Episode 195: Califf's sudden jeopardy, the quest for a PCSK9 pill, & Covid vaccines for kids

Published: Feb. 3, 2022, 8:48 p.m.

Does President Biden care about the FDA? What can aerobics instructors teach us about genetics? And when can kids get Covid-19 vaccines?\n\nSTAT Washington correspondent Nicholas Florko joins us to chat about why Robert Califf, once a shoo-in to be the next FDA commissioner, is suddenly in serious jeopardy. Then, we examine one of the coolest drug-discovery stories in medicine with Merck\u2019s head of research, Dean Li, who joins us to talk about the company\u2019s efforts to develop an oral cholesterol pill targeting PCSK9.