EP 11
From the Lab to Big Pharma
About this episode
Drs. Naqvi and Ahmed go behind the scenes of drug development, from the Gila monster saliva behind GLP-1s and the 1921 discovery of insulin by Banting and Best to the five phases of clinical trials and FDA approval. They explain the roles of pharma companies, CROs like IQVIA, and private site networks, trial diversity and the Framingham Heart Study, the ethics of professional patients and physician pay, defending real science against anti-science distrust and NIH funding cuts, plus AI and decentralized trials.
What we cover in this episode
- how drugs are discovered: Gila monster saliva and GLP-1s
- the 1921 discovery of insulin by Banting and Best
- the five phases of clinical trials and FDA approval
- roles of pharma companies, CROs and site networks
- diversity in clinical trials and the Framingham Heart Study
- ethics of professional patients and physician compensation
- anti-science distrust and NIH research funding cuts
- AI for patient recruitment and drug target discovery
- decentralized clinical trials with wearables
Your hosts
Dr. Humayun NaqviPreventive Cardiologist · West Houston Heart Center
Dr. Adil AhmedOrthopedic Surgeon · Baylor College of Medicine