Episode 148: Akshay Sharma on gene therapy's setback, biotech's brashest VCs, & the FDA's future

We discuss all that and more this week on “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s biotech podcast. First, we break down a significant setback for Bluebird Bio’s gene therapy program with some help from Akshay Sharma, a bone marrow transplant expert at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Then, STAT's Kate Sheridan joins us to discuss her deep dive into Flagship Pioneering, the superlatively successful and frequently grandiose venture firm behind Moderna. Finally, we dig into what the future might hold for a post-Trump FDA, which remains without a permanent commissioner.