Listen: Janet Woodcock on Covid antibodies, vaccines for kids, and responding to Omicron

Who gets to be an “expert” on Covid-19? Are Americans entitled to drugs that don’t work? And how does the FDA deal with states’ rights?

We cover all that and more this week on “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s biotech podcast. First, we discuss the FDA’s decision to halt the use of two Covid-19 antibodies that don’t work against Omicron — and the surprising backlash that ensued. Then, acting FDA commissioner Janet Woodcock joins us to dig into the agency’s move and discuss the steps for regulation of Covid drugs. We also go over the latest news in the life sciences, including some bad news for Gilead Sciences and a rare victory for a small biotech company.

For more on what we cover, here’s the latest on Covid antibodies; here’s the news on Gilead; here’s more on Sierra Oncology; here’s where you can subscribe to the First Opinion Podcast; and here’s our complete coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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].

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