Breakthroughs and barriers in gastrointestinal cancer research
The Drug Discovery World Podcast
Release Date: 06/05/2025
From established medicines to rare disease innovation
The Drug Discovery World Podcast
In theseries, a part of the free DDW podcast, DDW speaks with members of the drug discovery industry about their work and how it helps turn science into business. In this episode, Megan Thomas is in conversation with Emma Johnson, CEO of Essential Pharma, about the company’s move into clinical development, with the acquisition of Renaissance Pharma’s immunotherapy asset in development for the treatment of high-risk neuroblastoma in children. You can listen below, or find The Drug Discovery World Podcast on , and
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Redefining the future with plant-based therapeutics
The Drug Discovery World Podcast
In theseries, a part of the free DDW podcast, DDW speaks with members of the drug discovery industry about their work and how it helps turn science into business. In this episode, Megan Thomas is in conversation with Joel Stanley, CEO of Ajna Biosciences. We explore the promise and challenges of botanical drugs, focusing on Ajna Biosciences’ approach to developing therapeutics derived from plants such as cannabinoids and psychedelics. Joel reflects on his experience co-founding Charlotte’s Web during the early medical cannabis movement and how that shaped his perspective...
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DDW Highlights: 26 August 2025
The Drug Discovery World Podcast
The latest episode of the is now available to listen to below. DDW’s Megan Thomas narrates five key stories of the week to keep DDW subscribers up-to-date on the latest industry updates. The news this week has emphasised the importance of shared knowledge and expertise to the development of new drugs, whether that is through research collaboration agreements or mergers and acquisitions, with a number of new deals across different therapy areas. You can listen below, or find The Drug Discovery World Podcast on , and
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Strategies and challenges in therapeutic development and lab practice
The Drug Discovery World Podcast
This is the latest episode of the free DDW narrated podcast, titled “Strategies and challenges in therapeutic development and lab practice”, which covers three articles written for DDW Volume 24 – Issue 4, Fall 2023. They are called: “”, “”, and “”. In the first article, Dr Luke Clifton, Instrument Scientist at ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, explains the molecular mechanism behind antibiotics. In the second article, DDW Editor Reece Armstrong speaks to Christian Leisner, Chief Executive Officer of antibody therapeutics’ developer CDR-Life about methods to increase access to...
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DDW Highlights: 19 August 2025
The Drug Discovery World Podcast
The latest episode of the is now available to listen to below. DDW’s Megan Thomas narrates five key stories of the week to keep DDW subscribers up-to-date on the latest industry updates. This week has seen some incredible advances in immunotherapy, including the development of a therapy that combines natural killer and CAR-T cells, and an off-the-shelf cancer vaccine that could revolutionise treatment for patients with one of the most common cancer-driving mutations. You can listen below, or find The Drug Discovery World Podcast on , and
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DDW Highlights: 11 August 2025
The Drug Discovery World Podcast
The latest episode of the is now available to listen to below. DDW’s Megan Thomas narrates five key stories of the week to keep DDW subscribers up-to-date on the latest industry updates. In the week that the US Department of Health and Human Services , a number of other clinical trials have made the headlines. You can listen below, or find The Drug Discovery World Podcast on , and
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A non-opioid approach to chronic low back pain
The Drug Discovery World Podcast
In theseries, a part of the free DDW podcast, DDW speaks with members of the drug discovery industry about their work and how it helps turn science into business. In this episode, Megan Thomas is in conversation with Steve Ruston, CEO of Persica Pharmaceuticals. Ruston has been CEO since the company was founded and has been a key player in developing Persica’s non-opioid, one-off treatment. In this episode, we discuss the shift toward treating bacterial causes of chronic low back pain, the use of MRI biomarkers in trials, the evolving role of non-opioid therapies amid the...
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DDW Highlights: 4 August 2025
The Drug Discovery World Podcast
The latest episode of the is now available to listen to below. DDW’s Megan Thomas narrates five key stories of the week to keep DDW subscribers up-to-date on the latest industry updates. With the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) taking place this week in Toronto, Canada, there have been a number of updates in the neuroscience drug discovery field. You can listen below, or find The Drug Discovery World Podcast on , and
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DDW Highlights: 28 July 2025
The Drug Discovery World Podcast
The latest episode of the is now available to listen to below. DDW’s Megan Thomas narrates five key stories of the week to keep DDW subscribers up-to-date on the latest industry updates. Following the recent news that the due to manufacturing concerns, manufacturing has dominated the headlines this week, particularly significant investment in facilities in the US, and new guidelines to speed up CGT production in the UK. You can listen below, or find The Drug Discovery World Podcast on , and
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Redefining oncology with radiopharmaceuticals
The Drug Discovery World Podcast
In theseries, a part of the free DDW podcast, DDW speaks with members of the drug discovery industry about their work and how it helps turn science into business. In this episode, Megan Thomas is in conversation with Thijs Spoor, CEO of the radiopharma company Perspective Therapeutics. The conversation covers how Perspective is advancing alpha-emitting radiopharmaceuticals to transform cancer treatment, with Spoor discussing the scientific, regulatory, and commercial challenges shaping the future of personalised oncology. You can listen below, or find The Drug Discovery...
info_outlineIn the In Conversation With series, a part of the free DDW podcast, DDW speaks with members of the drug discovery industry about their work and how it helps turn science into business.
In this episode, Megan Thomas is in conversation with Dr Emil Lou, Professor of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Minnesota. They discuss the promising results of a recent clinical trial he led focused on gastrointestinal cancers, the potential impact of continued clinical success on the future of these hard-to-treat cancers, and the key challenges that must be addressed to sustain progress. Dr Lou also explores the evolving role of multiplexed gene editing in tackling immunosuppressive or heterogeneous solid tumours, the complexities of forging academia-industry partnerships to support early-phase innovation, and the scientific breakthroughs he believes will shape the next five years in cancer research.
You can listen below, or find The Drug Discovery World Podcast on Spotify, Google Play and Apple Podcasts.