We wrapped up 2022 and are preparing for 2023 on this BioWorld Insider podcast. Staff writer Lee Landenberger talked to four CEOs, visionaries of companies producing new science and drug development. The CEOs offered their insights into what happened this year and looked at the challenges and opportunities for next year.

• Karen Zaderej, CEO of Axogen Inc., detailed a successful phase III study of its peripheral nerve repair product, Advance Nerve Graft, despite staffing challenges at hospitals.
• Sean Bohen, CEO of Olema Oncology Inc., whose company is developing therapies to treat women's cancers, reflected on how Olema overcame financing challenges.
• Rob Ross, the CEO of Surface Oncology Inc., spoke about how equity funding has dried up and has forced Surface to be creative in order to keep moving forward with its antibody against IL-27 to treat non-small-cell lung cancer.
• Rob Etherington, the CEO of Clene Nanomedicine Inc., revealed how his company will be leaning into strategic M&A and licensing opportunities to keep its multiple sclerosis candidate, which can improve function on top of standard-of-care MS drugs, moving forward.

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After many years of research and development, drug-induced weight loss has matured into a viable therapeutic option. But do the drugs directly help people become healthier or is it the weight loss? There are longstanding concerns that the health effects of weight might be overrated. And new studies show fitness improves health outside of weight. So, can a person still be considered healthy despite being over a “normal” weight? How will future medical science consider what is called the obesity epidemic? In this edition of the BioWorld Insider podcast, BioWorld Science Managing Editor Anette Breindl, discusses her new analysis of multiple studies related to weight loss, metabolic health and fitness which in many ways goes against the mainstream health care state of mind about obesity.

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An analyst recently observed that mental health treatments are stuck where cancer was 50 years ago. However, there have been major advancements in developing psychedelic medicines to address that problem. BioWorld staff writer Lee Landenberger talked with James Lanthier, the CEO of Mindset Pharma, which is developing what it calls “next-generation” psychedelic medicines to treat neurological and psychiatric disorders. Lanthier discussed challenges facing companies developing psychedelic treatments and how to overcome the one-size-fits-all, trial-and-error approach to mental health treatment that often seems stuck in the past.

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BioWorld writers bring you the details of new R&D alliances, financings, IPOs and M&A every day. These stories are the heartbeat of the relationships between industry giants and their smaller, more innovative peers. But what's the top-line read for dealmaking these days? With nearly 1,000 biopharma deals completed through early August amid a volatile economic climate, there's a lot to talk about. Join the BioWorld Insider podcast as we talk with Senior Analyst Karen Carey, whose data-driven research delivers a detailed picture of the ups and downs. For starters, the sector has seen sharp declines this year in stocks and less money being raised. “What we are seeing seems to be a correction of the intense enthusiasm – the zeal for biopharma during 2020 and 2021 when nobody knew what was going on with COVID,” Carey said.

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In Extending the human lifespan, a BioWorld special report, the team examined the latest science, the key biological drivers that can be targeted pharmacologically and the companies developing potential “Fountain of Youth” candidate drugs. In this episode of the BioWorld Insider Podcast, the team discussed the report’s highlights and key takeaways. In what could be a holy grail for humanity, anti-aging drugs would simultaneously reduce the risk of multiple age-related illnesses in one. BioWorld found that investments in life-extending drugs and the number of clinical trials are on the rise. Can we hopscotch over the many diseases of aging? The impact could be staggering. Equitable access to drugs and therapies tackling aging could reduce health care costs in a major way and improve quality of life.

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As multidisciplinary care extends survival and improves the quality of life for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), can a host of new ALS drugs vying to slow its progression make a difference? A surprise extension of the U.S. FDA review for Amylyx Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s AMX-0035 to review new data, plus near-term readouts from a major ALS platform trial may soon provide answers. Join the BioWorld Insider podcast as we talk with executives from Amylyx and Clene Inc., and a key Penn State ALS expert on what the future of medicine may hold for ALS patients.

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Could investments in biopharmaceutical companies in 2022 be as aggressive as 2021, which saw a record 1,968 biopharma deals worth about $213.5 billion? So far, 2022 may be the lowest financing year since 2017 overall. But, drilling down to venture capital, private companies raised $5.7 billion in Q1 through 129 transactions, making it the second-best first quarter in history with 2021 at the top. Apparently, investors and private companies have maintained their appetite into 2022. Simultaneously, deal volume is down but values are up, which means that biopharma executives are realizing they can gain access to innovative technologies for a lot less money through licensings and collaborations. BioWorld Senior Analyst Karen Carey explores the data with staff writer Lee Landenberger, explaining what happened in Q1 and where Q2 is headed.

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