415: Mistrust in science and a juicy gene-editing lawsuit
This episode of STAT's Read Out Loud podcast covers three major biotech stories: declining trust in science in America and its policy impacts, mixed results from Unicure's gene therapy for Huntington's disease, and a lawsuit by Beam Therapeutics against a Chinese competitor over alleged intellectual property theft. A new "trust in science" reporter explains how mistrust stems from emotional factors rather than simple disbelief.
Summary
The podcast opens with discussions of three substantive biotech topics. First, regarding Unicure's gene therapy for Huntington's disease: the company reported four-year follow-up data showing efficacy of 44% (compared to 75% at three years), with statistical significance lost. However, patient advocates note this remains clinically meaningful for a fatal disease. The FDA has agreed to consider the therapy for approval based on the three-year data after previously rejecting a submission based on natural history comparisons. Second, Beam Therapeutics filed a lawsuit against Chinese biotech Yoltec, alleging a former scientist accessed proprietary information on weekends while working at Beam before joining Yoltec, which subsequently formed a competing U.S. company with VC backing. This case exemplifies broader industry fears about IP theft and brain drain to China. Third, Novo Nordisk has shifted GLP-1 marketing language from emphasizing obesity as a disease requiring medical treatment to consumer-focused messaging like "Live Lighter" and "Summer Glow Up," driven by stalled insurance coverage pushing the company toward direct-to-consumer sales. This shift concerns doctors who fear it could undermine obesity's recognition as a disease and encourage off-label use among non-obese populations.
The episode's main segment features STAT's new "trust in science" reporter Nick Florco discussing declining American trust in science and public health institutions. Florco reframes the conversation beyond the simple binary of whether people trust scientists, instead examining how fear, confusion, and frustration collide with scientific knowledge. He notes that mistrust often manifests as logical extensions of cultural messages encouraging consumers to be savvy health decision-makers and skeptical of all authorities. Sociologist Dr. Jennifer Reich explains that vaccine-hesitant parents are acting logically within a parenting paradigm that emphasizes individual protection and personal research. Florco discusses how measles cases persist despite Andrew Wakefield's study being retracted in 2010, with belief in vaccine-autism links actually increasing over time. He expresses skepticism about traditional fact-checking approaches, noting studies show that presenting scary disease images can sometimes push parents away from vaccination. Instead, Florco advocates for understanding who benefits from spreading misinformation and exploring how alternative health practitioners gain trust where traditional medicine has lost it. The discussion addresses the paradox that COVID vaccines—a clear pharmaceutical industry success—actually intensified skepticism rather than rebuilding trust. Florco notes that under Trump 2.0, scientific skepticism has become official federal policy with RFK Jr.'s appointment as HHS Secretary, representing a fundamental shift from the previous administration.
About this episode
On this week’s episode of "The Readout LOUD": Why have so many Americans lost trust in science? And how have our policy leaders fueled that mistrust? We speak to STAT’s new trust-in-science reporter Nicholas Florko about the impact of Americans’ growing skepticism of science. Your co-hosts also chat about a clinical update from UniQure on its gene therapy for Huntington’s disease, a juicy lawsuit filed by the gene-editing company Beam Therapeutics against a Chinese competitor, and a shift in the way pharma companies like Novo and Eli Lilly are talking about their GLP-1 products.
Key Insights
- Unicure's Huntington's gene therapy efficacy declined from 75% at three years to 44% at four years and lost statistical significance, yet patient advocates argue it remains clinically meaningful for a fatal disease where progression typically occurs over 3-4 years
- The FDA has reversed its previous rejection stance and agreed to consider approval of Unicure's therapy based on the three-year data rather than requiring traditional controlled trials, reflecting a shift in regulatory flexibility
- A former Beam Therapeutics scientist allegedly accessed proprietary information late at night on weekends before leaving to work for competing Chinese biotech Yoltec, which subsequently launched a U.S. competitor with venture capital backing
- Novo Nordisk shifted GLP-1 marketing from emphasizing obesity as a disease requiring medical treatment to consumer-focused messaging about weight loss aesthetics, driven by stalled insurance coverage pushing toward direct-to-consumer sales
- Nick Florco argues the key question is not whether people trust scientists but what happens when scientific knowledge collides with emotions like fear, confusion, and frustration—a more nuanced explanation than simple disbelief
- Sociologist Jennifer Reich contends that vaccine-hesitant parents are acting logically based on parenting advice to be protective and skeptical consumers, coupled with healthcare system messaging that lifestyle choices can prevent disease
- Despite Andrew Wakefield's study being retracted in 2010, belief in the vaccine-autism link has actually increased over time, and Wakefield has been elevated as a celebrity speaker at health conferences alongside RFK Jr. as HHS Secretary
- A Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that nearly 30 percent of people surveyed believe COVID vaccines killed more people than the virus did, indicating mistrust in science runs far deeper than mask mandates or school closures
Topics
Transcript
Welcome to the Read Out Loud, a weekly biotech podcast from STAT. I'm Allison DeAngelis. I'm Adam Feuerstein. And I'm Elaine Chen. Today, why have so many Americans lost trust in science? And how have our policy leaders fueled that mistrust? We were told for three years during COVID, trust the experts, but that is not science. Science is eternal skepticism towards all orthodoxies, understanding that people in authority lie. We speak to our new truth in science reporter about the impact of America's growing skepticism of science. We're also gonna chat about a gene therapy for Huntington's disease, a juicy lawsuit filed by a US gene editing company against the Chinese competitor, and a shift in the way pharma…
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