021
Rare Side Effects of Adenovirus Vaccines Call for Careful Surveillance
Clinical trials have given us a wealth of information about the effectiveness, and safety profile, of vaccines for COVID-19. But the work of gathering evidence, and weighing the results in the context of an ongoing pandemic, isn’t done. The importance of developing population-based effectiveness and safety profiles associated with a mass vaccination campaign — the sort of deep datasets that... Read More
28
Apr
2021
Boundless Bio, Pushing Frontiers with ecDNA Cancer Therapy, Raises $105M
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27
Apr
2021
Quantified Self Redux?
The first iteration of the “Quantified Self” movement largely fizzled out about five years ago. Avid self-trackers, at the time, started to worry they were drowning in data, but lacking in insight. Today, we seem to be entering Quantified Self 2.0. Once again, an expanding assortment of consumer devices promises to measure every parameter of our health and well-being. The... Read More
27
Apr
2021
Building Momentum and Leverage: How Pandion Ended Up Acquired by Merck
The news release crossed the wires 6:45 am Feb. 25. Within minutes, my inbox started filling with some awesome congratulatory notes. In a few of those notes, there were also some questions about how fast it all happened. Pandion Therapeutics, the Watertown, Mass.-based company where I worked as chief business officer for 18 months, had just been acquired by Merck... Read More
26
Apr
2021
Liberating Founders and Investors From Narrative Bias
We’re drawn to stories. We understand the world through stories – both the narratives we read, and those we create and develop for ourselves. It’s the very power – the unreasonable effectiveness? – of stories that also leaves us so vulnerable to deception, including self-deception. This is a key message from “Super Founders,” Ali Tamaseb’s soon-to-be-published analysis of the factors... Read More
21
Apr
2021
Versant Ventures, Sticking With its Knitting, Raises $950M for Early Stage Biotechs
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19
Apr
2021
Partnering in a World of Scientific Abundance: James Sabry on The Long Run
Today’s guest on The Long Run is James Sabry. James is the Global Head of Pharma Partnering for Roche. He’s based in Basel, Switzerland. He did his PhD in neuroscience at UCSF, and spent the bulk of his career in biotech in California. After leading a couple of startups, he joined Genentech in 2010 as vice president of partnering. It... Read More
15
Apr
2021
Diversity in Clinical Trials is in Everyone’s Interest
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9
Apr
2021
Timmerman Traverse for Life Science Cares: A Biotech Community Drive to Fight Poverty
Like many people, I’m itching to get outside. Today, I’m excited to announce a new outdoor experience for a good cause: The Timmerman Traverse for Life Science Cares. It’s a Presidential Traverse hike scheduled for Sept. 13-15, 2021. A fantastic group of 20 biotech leaders — 10 women and 10 men — will hit the trails. We’ll cover the iconic... Read More
7
Apr
2021
The Long Run Mentality for Diversity and Inclusion in Biotech
I can never forget the video of George Floyd, a black man, being suffocated to death under the knee of a white police officer. My worldview was changed by it. As the CEO of a mid-sized public biotech company, I supported equal rights and opportunities. In my day job, it mainly meant hiring and promoting a diverse team, and supporting... Read More
5
Apr
2021
The Glory of John Martin: an Understated Leader Who Built a Biotech Powerhouse
John C. Martin was an unassuming man with an ordinary name. But his leadership qualities and accomplishments as a biopharma CEO were extraordinary. Martin, the CEO of Foster City, Calif.-based Gilead Sciences from 1996 to 2016, didn’t seek to dominate the room or inspire legions with a charismatic personality. He didn’t make the cover of magazines, even when he led... Read More
5
Apr
2021
Compassionate Use Policy Has Everything We Need…Except Policy and Compassion
Biogen is in a bind. The way it navigates a tricky compassionate use situation today could reverberate across the industry for years to come. Full disclosure before diving in — I used to work at Biogen, but left there five years ago. I hold the company in high regard, and am hopeful the company will find a way to solve... Read More
5
Apr
2021
COVID-19 Testing: Going to the Dogs?
For at least the 15,000 years since the first-known burial of two humans with their dog, dogs and humans have cooperated intimately. Dogs get food and shelter in exchange for performing work they can do uniquely well. Working dogs use capabilities, such as strength, speed, alertness and willingness to please (trainability). From the very beginning, it is likely that it... Read More
2
Apr
2021
Building An Easy On-Ramp For Consumer Fitness
A comprehensive 2018 review of the scientific literature commissioned by the Department of Health and Human Services reported that physical activity not only helps you “sleep better, feel better, and function better,” but also “reduces the risk of a large number of diseases and conditions,” including dementia, hypertension, diabetes, and a range of cancers. The report specifically highlights the benefits... Read More
1
Apr
2021
Pfizer’s Vaccine Passes Kid Test, J&J’s Costly Error, and FTC Challenges Illumina
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31
Mar
2021
Asian Americans in Biotech: Breaking the Silence
As a first generation Asian-American working in biotech in San Diego, I identified with the many good points in Kevin Kwok’s piece on Mar. 9 about the rise in hate crimes. Fast forward to the end of March, and we have seen more horrific attacks. The element of race (and gender) in these attacks is sometimes overtly declared; at other... Read More