What exactly is Biogen doing? When is a press release worth $12 billion? And what should patients make of whiplashing news? We're devoting this entire episode to Biogen's stunning announcement that aducanumab, its once-discarded treatment for Alzheimer's disease, is getting a second life.

Should drug companies be free-speech advocates? Is your retirement dependent on CRISPR? And how useful is a glow-in-the-dark dog?

STAT's Matthew Herper joins us to dig into the history of the infamous pain drug Vioxx and a new effort to bring it back as a rare disease treatment. Then, we discuss how the synthetic biology industry is growing up and getting corporate. Finally, health care journalist Maggie Fox dials in to explain her deep dive on venture capital in biotech.

Does impeachment have a pharma angle? Who's to blame for drug shortages? And why is Wall Street down on biotech?

What do we talk about when we talk about "vape"? Are there limits to business of DNA testing? And how hard is it to get yourself CRISPR'd? STAT's Megan Thielking joins the gang to break down a major week of news in the world of vaping and STAT's Sharon Begley relates the story of a desperate patient seeking off-the-books genome editing and its implications for the future of medical research.

Who puts horns on unicorns? How do graying drug companies find green ideas? And what would mice tweet?

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s drug pricing plan is aggressive, but is it viable? Can Moderna turn cells into tiny drug-making factories? What’s it like to cure your own rare disease?

What separates good drug companies from mediocre ones? Have biohackers sold out? And who's going to run the FDA?

What does Dr. Richard Sackler sound like? When is $500 million a small amount of money? And what will come of the drug companies at the heart of the opioid crisis?

How should you talk to friends about rejection? Can Facebook actually improve the lives of children? And how's biotech doing in China?

Is anything too weighty to be explained over the internet? Can a new spin on old technology outfox CAR-T? And does that controversial drug even work?

Why did Novartis (NVS) keep its scandal to itself? Who knew what and when? And is there such thing as too much Peloton time?

Will Canada run out of drugs? Should you ever read your partner's diary? And what does Pepe the Frog know about genomics?

What makes an epidemic newsworthy? Can biotech succession succeed? And what's so novel about digital health?

Can apps treat anxiety? Is Gilead Sciences back on track? And are we all just brains in a vat?

Is drug pricing too complex for the Trump administration? Would you recognize Tom Hanks at a party? And what does it mean when famous executives quit?

Can Botox make Big Pharma attractive? What qualifies as a "cabal"? And will the CRISPR patent fight outlive us all?

Is desire a matter of medicine? Can you convict on genealogy? And what do you get the alleged bride who has it all?

Is biohacking a crime? Who came up with the latest CRISPR trick? And did Rage Against the Machine sell out?

Who won ASCO? Is pharma sandbagging its blockbusters? And what do gladiators have to do with biotech?

What can be done to improve HPV vaccination rates in the U.S.? How does the genetic signature of a tumor lead to an effective cancer drug? What’s it like being a doctor and a cancer patient?

Who's guilty of "clickbait"? Are spit tubes a bad business? And why are academics emulating Pusha T?

What should you watch for at the year's biggest cancer conference? Why are people having 23andMe-induced identity crises? And what's it like to be at once a journalist and a cancer patient?

Has drug price reform already stalled? How far has tech come in medicine? And should there be an app for that?

Are law-breaking pharma executives the new mob bosses? Can genome editing preventing heart attacks? And can the FDA regulate drug prices?

Is Biogen bracing for a fight? What does Jack Daniels have to do with immunotherapy? And will "micro-dosing" light the way to actual therapies?

Who gets to be "influential"? Should you be skeptical of for-profit hospitals? And should George Lucas fire his attorneys?

Who gets to "play God"? Can old technologies learn new tricks? And what does "drug price" even mean?

How do you sell lefty ideas to righty politicians? What’s going on at Gilead Sciences? And why are biotech investors freaking out?

What if pharma just charged less for drugs? Can speaking three syllables reveal whether you're depressed? And why is Snoop Dogg selling erectile dysfunction pills on TV?

Why can't investors think for themselves? How do parents cope with inexplicable tragedy? And is tech prepared for the toughest parts of health care?

Should Alzheimer's researchers just give up on amyloid plaques? What will a new drug mean for new moms with postpartum depression? And which coastal region of Long Island is superior?

Who deserves credit for a new gene therapy? How do you push stop on a startup? And what does MC Hammer have to do with Theranos?

Why is Scott Gottlieb quitting the FDA? Who will replace him? And what's the proper elastane content of a skinny jean?

Is this the age of the big biotech buyout? Is cold brew a business expense? And how do you pronounce "Gonzalez"?

What did an opioid patriarch say under oath? Why did everyone want to know so badly? And how might it shape the conversation around the opioid crisis?

Is pharma about to have its Big Tobacco moment? Are we overestimating human genetics? And can sales reps rap? We discuss all that and more on the latest episode of “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s biotech podcast. First, Boston Globe reporter Jonathan Saltzman joins us to discuss the case against Insys Therapeutics, the maker of a powerful painkiller now accused of running a nationwide racketeering scheme. Then Dr. Laura Esserman of the University of California, San Francisco, comes on to break down the debate over genetic testing for cancer risk. And then we give you the need-to-know on an upcoming Senate hearing that will see seven pharma executives get grilled on the rising cost of medicines in the U.S.

When will AI replace your radiologist? What can pharma learn from ketamine? And is liver disease more complicated than anyone thought?

Are we underestimating biology? Will Hot 97 decide the presidency? And who owns the scientific means of production?

Is the drug industry wrong about Alzheimer's disease? Can cryptocurrency fund actual science? And should you feel sorry for Big Pharma?

Is genome editing harder than anyone thought? Will no one weep for Celgene? And is it time to sequence your dog?

Is the FDA going broke? Can video games be drugs? And when did "Flashdance" come out?

Do drug developers tip well? Is biotech safe for 6-year-olds? And what's a Cable Car Cosmo?

Are megamergers bad for business? Is it time for biotech's biggest gathering to find a new home? And can a "need" be anything but "unmet"?

What will become of biotech in 2019? What's the legacy of Sarepta Therapeutics? And how do you say "overhyped" in Mandarin?

Is Gilead Sciences entering a bold new era? What even happened in 2018? And how useful is a genetic credit score?

Can gene therapy cure sickle cell disease? Is an expensive drug better than a free one? And will biotech see its shadow in 2019?

What does it mean to edit a person? Has science run afoul of basic ethics? And what's the time difference to Hong Kong?