Is the FDA too business-friendly? Can spit reunite families? And should you feel bad for pharma lobbyists?
We discuss all that and more in the latest episode of “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s biotech podcast. Tune in for a conversation with ProPublica’s Caroline Chen covering her deep dive into how the FDA is conceding more and more to the drug industry it regulates. Then we dig into the alluring idea of using 23andMe tests to help families torn apart at the border — and the legal and ethical issues that make it impractical. You’ll also hear from STAT’s Erin Mershon about how the thorny issue of biosimilars has made life awkward for biopharma in Washington, and we’ll explain why making money in China might be harder than the drug industry thinks.
For more on what we cover, here’s Caroline’s ProPublica story; here’s the news on spit tests at the border; here’s Erin’s story on biosimilar lobbying; and here’s more on the Chinese market for new drugs.
