Celebrating Women's Leadership in the Life Sciences on International Women's Day + Johnson & Johnson's Cell Therapy for Multiple Myeloma Gets FDA Approval – Xtalks Life Science Podcast Ep. 51

In this episode, Ayesha spoke about some of the top women leaders in life science industries in celebration of International Women’s Day. While women remain underrepresented in STEM fields and life science industries, there are more women in leadership positions at pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies than ever before. Studies also show that women’s leadership training programs provide effective training for women seeking executive-level positions. In addition, the editorial team shared some of their experiences and insights as women in the life sciences.

The editorial team also learned about the FDA approval of a new CAR T cell therapy developed by Johnson & Johnson and Legend Biotech for the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. The drug, called Carvykti, is administered as a single infusion and indicated for patients who have not responded to previous treatments. The cell therapy has a list price of almost half a million dollars due to the high development costs of cell therapies, but makers say the clinical benefit they offer is worth the price. Most insurers and Medicare will cover the cost of Carvykti.