
402: Guarding biotech from China and big bets in longevity
From The Readout Loud by STAT
May 21, 2026 · 44 min
About this episode
The episode discusses insights from STAT's Breakthrough Summit West, including biotech challenges and advancements in longevity research.
On this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD,” the hosts discuss STAT's Breakthrough Summit West, where powerful leaders from health care and science rubbed shoulders. They share some of the juicy conversations and insights, including BridgeBio CEO Neil Kumar's comments that the company is publishing “not the right structures” in their research publications. Listeners also will hear Allison's interview with Joe Betts-LaCroix, CEO of the Sam Altman-backed longevity company Retro Biosciences. Retro is preparing for its first clinical data readout and examining just how much impact AI can have in drug development. The hosts also discuss colleague Damian Garde's article on how China is tearing biotech apart and one self-appointed spokesperson’s strategy.
People in this episode
Host: Allison
Guest: Joe Betts-LaCroix
Topics covered
- biotech
- longevity
- AI in drug development
- health care
- research publications
- China's impact on biotech
Keywords
- biotech
- longevity
- AI
- drug development
- China
- research
- clinical data
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: BridgeBio, Retro Biosciences, STAT
Places: China
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