The Readout Loud

Why is the U.S. at risk of losing its measles elimination status? How are health officials reacting to the measles outbreak? And what did top Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services official Mehmet Oz tell hospital executives at a fancy yacht party in San Francisco?

We discuss all that and more on this week's episode of "The Readout LOUD," STAT's weekly biotech podcast. We bring on our infectious disease reporter Helen Branswell to talk about the ongoing measles outbreak in South Carolina and what it means for the U.S. more broadly.

We also chat with our hospitals and insurance reporter Tara Bannow about the financial troubles afflicting nonprofit hospitals and how they spent their time at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference.

For this very special episode of The Readout LOUD Allison, Adam, and Elaine are live from the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco.

The hosts are joined by ARCH Venture Partners co-founder and managing director Bob Nelsen and new Novo Nordisk CEO Mike Doustdar joins the podcast hosts live to discuss his first few months on the job and the company's push to regain market share in the competitive obesity market.

What news happened over the holidays? Why will pharma CEOs be greeted warmly in San Francisco next week? And who will buy Revolution Medicines?

We discuss all that and more on this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s weekly biotech podcast. We bring on former co-host Damian Garde, who’s now a reporter at large at STAT, to preview the upcoming J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. We also discuss the approval of Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill, the federal government’s move to slash the number of recommended pediatric immunizations, and the resurgence of M&A deals.

Is the biotech industry truly out of its slump? Why are employers dropping coverage of weight loss drugs? And what will the hosts bake for the holidays?

We discuss all that and more on this week's episode of "The Readout LOUD," the last episode of the year. We bring on Bruce Booth, partner at venture capital firm Atlas Venture, to reflect on everything that's happened in the biotech industry this year and to look ahead at the trends next year.We also chat about Adam's picks for best and worst biopharma CEOs in 2025, and why Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk's direct-to-consumer offerings may be contributing to employers' decisions to drop coverage of weight loss drugs.

How did Terns Pharmaceuticals and its “hodgepodge” pipeline grab attention at the American Society of Hematology conference? Is Eli Lilly’s new drug making people lose too much weight? And what, exactly, is the Trump administration’s plan for reforming the National Institutes of Health?

First, we discuss all things ASH, particularly Tern’s chronic myeloid leukemia data,  Johnson & Johnson’s multiple myeloma data, and Fulcrum Therapeutics’ pill for sickle cell disease. We also get into the latest news in — what else? — obesity drugs.

Then, STAT reporters Megan Molteni and Anil Oza join for a conversation on the new series “American Science, Shattered,” which details this fissure and what it means for the future of the country’s scientific institutions.