PETRI DISH PERSPECTIVES: BIOTECH UNLEASHED
Burma | ChicagoScientist 🥼🧪🔬Covering companies shaping healthcare 🏥Stream new episodes, available on all podcast platforms!
Episode 10: Roche
Send us a text
💡 From Vitamin C to AI-Driven Diagnostics: Roche’s Legacy Unleashed
In this episode of Petri Dish Perspectives: Biotech Unleashed, we explore the extraordinary evolution of Roche, from its origins as a 19th-century Swiss chemical company to becoming a global leader in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics.
You’ll hear how Roche launched the world’s first branded vitamin C, pioneered molecular diagnostics with PCR, and laid the groundwork for today’s precision medicine revolution. We’ll also dive into how Roche’s unique dual-engine model—drugs + diagnostics, that helped shape modern healthcare...
Episode 9: Bayer
Send us a text
🎧 From Dye Pots to Blockbusters: The Bayer Story
In this episode of Petri Dish Perspectives: Biotech Unleashed, host Manead takes you on a journey through Bayer’s 160+ year evolution, from its 1863 roots in coal tar dyes to becoming the maker of Aspirin 💊, Xarelto ❤️, and Eylea 👁️. We explore how a dye salesman and a master dyer built a pharma empire, the game-changing invention of Aspirin, blockbuster therapies, the turbulent Monsanto acquisition 🌾⚖️, and the company’s high-stakes reinvention under CEO Bill Anderson.
🧬 Science, strategy, and resilience — Bayer’s story is biotech history in motion.
...
Episode 8: Bristol Myers Squibb
Send us a text
In this episode of Petri Dish Perspectives: Biotech Unleashed, we journey through the 165+ year saga of Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) — from 19th-century Brooklyn apothecaries and sparkling laxatives 💊 to cutting-edge CAR-T therapies and checkpoint inhibitors in cancer treatment 🧫🔥.
Host Manead, a PhD scientist in cancer biology and analytical chemistry, breaks down:
📜 The parallel founding stories of E.R. Squibb & Sons and Bristol-Myers
🧠 The game-changing 1989 merger that created BMS
❤️ Blockbuster hits in cardiovascular health (Plavix, anyone?)
🧪 The leap into immuno-oncology with Opdivo and Y...
Episode 7: Sanofi
Send us a text
Ever wonder how an oil conglomerate helped create one of the world’s top pharma giants? 💥 In this episode of Petri Dish Perspectives: Biotech Unleashed, your host, Manead, dives into the fascinating story of Sanofi, a company whose name you’ve probably seen on insulin pens 💉, flu shots 🦠, and blockbuster immunology meds 💊.
We explore:
🔹 Sanofi’s wild beginnings inside a French oil giant 🛢️
🔹 Game-changing acquisitions — Aventis, Genzyme, and more 💸
🔹 Lantus and its dominance in diabetes care 🧃
🔹 Vaccine legacy from Louis Pasteur to COVID-19 🧫
🔹 The Dupixent boom and Regeneron partnership 🤝
🔹 Bold...
Episode 6: Merck
Send us a text
In this episode of Petri Dish Perspectives: Biotech Unleashed, we'll take you on a 350-year journey through the rise of Merck — from its humble beginnings as a family-run pharmacy in 17th-century Germany to becoming one of the world’s most influential pharmaceutical powerhouses.
We’ll explore how Merck evolved through groundbreaking discoveries like streptomycin, the MMR vaccine, statins, and the game-changing cancer immunotherapy Keytruda. You’ll also hear about the incredible legacy of Dr. Maurice Hilleman, a vaccine pioneer whose work continues to save millions of lives today.
Along the way...
Episode 5: Boehringer Ingelheim
Send us a text
🐴 From Farmyard Roots to Pharma Powerhouse: The Boehringer Ingelheim Story 🐴
Welcome to Petri Dish Perspectives: Biotech Unleashed! 🚀 I’m your host, Manead—scientist and biotech nerd.
Today, we’re spotlighting Boehringer Ingelheim—a family-owned pharma giant that began in a small German village and grew into one of the world’s top 20 pharmaceutical companies. From veterinary vaccines to life-saving treatments for respiratory disease, diabetes, and cancer, Boehringer has quietly shaped medicine for humans and animals alike.
They’ve stayed private for over 135 years—what’s their secret? How did a rural chemist’s...
Episode 4: Johnson & Johnson
Send us a text
In this episode of Petri Dish Perspectives: Biotech Unleashed, we dive into the rich history and groundbreaking innovations of Johnson & Johnson (J&J)—one of the most influential healthcare companies in the world. From its origins in the late 19th century as a family-run surgical supply business to becoming a household name with products like Band-Aids, Tylenol, and Johnson’s Baby Powder, J&J has shaped modern medicine in countless ways.
We’ll explore how Robert Wood Johnson I, alongside his brothe...
Episode 3: AbbVie
Send us a text
In this episode of Petri Dish Perspectives: Biotech Unleashed, we explore the rise of AbbVie, a pharmaceutical giant that emerged from Abbott Laboratories in 2013 and quickly became a leader in immunology, oncology, and aesthetics.
From its blockbuster drug Humira to major acquisitions like Pharmacyclics and Allergan, AbbVie has strategically expanded its portfolio and global presence. We’ll break down the company’s history, key milestones, and the vision driving its future—including cutting-edge research in neuroscience and gene therapy.
Join me as we...
Episode 2: Eli Lilly
Send us a text
Welcome to Petri Dish Perspectives: Biotech Unleashed! In this episode, we dive deep into the history and impact of Eli Lilly, a company that began with a small lab in Indianapolis and has grown into the highest market-cap pharmaceutical company in the world.
From pioneering insulin production in the 1920s to developing blockbuster drugs like Prozac, Humalog, and Mounjaro, Eli Lilly has played a crucial role in shaping modern medicine. We’ll explore the founding story, key scientific breakthroughs, and the co...
Episode 1: Pfizer
Send us a text
💊 From Brooklyn to Biotech Titan: The Rise of Pfizer 💊
Welcome to the first-ever episode of Petri Dish Perspectives: Biotech Unleashed! 🚀 I’m your host, Manead—scientist, biotech nerd, and your guide through the fascinating world of life sciences.
We’re kicking things off with Pfizer—a company that started as a small chemical business in Brooklyn and grew into a global powerhouse. From upscaling penicillin in WWII to revolutionizing cholesterol treatment with Lipitor, turning a failed heart drug into Viagra, and spearheading the COVID-19 vaccine...
