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Making Medicine

Making Medicine

Written by: Incubate Coalition
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 There's a scientific breakthrough in your medicine cabinet. But how did it get there?

At a time when medicines are helping us all live longer and healthier lives, this podcast will explore where these taken-for-granted miracles come from, how many of them almost never happened, where the life science ecosystem is taking us next, and most importantly, what it means for patients.

From chance meetings that led to new ideas, to risky investments that never pay off, hear from the people behind today's and tomorrow's treatments, vaccines, technologies, devices, and yes, cures.

In this golden age of health discovery and innovation fueled by record breaking investment in the life sciences, we'll bring guests who really understand what it means to be Making Medicine.Copyright Making Medicine Duality Hygiene & Healthy Living
Episodes
  • Why 95% of Rare Diseases Still Have No Treatment

    Why 95% of Rare Diseases Still Have No Treatment
    Feb 26 2026
    About 90–95% of rare diseases still lack an FDA-approved treatment, underscoring the urgency for continued innovation on behalf of the estimated 30 million Americans — and families — affected by these conditions.

    During Rare Disease Week, this special episode of the Making Medicine podcast focuses on the patients, caregivers, and policy choices shaping the future of rare disease research. Host John Stanford is joined by Lisa Schlager (FORCE), Elaine Towle (Prader-Willi Syndrome Association), and Josh Trent (Save Rare Treatments Task Force) for a thoughtful discussion on the scientific, financial, and regulatory realities of developing therapies for small patient populations.

    The conversation explores how federal incentives, reimbursement frameworks, and regulatory clarity can influence whether promising treatments move forward, as well as the broader ripple effects rare diseases have on families and support networks. The panel also reflects on ongoing policy discussions, including proposals such as Most Favored Nation (MFN) drug pricing, and how stakeholders are evaluating their potential impact on future innovation.

    Progress in rare diseases depends on sustained collaboration among patients, advocates, researchers, investors, and policymakers. This episode highlights both the scale of unmet need and the growing momentum to deliver new treatments and hope to millions of Americans.

    Do you believe the Orphan Cures Act went far enough to protect rare disease research?
    Should the Pediatric Priority Review Voucher program be made permanent?
    What rare disease policy reform should Congress address next?

    If you're new to the Making Medicine Podcast, we're happy you're
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    Timestamps:
    0:00 Rare Disease Week and disclaimer
    0:43 Rare disease innovation, 30 million Americans
    2:46 Hereditary cancer and rare genetic subtypes
    7:36 Prader-Willi syndrome, hyperphagia and hypothalamus
    11:14 First Prader-Willi FDA approval and Phase 3 pipeline
    12:54 FDA patient focused drug development meetings
    14:39 Save Rare Treatments Task Force and advocacy strategy
    17:20 95% lack FDA treatments and pediatric rare disease stakes
    21:05 Orphan Cures Act, IRA negotiation, second indications
    26:17 PARP inhibitors, ovarian cancer and pancreatic cancer
    33:01 Rare disease investment rebound after Orphan Cures Act
    37:36 Pediatric PRV reauthorization and faster FDA review

    DISCLAIMER: We’re reporting on the headlines, not making medical recommendations. For personal health questions, always consult a doctor.
    Show More Show Less
    47 mins
  • FDA Chaos and Foreign Price Controls Are Collapsing American Innovation

    FDA Chaos and Foreign Price Controls Are Collapsing American Innovation
    Feb 19 2026
    FDA reversals and price controls are handing biotech dominance to China. We expose the national security crisis in drug development.

    The FDA is facing a crisis of confidence that threatens the stability of the entire US biopharmaceutical industry. In this episode, John Stanford is joined by Jef Akst, Managing Editor at BioSpace, to expose how recent "regulatory reversals" and inconsistent decision-making are rendering major vaccine and therapeutic programs "uninvestable". We analyze the shocking "Moderna gate" incident, where the FDA issued a "refuse to file" letter for an mRNA flu vaccine only to reverse course days later, a chaotic move that sent stock prices flying and disrupted timelines for the entire vaccine sector.

    Beyond the FDA, a new national security threat is emerging in the form of "Most Favored Nation" (MFN) pricing proposals. We unveil data from the Incubate MFN Tracker, which catalogs how these European-style price controls are now being flagged in quarterly SEC filings (10-Ks and 10-Qs) as material risks to business operations. Companies large and small are warning that MFN policies will compress expected returns and force a reprioritization away from riskier, high-impact R&D. This creates a vacuum that allows adversaries like China to further develop their own pipelines and grow a stronger foothold in the global market.

    This episode also covers the shifting center of gravity in clinical research. While 58% of industry professionals still choose the US as the best place to start a career, 27% now look to Asia-Pacific, while only 9% choose Europe—a stark warning of what happens when regions adopt restrictive pricing policies. We discuss Senator Bill Cassidy’s new "Patient and Families First" white paper, which proposes solutions like an Australia-style pilot for faster Phase 1 trials and updated pathways for digital health and AI tools.

