Episode 173 - February 20, 2026

On this week’s episode, Eric Schmidt, Paul Matteis, Sam Fazeli, Graig Suvannavejh, and Luba Greenwood kick off with a discussion on the surge in out licensing deals and growing drug development momentum in China -- a trend they expect will continue. The conversation then shifts to market sentiment, touching on biotech outlook and M&A. in policy news, the group highlights that the FDA reversed its refusal to file a letter for Moderna’s flu vaccine after President Trump met with Dr. Marty Makary. They also discuss the FDA’s recent regulatory unpredictability, particularly in vaccines and rare diseases. Next, the co-hosts highlight Denali Therapeutics’ upcoming PDUFA date for its Hunter syndrome therapy as another test of the FDA’s flexibility. The group notes the agency’s paper published in NEJM announcing approval of certain drugs based on a single clinical trial, with some viewing it positively for biotech innovation while others caution it may be meaningless, especially with leadership changes. The co-hosts close the discussion on regulatory news by reflecting on positives that have emerged during the Dr. Makary/Dr. Prasad era. In company news, the co-hosts discuss an analysis on the Keytruda patent landscape J&J’s investment in a new cell therapy manufacturing plant and data updates from Roche in kidney disease and Compass Pathways’ latest psilocybin results. *This episode aired on February 20, 2026.