402: Guarding biotech from China and big bets in longevity
This episode of The Readout Loud covers highlights from STAT's Breakthrough Summit West in San Francisco, including discussions on FDA leadership, biotech competition with Chinese companies, Eli Lilly's obesity drug data, and a detailed interview with Retro Biosciences CEO Joe Betz-Lacroix about his longevity company's clinical progress and fundraising plans.
Summary
The episode opens with hosts Adam Feuerstein, Allison DeAngelis, and Elaine Chen recapping STAT's Breakthrough Summit West held in San Francisco. The event featured prominent healthcare and science leaders, and the hosts share key takeaways from the panels and conversations.
The first major topic is FDA leadership. Former FDA Commissioner David Kessler appeared at the summit and expressed cautious optimism about acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantis, suggesting he could bring stability to the agency based on his competent, low-drama track record running the FDA's food division. The hosts also note that Brett Giroir, previously considered a frontrunner for the permanent commissioner role, announced he would not pursue the position.
A significant portion of the episode focuses on the growing tension between U.S. biotech and Chinese competitors. BridgeBio CEO Neil Kumar revealed that his company has begun publishing misleading or incorrect molecular structures in scientific publications to prevent Chinese companies from replicating their drug candidates — a practice that raised ethical concerns among attendees, with some suggesting it borders on scientific fraud. Separately, Zara Therapeutics CEO Mark Tessier-Levine noted his company has become more guarded about announcing drug targets for similar competitive reasons. These comments were contextualized by a STAT article by Damien Gardet identifying three camps within biotech: those who see Chinese collaboration as a betrayal, those who embrace it as natural industry evolution, and those caught in a 'prisoner's dilemma.' The hosts debate whether the China threat is truly unique or simply reflects normal capitalist behavior, with Elaine Chen noting the U.S. has never faced this level of competition and the geopolitical backdrop with China is amplifying the unease.
The hosts briefly discuss new Eli Lilly obesity data showing their triple-G drug retatrutide achieved approximately 28% weight loss at the highest dose over 80 weeks — approaching bariatric surgery outcomes — but note concerns about the 11% discontinuation rate due to adverse events.
The bulk of the second half features Allison's interview with Joe Betz-Lacroix, CEO of Retro Biosciences, a Sam Altman-backed longevity company founded in 2021 with the goal of extending healthy human lifespan by 10 years. Joe traces the scientific turning point to Cynthia Kenyon's 1993 discovery that modifying a single gene in a small animal could double its lifespan. He describes Retro's three main drug programs: an autophagy-enhancing small molecule (their lead program currently in Phase 1), a microglia replacement cell therapy, and a hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) replacement therapy. He claims Retro is the only company capable of producing functional long-term engrafting HSCs from pluripotent stem cells.
On the Phase 1 trial, Joe reports no adverse events so far at any tested dose level, calling the drug 'too non-toxic,' and says they are extending the study to find the upper safety boundary. He expects initial top-line data around August. On the subject of AI and animal models, Joe is skeptical that AI can replace animal testing in the near term, noting that FDA continues to require extensive animal studies despite political rhetoric around reducing animal research. He also pushes back on reports that Retro is raising at a $5 billion valuation, saying 'don't believe all the press,' while confirming a Series A first close is imminent. He frames Retro's differentiation around its proprietary AI-based protein generation model, deep aging biology expertise, and a shifting 'Overton window' that now treats longevity as legitimate science rather than fringe pseudoscience.
Key Insights
- BridgeBio CEO Neil Kumar revealed the company deliberately publishes incorrect or misleading molecular structures in scientific papers to prevent Chinese competitors from rapidly synthesizing copycat drug candidates — a practice that raised scientific integrity concerns among attendees including other biotech CEOs.
- Zara Therapeutics CEO Mark Tessier-Levine stated his company withholds public announcements of drug targets unless there is no competitive disadvantage in doing so, citing the risk that Chinese companies will immediately pursue the same targets upon announcement.
- Former FDA Commissioner David Kessler publicly endorsed acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantis, suggesting his no-drama, competent management of the FDA food division could bring much-needed stability to the agency.
- Retro Biosciences CEO Joe Betz-Lacroix reported that their lead autophagy-enhancing small molecule has shown zero adverse events across all tested dose levels in Phase 1, and they are extending the trial to higher doses specifically because the drug appears 'too non-toxic.'
- Joe Betz-Lacroix argued that despite FDA political rhetoric about reducing animal testing through AI, Retro's actual interactions with the FDA continue to result in requests for more animal studies, not fewer, suggesting the policy shift has not yet materialized in practice.
- Joe Betz-Lacroix disputed press reports that Retro is raising its Series A at a $5 billion valuation, saying the reported figure is 'a little extreme,' while simultaneously confirming a first close on the fundraise is expected within days.
- Elaine Chen argued that the anxiety around Chinese biotech competition is partly a function of the U.S. having been the dominant global biotech player for so long that any serious competition — regardless of country of origin — would be destabilizing, with China's geopolitical tensions amplifying the reaction.
- Eli Lilly's retatrutide achieved approximately 28% weight loss in patients who remained on the highest dose over 80 weeks, approaching bariatric surgery outcomes, but 11% of patients on the highest dose discontinued due to adverse events, raising tolerability concerns.
Topics
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