    Finally, we look ahead to the State of the Union, where polling reveals that only 2% of Americans believe Congress should prioritize lowering drug costs, with the vast majority focused on grocery and insurance affordability instead.

    Join the Conversation
    Does the current FDA instability make you worry about the future of new medicines reaching patients? Do you believe importing foreign price controls is worth the risk of losing American biotech leadership to China?
    Should Congress focus on insurance reform instead of drug price caps to help with affordability?
    Drop your thoughts in the comments below

    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=true

    Link to articles
    https://endpoints.news/pharma-is-done-negotiating-as-trump-pushes-to-codify-deals/ https://www.biospace.com/business/opinion-2026-could-mark-a-turning-point-for-american-innovation https://endpoints.news/even-europeans-dont-see-a-future-in-euro-biopharma-anymore/

    Timestamps
    0:00 Making Medicine disclaimer, no medical advice and no investment advice
    0:42 Making Medicine Press Pass with BioSpace Managing Editor Jeff Akst
    1:16 What BioSpace covers, biotech news, drug development, VC funding, FDA approvals
    3:42 Is the FDA functioning properly, transparency and communication problems
    4:17 FDA reversals and the Moderna mRNA flu vaccine refuse to file letter
    6:19 Ripple effects, Moderna stock, vaccine timelines, and mRNA platform investment risk
    8:37 FDA shifting to stricter approvals, risk benefit changes, and trial design uncertainty
    10:35 Drug development timelines, regulatory instability, and investor confidence
    12:17 Inside FDA culture, leadership turnover, layoffs, and decision making uncertainty
    12:50 National priority vouchers, review delays, and why companies hesitate to apply
    16:11 Psychedelics for depression and Alzheimer’s drug development with tau targeting
    26:13 State of the Union, drug pricing politics, insurance reform, and voter affordability priorities

    DISCLAIMER: We’re reporting on the headlines, not making medical recommendations. For personal health questions, always consult a doctor.
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    29 mins
  • TrumpRx Explained: Cash Markets, MFN, and What This Moment Means for Drug Pricing

    TrumpRx Explained: Cash Markets, MFN, and What This Moment Means for Drug Pricing
    Feb 12 2026
    TrumpRx has quickly become part of the broader drug pricing conversation, not as a new insurance program or pharmacy, but as a government website highlighting direct-to-patient cash pricing options for certain brand-name medicines.

    In this episode of the Making Medicine Podcast, host John Stanford walks through what TrumpRx is, what it isn’t, and why it’s generating attention right now. Rather than setting prices or replacing insurance, the platform points patients toward manufacturer-listed cash prices for select innovative drugs, bringing another pathway to medicine outside traditional insurance channels.

    The episode also steps back to examine the larger shift this represents. Cash markets for prescription drugs have been growing in visibility, from coupon platforms like GoodRx to cost-plus pharmacy models like Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs. TrumpRx enters that landscape from a different angle, one tied, at least rhetorically, to “Most Favored Nation” policy discussions and broader debates about international price comparisons.

    We discuss early reactions and critiques, including questions about whether some listed products are actually the lowest available option, particularly when lower-cost generics exist. That tension underscores a bigger point: patients often have to shop around, and the system remains opaque enough that even policymakers, manufacturers, and payers frame pricing differently.

    More broadly, this moment reflects a structural reality in American healthcare. High deductibles, rebate dynamics, and insurance design can make paying cash cheaper than using coverage, a counterintuitive outcome that continues to fuel debate.

    Finally, we touch on how pricing policy conversations intersect with innovation. Short-term affordability tools, cash-market visibility, and long-term price regulation debates are often discussed together, but they have different implications for investment, drug development, and patient access over time.

    TrumpRx may or may not be transformative. But it is a visible signal of where the drug pricing conversation is headed: toward transparency, toward cash markets, and toward renewed debate over how the U.S. balances cost, competition, and innovation.

    Join the Conversation ⬇️
    Is Trump RX a meaningful transparency tool or just a temporary fix for a broken insurance system?
    Do you find it cheaper to pay cash for prescriptions rather than using your insurance copay?
    Do you believe price controls will help affordability or hurt the development of new cures?
    Like and Subscribe on YouTube ▶️

    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=true

    Timestamps
    0:00 Disclaimer: Not Medical, Financial, or Legal Advice
    0:42 Introduction: What Is Trump RX?
    0:59 How Trump RX Works as a Drug Discount Hub
    1:56 Trump RX vs GoodRx vs Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs
    3:03 Early Criticism and Generic Price Comparisons
    5:03 Trump RX vs Most Favored Nation (MFN) Pricing
    6:12 Free Market Tool or Price Control Policy?
    7:29 Why High Deductibles Changed the Drug Market
    8:22 Insurance Opacity and the Rise of Cash Markets
    9:34 PBMs, Gag Clauses, and Hidden Pricing Structures
    11:24 Why Cash Can Be Cheaper Than Insurance
    12:13 Final Takeaways: Reform, Transparency, and Innovation

    DISCLAIMER: We’re reporting on the headlines, not making medical recommendations. For personal health questions, always consult a doctor
    Show More Show Less
    14 mins
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