The Bio Report

Building Better Drugs for Psychiatric Disorders by Targeting the Causes

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies are leading a $15.4 million effort to develop new systems for quickly screening libraries of drugs for potential effectiveness against schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The National Institute of Mental Health is funding the work. We spoke to Hongjun Song, professor of neurology and neurosciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, about the effort, the challenges of understanding the underlying biological mechanism of these disorders, and how the consortium expects to change the development of drugs to treat mental illnesses.

The Role of PBMs in the Controversy over Drug Pricing

The recent controversy over Mylan Pharmaceuticals sharp increase to the price of its EpiPen, an emergency injection of epinephrine to treat someone suffering a severe and potentially fatal allergic reaction, has once again ignited public debates over drug pricing. While drugmakers have been in the sights of the public, other players in the supply chain have escaped scrutiny. David Balto, a Washington, D.C.-based antitrust attorney, in a recent piece in The Hill, calls attention to the role pharmacy benefits managers play in the price equation. We spoke to Balto about PBMs, their growing power, and the perverse incentives they have to work against the best interest of consumers.

Why a Rare Genetic Disease May Shed Light on Normal Aging

Werner’s and Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndromes are rare, genetic diseases that causes children to appear to suffer from advanced aging at young ages. The syndromes are of particular interest to researchers because of the potential they may have to help understand the biology of normal again and lead to ways to counter aging-related diseases. We spoke to Brian Kennedy, president and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, about his progeria research, the potential to repurpose existing drugs to combat these syndromes, and what insights into normal aging are being gained from the study of progeria.

Battling Zika and Other Diseases Like It

Concern about the spread of the Zika virus has sparked efforts to develop therapies and vaccines to counter it. But the outbreak reflects a growing threat from zoonetic diseases, once thought of as being contained to tropical regions, that are making incursions into the developed world. We spoke to Jim Pannucci, director for infectious disease research at Southern Research, about Zika, the work his organization is doing around the virus, and whether we need to rethink investment in prevention and treatment of such diseases.

Chronicling a Trailblazer of the Genomics Age

Lee Hood was a visionary who helped enable the genomics age. Journalist Luke Timmerman, in his newly published biography of Hood, chronicles the scientist career and achievements, as well as the controversies that surrounded him. We spoke to Timmerman about Hood, the conflicts that shaped his career, and the significance of his contributions to the field of biology.

Great Progress, but Concerns Persist About Cancer Care in America

Despite continued scientific and medical progress, the American Society of Clinical Oncology offered a mixed picture in its annual report on The State of Cancer Care in America earlier this year. While advances have been made in combating some cancers, mortality rates for others remain unchanged or have increased. There’s disparity in care, concerns about the rising cost of therapy, and uncertainty about how new payment models will affect care. We spoke to Julie Vose, immediate past president of ASCO, about the report, where additional work is needed, and how to balance the need to make cancer care affordable while encouraging innovation.

Improving Healthcare by Addressing the Most Challenging Patients

People with multiple chronic conditions represent about 5 percent of the patient population in the United States, but account for half of the nation’s healthcare spending. In order to improve care and reduce costs overal there’s an urgent need to do a better job of treating these patients, according to a recent perspective in the New England Journal of Medicine from the heads of five leading healthcare foundations. We spoke to David Blumenthal, president of the Commonwealth Fund and one of the authors of the piece, about why improving care for this population is critical, why there’s not a single solution to treating what is actually a diverse population of patients, and what these foundations are doing to address the problem.

The Case for Chasing Unpopular Indications

Neglected diseases and drugs to counter addiction represent unmet medical needs, but they have been areas that pharmaceutical companies have been reluctant to pursue. Savant HWP is in clinical development on an experimental drug that targets both of these indications. We spoke to Stephen Hurst, CEO of Savant HWP about the company’s strategy, the unique compound that can address two seemingly unrealated indications, and the role priority review vouchers can play in providing drug developers with incentives to pursue indications that might otherwise be ignored.