From designing drugs with a simple text prompt to running experiments guided by extended reality, a new wave of agentic AI is transforming the modern lab. Our editors discuss the latest autonomous systems accelerating biological discovery. In business deals, Gilead Sciences has acquired Tubulis in a transaction worth up to $5 billion, strengthening the buyer’s position in antibody–drug conjugates for cancer. Correspondingly, Eli Lilly and Biogen are each making billion-dollar-plus bets, acquiring Centessa, a sleep disorder drug developer, and Apellis, known for its work in immunology and rare diseases. Our episode rounds out by unpacking the dynamic obesity drug market, where intensifying competition from Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill is prompting Lilly to temper the 2026 sales outlook for its oral obesity drug, Foundayo.

Join GEN editors Corinna Singleman, PhD, Fay Lin, PhD and Alex Philippidis for a discussion of the latest biotech and biopharma news.

Listed below are links to the GEN stories referenced in this episode of Touching Base:

Can AI Agents Automate Scientific Discovery?

By Fay Lin, PhD, GEN Edge, April 1, 2026

Gilead to Acquire Tubulis for Up to $5B, Expanding Cancer ADC Capabilities

By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, April 7, 2026

Lilly Acquires Centessa for Up to $7.8B; Biogen Buys Apellis for Up to $6.1B

By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, March 31, 2026

StockWatch: Price War Dampens Lilly Surge After Oral GLP-1 Wins FDA Nod

By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, April 5, 2026

Touching Base Podcast

Hosted by Corinna Singleman, PhD

Behind the Breakthroughs

Hosted by Jonathan D. Grinstein, PhD

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, agentic AI steps into the limelight buoyed by the momentum from generative AI. And there’s a new virtual cell model in town courtesy of AI-drug developer Xaira Therapeutics. From the frontiers of AI, our discussion turned to feats of engineering in regenerative medicine and lipid nanoparticles. In one study, scientists redesigned LNPs to avoid the liver and accumulate in the lymph nodes. In the other, efforts to develop and implant a lab grown esophagus from donor pigs bear fruit. Finally, Novartis plans to spend up to $3 billion to expand its cancer pipeline with the acquisition of Pikavation Therapeutics. And Merck is acquiring Terns Pharmaceuticals for approximately $6.7 billion also with an eye towards boosting its cancer portfolio.

Join GEN editors Corinna Singleman, PhD, Fay Lin, PhD, Uduak Thomas and Alex Philippidis for a discussion of the latest biotech and biopharma news.

Listed below are links to the GEN stories referenced in this episode of Touching Base:

NVIDIA GTC 2026: Agentic AI Inflection Hits Healthcare and Life Sciences

By Fay Lin, PhD, GEN Edge, March 18, 2026

Xaira’s First Virtual Cell Model Is Largest To-Date, Toward Complex Biology

By Fay Lin, PhD, GEN Edge, March 25, 2026

Modified Lipid Nanoparticles Boost mRNA Vaccine Delivery to Lymph Nodes

GEN, March 24, 2026

Engineered Esophagus Rebuilds Missing Organ Segment in Pig Models

GEN, March 20, 2026

Novartis Acquires Pikavation for Up to $3B, Expanding Cancer Pipeline

GEN, March 22, 2026

Merck Bolsters Cancer Pipeline with $6.7B Terns Buyout

By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, March 25, 2026

Touching Base Podcast

Hosted by Corinna Singleman, PhD

Behind the Breakthroughs

Hosted by Jonathan D. Grinstein, PhD

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new study from the J. Craig Venter Institute simulates the complete life cycle of a minimal bacterial cell in 4D space and time at nanoscale resolution. Meanwhile, in gene editing, a new technology has designed DNA donors that evade the immune system, allowing safer large gene insertion that is one step closer to scalable mutation-agnostic therapies. In brain diseases, researchers have found a novel blood-based biomarker that can predict a woman’s risk of developing dementia as many as 25 years before symptoms appear. Our episode rounds out with uniQure’s roller coaster stock, following Vinay Prasad, MD, and his second departure from the FDA.

Join GEN editors Corinna Singleman, PhD, Fay Lin, PhD, Uduak Thomas and Alex Philippidis for a discussion of the latest biotech and biopharma news.

Listed below are links to the GEN stories referenced in this episode of Touching Base:

Simulating Life: 4D Whole-Cell Model of a Minimal Bacterium

GEN, March 9, 2026

Safer Large DNA Insertion Moves Genetic Medicine Toward Scalability

By Fay Lin, PhD, GEN, March 11, 2026

Blood Biomarker Predicts Women’s Dementia Risk Up to 25 Years Early

GEN, March 10, 2026

StockWatch: Under Fire from FDA, uniQure Stock Roller-Coasters

By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, March 8, 2026

Touching Base Podcast

Hosted by Corinna Singleman, PhD

Behind the Breakthroughs

Hosted by Jonathan D. Grinstein, PhD

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.