Listen: The FTC v. Amgen, Sarepta’s future, & Galapagos’ turnaround

Does the FTC have it out for pharma? What does it take to make an RSV vaccine? And how do you say “setting cash on fire” in Dutch?

We cover all that and more this week on “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s biotech podcast. Jared Holz, biotech strategist at Mizuho Securities, joins us to explain why federal regulators are suing to block Amgen’s $28 billion merger with Horizon Therapeutics and what it means for the drug industry. We also discuss the latest on Sarepta Therapeutics and its gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a turnaround story in the making at the Belgian drug maker Galapagos, and the effort to secure approval for a maternal RSV vaccine.

For more on what we cover, here’s the news on Amgen; here’s more on Sarepta; here’s the story on Galapagos NV; here’s more on RSV; here’s where you can find episodes of Color Code; and here’s where you can subscribe to the First Opinion Podcast.

Be sure to sign up on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, or wherever you get your podcasts.

And if you have any feedback for us — topics to cover, guests to invite, vocal tics to cease — you can email [email protected].