In this exclusive interview on Healthcare Unfiltered, I welcome Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, a Chinese immigrant who grew up under apartheid in South Africa and rose to become one of the world’s most successful physician executives. Now the CEO of ImmunityBio, Dr. Soon-Shiong opens up about his remarkable journey. He shares what inspired him to pursue medicine, his entrepreneurial ventures, his move to the United States, and the story of his first investment. He also discusses creating the groundbreaking chemotherapy drug Abraxane, which led to the formation of Abraxis, later acquired by Celgene, now part of BMS. And his most recent FDA-approved drug Anktiva for bladder cancer.
With complete candidness, Dr. Soon-Shiong reflects on his challenging upbringing, the discrimination he faced, and how he overcame these obstacles to achieve great success. We explore life lessons, leadership styles, and a range of topics including Kobe Bryant, Gavin Newsom, COVID, the first pancreatic transplant, the acquisition of the Los Angeles Times, and his public feud with his brother. This 2024 podcast episode offers an unparalleled glimpse into the life of a highly public and inspiring figure and is one you’ll want to listen to more than once and share with everyone you know.
Dr. Simrit Parmar, founder of Cellenkos, joins the show to discuss her journey from the lab to the biotech startup world, detailing the inspiration behind launching her company, the challenges of securing funding, and the resilience required to overcome rejections. She shares insights into Cellenkos’ lead product, its progress toward market approval, and the rigorous
Carol Rausch—a healthcare professional, cancer researcher, and former patient with lymphoma—shares how her journey from researcher to patient transformed her understanding of medical language. She discusses the impact of word choice on patients, why certain battle and war metaphors can be harmful, and how language used in clinical settings differs from what resonates with those
Drs. David Braun and Toni Choueiri join to discuss a groundbreaking Nature study on a personalized neoantigen vaccine for adjuvant renal cell carcinoma. They explore the inspiration behind the trial, how the vaccine was developed and administered, and its safety profile. The conversation also covers patient outcomes after 3-4 years, including immune responses and disease
