>FASTA_27

Elizabeth Holmes' return; Biotech UI&UX; Influencers in Biotech; Novo's srRNA for obesity; Believer meats; Debut cosmetics; Glowing succulents; China's BCI plans; Neurode's brain stimulation headband

>FASTA: weekly short reads of the global biotech ecosystem | Papers and patents, acquisitions and bankruptcies, biotech philosophy | Read in under 5 min | Follow on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, and Instagram! | Versión en Español

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1. Astra Zeneca's at-home flue vaccine

FluMist was first FDA-approved as a nasal spray in 2003, but 13 years later, the CDC recommended against using it since it was found to be less effective than injectable vaccines. Last year, it became the first flu vaccine approved for at-home use, also marking the company’s first foray into D2C medicine.

As big pharmas begin to play in this consumer space, it’s time we talk about biotech UI/UX. Something as seemingly superficial as the delivery mode could impact consumer adoption, save distribution costs, while also demanding a different marketing strategy — Will we see nasal sprays for gene therapies soon?

2. Holmes' return

Elizabeth Holmes — yes, the former founder of Theranos who committed the biggest fraud in biotech history — has allegedly reopened her Twitter account, managed by someone else since she is currently serving an 11-year sentence in Texas.

Though it’s a bit early to know if there’s a larger PR strategy here, I wouldn’t doubt that some inspiration has been drawn from Jiankui He, the Chinese scientist who was also condemned to 2 years of prison for editing babies with CRISPR and is now a Twitter influencer with 140k followers.

While Holme’s post-prison plans cannot be confirmed yet, her husband Billy Evans has been public about raising $3.5M [from their millionaire friends and fam group] for yet another blood testing company, Haemanthus. The 10-person team has