The Life Sci Fantastic

In this bonus episode, which concludes the first series of the ‘Life Sci Fantastic’, Eliot steps back from examining the science of biotech to look at the business of this rapidly developing industry.  Eliot asks, what is driving those entrepreneurs to bring new treatments to patients, and what are the financial challenges in bringing these drugs to market? Answering those questions is Bill Hicks, who has brokered deals and helped numerous companies and individuals chart the legal and financial challenges in the industry. As co-chair of the life sciences practice at the US law firm Mintz, Bill has ridden the highs and lows of drug development, finance, stock market fluctuations, and more. In his conversation with Eliot, he reflects upon the business of bio-tech.

Across the world, people can now expect to live longer. These advances are thanks to better sanitation, vaccination, access to food and healthcare. But aging inevitably involves decline in many of our biological functions, making people more susceptible to disease.  What - if anything - can be done to address the underlying mechanisms of aging to both prevent and treat illness? Can aging be ‘cured’? That is the focus of cutting edge research being undertaken by a company called Juvenescence. Its CEO, Richard Marshall, is a highly distinguished doctor and scientist who is leading efforts to understand aging, and developing drugs that can treat its consequences. In this episode Eliot finds out what his work involves and what are the chances of success?

In an age of rapid technological development in medical science, how does a new treatment come about? What is the process by which it goes from the mind of the scientist at the laboratory bench to the patient’s bedside? In this episode Eliot meets someone who has travelled that path. Simon Westbrook is the founder of Levicept a company that has developed a breakthrough medicine for osteoarthritis. It’s a disease that affects about one in six people in the UK, and hundreds of millions around the world. There has not been a breakthrough in its treatment for almost fifty years. So how did Simon come up with his drug and what has been his path to success?

Cells are the basic buildings blocks of living organisms and are the smallest unit of life that can exist on their own. But what differentiates a healthy cell by from one that is harmful to our bodies? In this episode Eliot finds out how new scientific developments are enabling cells to be used as a potentially powerful tool to fight disease. He meets Harpreet Singh who is the CEO of a company called Immatics based in Germany. Harpreet is an immunologist by training who has devoted his career to discovering innovations in cell technology to aid good health.

In this episode Eliot explores the little understood world of microbes and bacteria that live inside all of us. Collectively they are called the microbiome, and its well-being is something that is vital to our health. New research is now opening up the possibility of using these bugs as drugs to address a range of diseases. To find out more Eliot meets two fascinating individuals, Trevor Lawley and Tim Sharpington, who run a company called Microbiotica that is on the cutting edge of this exciting new area of treatment.

In this episode Eliot continues to look at cancer, and how science is offering new and promising treatments for this all-too-common disease. There is a far greater understanding now of how cancer arises, how it progresses, and how new treatments can be used to turn cancer against itself. Dr Alise Reicin is a doctor and drug developer who is on the frontline of developing new medicines. In her conversation with Eliot, she talks about the challenges of turning a scientific idea into a transformative new drug and the hopes for the future treatment of this cruel disease.

Cancer is sadly very common. In the UK, one in two adults will get cancer during the course of their lifetime. Despite being familiar to many, there are still big gaps in our understanding of why and how the disease occurs. But in recent years there have been considerable advances in our knowledge of cancer and its potential treatments. In this episode of the Life Sci Fantastic, Eliot speaks to Professor Sandra Strauss, an expert in bone and tissue cancers, who explains the disease and how modern science is generating new possibilities for patients.

What is gene editing, how can it be used, and should we be concerned about the science that can alter the basic building blocks of our biology? In this episode Eliot Forster is joined by Ness Bermingham, scientist, business leader, and presenter of the 'Between the Biotech Waves' podcast to explore an often misunderstood aspect of the science of our bodies. Eliot will hear how gene editing can address diseases like sickle cell anemia, that have defied effective treatments. Ness will explain the possibilites and hope for people whose lives have been blighted by diseases that once seemed beyond cure.

In this episode Eliot asks: what are vaccines, and how do they work? To answer this question, he speaks to Tony de Fougerelles, who was vital in developing the COVID-19 vaccine. Tony has spent decades hunting for new medicines and treatments for different illnesses. In this episode, he explains how new scientific developments are bringing effective treatments more rapidly than ever before. Tony also tells Eliot how years of illness as a child inspired him to get involved in helping others.

Find out about the Life Sciences - the science of our bodies and the breakthroughs that are changing our lives on this exciting new series.