Ned Sharpless on Biotech’s Future, HHS Shifts, and Global Competition | Making Medicine Podcast

This week, John Stanford sits down with Dr. Ned Sharpless - former NCI Director, Acting FDA Commissioner, and now venture capitalist at Jupiter Bio Ventures. From the challenges of biotech funding, regulatory uncertainty, and the Inflation Reduction Act to the rise of China in biotech, IP battles, and the hype around AI, Ned offers candid insights you won’t hear anywhere else.What do you think about the current funding environment in biotech?How should the U.S. respond to China’s scientific rise? 📱If you're new to the Making Medicine Podcast, we're happy you're here! Follow us for more: https://x.com/MakingMedPod https://www.instagram.com/makingmedicinepod/ https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/making-medicine-podcast/about/?viewAsMember=trueTimestamps:0:00 Welcome to Making Medicine0:12 Guest introduction: Dr. Ned Sharpless1:03 Launch of Jupiter Bio Ventures3:31 The tough biotech funding environment5:27 Regulatory uncertainty, IRA, and FDA challenges8:02 Leadership turmoil at FDA, NIH, and HHS 10:18 RFK Jr.’s vision and impact on health policy13:05 Morale, recruitment, and expertise at federal agencies 15:20 How NIH, FDA, and CMS work together 19:00 NIH funding freezes and Congressional outlook 23:36 FDA’s new priority review voucher program28:02 Public skepticism, politics, and FDA trust30:02 The “pill penalty,” EPIC Act, and IRA fixes34:04 Why small molecules still matter for cancer 35:40 IP protections, march-in rights, and investment risks39:20 The debate over Most Favored Nation drug pricing43:12 Direct-to-consumer pricing as a potential solution 44:38 AI in biotech-hype vs. reality46:46 China’s rise in biotech and global competition50:11 Closing thoughts and optimism for science