Episode 187 - June 26, 2026

On this week’s episode, Josh Schimmer, Eric Schmidt, Tess Cameron, and Sam Fazeli open by noting the XBI’s continued rise, debating whether biotech is getting ahead of itself. The co-hosts call this a “new era” in which biotech can be profitable rather than sold off to pharma. The conversation shifts to deals, with AbbVie’s $10.9 billion acquisition of Apogee, which raised questions about China-sourced drugs given their volume, pace of innovation, and cheaper price. The group also covers Boundless Bio and Serapha’s merger, alongside a $230M private raise. Ollin Bio -- whose pipeline is built entirely on Chinese assets -- raised $330M Series B to advance Phase 3 trials of a bispecific antibody for diabetic macular edema and wet AMD, which led to a debate on the COINS Act and the distinction between physical and innovation supply chains. The group then overviews potential FDA Commissioner candidates, with BIO CEO John Crowley and physician Heidi Overton as front-runners alongside acting leader Kyle Diamantas. In company news, CVS Caremark deferred adding $SPRY’s epinephrine nasal spray Neffy to its formulary, pushing the review to January 2027. The episode concludes with data updates from Moonlake in HS, Merck’s ulcerative colitis drug, Definium’s Phase 3 LSD data in MDD, and Absci’s Lilly-backed prolactin antibody raise. *This episode aired on June 26, 2026.