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Feb 18
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AVOID
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Dr. Scott Gottlieb
Former FDA Commissioner; Board Member (Pfizer, Illumina, UnitedHealth); Partner at NEA (Venture Capital)
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Gottlieb cites a Wall Street Journal editorial noting FDA leader Vinay Prasad rejected Moderna's (MRNA) mRNA vaccine without a cursory review. This "arbitrary" regulatory behavior increases the cost of capital and unpredictability for the entire sector. Gottlieb notes investment in vaccines and cell/gene therapies is drying up in the US and shifting to China (where half of the global mRNA pipeline now sits). The regulatory environment in the US has become hostile to innovation, making the sector uninvestable in the medium term until leadership changes. A change in FDA administration or successful appeals by pharma companies could reverse sentiment. |
CNBC
Squawk Pod: Baby Formula, A Tax Hike, & The L...
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Feb 18
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LONG
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Marty Makary
FDA Commissioner
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The FDA aims to cut the "pre-IND" approval timeline from 520 days down to competitive levels (China is ~200 days) to bring Phase 1 trials back to the US. Reducing regulatory red tape and startup time for clinical trials lowers cash burn for early-stage biotechs and encourages domestic innovation. LONG the US biotech ecosystem. Bureaucratic inertia may prevent meaningful process changes. |
CNBC
FDA's Marty Makary: Everything should be over...
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Feb 14
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LONG
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Narrator
Video Narrator
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The narrator states that quantum supremacy "could mean accelerated progress in areas like drug research, artificial intelligence, defense and finance." These sectors are the direct beneficiaries of quantum utility. The ability to process data in parallel (qubits) rather than sequentially (bits) unlocks capabilities in molecular modeling (Biotech), encryption (Defense), and complex market simulation (Finance) that are currently impossible. Long the downstream sectors that will leverage quantum speed to revolutionize their R&D and operational efficiency. The technology remains experimental; failure to achieve stability means these sectors cannot yet deploy these tools. |
Bloomberg Markets
Can Quantum Computing Power the AI Boom?
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Feb 13
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LONG
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Gina Raimondo
Former Commerce Secretary
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Raimondo defines economic security as "leading in artificial intelligence, leading in biotech and quantum" and states the US must "make sure that we are winning the AI race." The US government views these specific sectors not just as commercial industries but as components of "military might." This implies sustained government funding, defense contracts, and protectionist policies to ensure US hegemony over China in these fields. LONG US strategic technology sectors (AI, Quantum, Biotech) as they are effectively government-backed imperatives. High valuation multiples in tech; potential export controls limiting total addressable market (TAM) in China. |
CNBC
Former Commerce Sec. Gina Raimondo: Economic ...
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Feb 10
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LONG
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Adam Anderson
Florida State Representative
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Anderson argues that the "Sunshine Genetics Act" solves the primary bottleneck for the industry: finding the patients. He notes the industry is projected to reach $100 billion. Big Pharma (specifically mentioning Merck) cannot justify investing in cures for diseases with only 16 patients due to ROI. However, by using state funds to de-risk early research and identify patients at birth (before symptoms), the state aggregates these "rare" cases into a large, investable asset class (30 million total people). This creates a "market" where none existed, inviting capital into the space. There are nearly 10,000 known rare diseases affecting 30 million Americans (more than the population of Texas or Florida). Regulatory hurdles and the high cost of gene therapies remain significant barriers to entry. |
CNBC
What If We Can Get To Them Before They Have S...
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Feb 09
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AVOID
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Dr. Scott Gottlieb
Former FDA Commissioner; Board Member (Pfizer, Illumina, UnitedHealth); Partner at NEA (Venture Capital)
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Investment capital is fleeing the vaccine research sector. Gottlieb notes that research into vaccines for Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), MS, and cancer prevention is being pulled back. The political and regulatory environment has become hostile. It is increasingly difficult to get vaccines through the FDA due to policy changes, and even if approved, the CDC is showing reluctance to recommend them due to anti-vaccine sentiment. Gottlieb states that as a Venture Capital partner, he sees it is "very hard to get a new vaccine program funded" right now. A shift in political sentiment or a new public health crisis forcing a regulatory pivot. |
CNBC
Dr. Scott Gottlieb on Novo Nordisk vs. Hims &...
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Jan 31
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LONG
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Chamath Palihapitiya
Host, All-In Podcast / CEO, Social Capital
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Google DeepMind's AlphaGenome is poised to "cut the timeline for personalized gene therapies by years" and accelerate disease understanding. Neuralink's progress in BCI, particularly "VOICE" and "Blindsight" with FDA Breakthrough designation, indicates significant advancements in treating neurological and sensory disorders. These AI-driven breakthroughs in genomics and neurotechnology will act as powerful catalysts for the entire biotechnology and medical device sectors. Faster drug discovery, more precise diagnostics, and revolutionary treatments for previously untreatable conditions will drive innovation and revenue growth for companies operating in these spaces. Long the Biotechnology/Genomics sector via ETFs, anticipating accelerated innovation, reduced R&D timelines, and expanded market opportunities driven by AI tools like AlphaGenome and BCI advancements. Regulatory hurdles for new therapies, clinical trial failures, intense competition, and the long development cycles inherent in biotech. |
Chamath Palihapitiya
Neuralink's 21 Telepathy Trials in 2 Years
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