Listen: Drug industry infighting, the human side of genetic medicine, and a big year for the microbiome

Can biopharma police itself? Who decides whether something’s a disease or a difference? And will fecal matter ever become a drug?

We discuss all that and more on the latest episode of “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s biotech podcast. First, our colleague Ed Silverman joins us to explain the story of Belcher Pharmaceuticals, a company that raised the price on a decades-old medicine and irked its peers in the process. Then, cardiologist Ethan Weiss calls in to share a personal story about his daughter with albinism and how raising her has shaped his views on advances in genome editing and gene therapy. Later, STAT’s Kate Sheridan stops by to explain why the microbiome field is in for a make-or-break year. Finally, we embark on a lightning round, featuring Warren Buffett’s investments in biotech, Wall Street’s views on fish oil, and the latest prison sentence for a biopharma executive.

Also: We’re coming up on the 100th episode of this podcast, and we’re using the occasion to actualize our long-held dream of running a call-in show. Dial us at 617-981-4714 and leave a message with any question you’d like us to answer on the podcast, and you may just hear it on air in the coming weeks.

For more on what we cover, here’s the news on Belcher Pharmaceuticals; here’s Weiss’ essay; and here’s the latest in microbiome trials.

We’ll be back next Thursday evening — and every Thursday evening — so be sure to sign up on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.

And if you have any feedback for us — topics to cover, guests to invite, vocal tics to cease — you can email [email protected].

Interested in sponsoring a future episode of “The Readout LOUD”? Email us at [email protected].