BioCentury
PODCAST | Politics, Policy & Law

2026 biotech kickoff — a BioCentury podcast

Assessing the state of play for biotech in the U.S., Europe and Asia

January 6, 2026 1:33 AM UTC

The New Year begins with biotech running along parallel storylines. There’s cause for optimism as the industry’s financing gears have begun to churn again and innovation remains as strong as it has ever been, while there's cause for concern as the world’s most  stable, progressive, science-based regulatory system has become unpredictable amid new leadership at HHS, FDA, and NIH. On the first episode of the BioCentury This Week podcast’s seventh year, BioCentury’s analysts assess the state of play for biotech in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. 

The discussion ranges from recent changes at NIH to what’s next for rare pediatric disease priority review vouchers, and from Europe’s opportunity as FDA enters uncertain terrain to Japan’s evolving biotech landscape.

Early bird rates for BioCentury and BayHelix’s fifth East-West Biopharma Summit end Friday. Act now to join investors, dealmakers and innovators in Seoul this March to source innovation from Asia, or accelerate your own pipeline by finding the right Asia partner.