Episode 178 - April 3, 2026
About this episode
The episode discusses recent biotech deal activity and regulatory news, highlighting significant acquisitions and clinical trial results.
On this week’s episode, Graig Suvannavejh, Mike Yee, and Eric Schmidt kick off with a look back at biotech deal activity through the first quarter, highlighting a solid, but not overheated, M&A environment. The group discusses recent transactions, including large, commercially focused deals designed to drive near‑term revenue growth rather than pipeline speculation, particularly Biogen’s $5.6 billion acquisition of Apellis. While total Q1 deal value was roughly in line with historical averages, they note that meaningful capital continues to be recycled back into the sector. In other deals, Lilly’s $6.3 billion upfront acquisition of Contessa is also noted as an opportunity for Lilly diversify its pipeline beyond obesity. Next, the co-hosts highlight growing interest in blood–brain barrier drugs following Korsana’s merger with Cyclerion. The conversation shifts to regulatory news, including the FDA approval of Lilly’s oral GLP‑1, alongside signs of increasing regulatory flexibility in rare disease, such as Scholar Rock’s SMA BLA resubmission, and an upcoming decision for Replimune. The episode concludes with data updates, including Viridian’s Phase 3 thyroid eye disease…
People in this episode
Guests: Graig Suvannavejh, Mike Yee, Eric Schmidt
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Biogen, Apellis, Lilly, Contessa, Korsana, Cyclerion, FDA, Scholar Rock, Replimune, Viridian
Products: GLP-1, NLRP3 inhibitors
More episodes of Biotech Hangout
- Episode 180 - April 17, 2026
- Episode 179 - April 10, 2026
- Episode 177 - March 27, 2026
- Episode 176 - March 13, 2026
- Episode 175 - March 6, 2026
- Episode 174 - February 27, 2026
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