The RTW Podcast

A cancer diagnosis in your early 30s. A doctor who says chemotherapy could leave you infertile. An insurer who says you don't qualify for fertility benefits because you "aren't infertile yet." Amanda Rice lived that call and built The Chick Mission in response: a nonprofit that has funded egg-freezing cycles for nearly 900 women and helped pass fertility preservation coverage into law in 22 states and the District of Columbia. Amanda joins Stephanie Sirota to unpack both sides of what she calls being the "CEO of your own body": the self-advocacy required inside a doctor's office, and the coalition-building required inside a state legislature. They also get into the part of survivorship nobody warns you about, the depression that can follow being declared cancer-free, and what Amanda wishes every oncologist would ask a newly diagnosed patient.Podcast Team• Producer and Director: Devon Leaver, recorded at RTW headquarters in New York• Editor: Dominique Guerra• Production Coordinator: YingYu Lin• Production Support: Annabelle Chan• Sound Engineer: Stephanie Polonio• Executive Editorial Advisor: Stephanie Sirota• Special Thanks: John Wasilewski• Theme Music: "Ganymede" by Yehezkel Raz. Additional music by APM Music.Follow UsLove our podcast? Follow us on LinkedIn at RTW Investments, LP and check out our website for the latest updates and insights.To make sure you never miss an episode, you can subscribe to the RTW podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and most other podcast platforms.Chapters00:00 – Introduction01:00 – "You Aren’t Infertile Yet": The Insurance Call02:30 – From Fundraising Career to The Chick Mission05:45 – The 48-Hour Hope Grant07:45 – CEO of Your Own Body09:30 – Putting Ourselves Out of Business: The State-by-State Playbook11:45 – Texas, Arizona, and the Medicaid Gap14:10 – Resilience After "Cancer-Free"16:40 – Following the Science19:15 – Rewriting the First Oncologist Conversation21:30 – Worthy of More Than Survival22:25 – OutroDisclaimerThis interview features Amanda Rice, Founder and CEO of The Chick Mission, in conversation with Stephanie Sirota, Partner and Chief Business Officer at RTW Investments.Statements by RTW personnel reflect their own views and opinions as of the date of recording and are subject to change without notice. Nothing in this episode is intended as investment advice, a recommendation to buy or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation to provide investment advisory services. The views expressed are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of RTW Investments, its affiliates, or its clients. This content is for informational purposes only.

RTW Podcast Episode 302: Innovation is the Best Medicine: Rod Wong on Driving Innovation and Fixing the Affordability CrisisEpisode DescriptionAmerican medical care rests on two pillars: innovation and affordability. Get either one wrong and patients pay the price. RTW's Rod Wong joins Stephanie Sirota to unpack both. On innovation, they trace the “Innovation Treadmill,” the cycle that forces drugmakers to keep discovering new medicines as older ones lose exclusivity and go generic, and why that cycle is even more fragile than it looks. On affordability, they get into what's actually driving costs: the relative bargain Americans get on drug prices, the near-total absence of price transparency in medical care, and the revenue that flows to insurers, pharmacy benefit managers, and hospitals instead of to the innovators taking the risk.Podcast Team• Producer: Katerina Rosen• Editor: Matt Colbourne• Executive Editorial Advisor: Stephanie Sirota• Editorial Advisor: Jim Heins• Theme Music: Goofy by Danny Shields and Mague by JozequeFeaturing: Rod Wong, Founder, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer at RTW Investments, moderated by Stephanie Sirota, Partner and Chief Business Officer at RTW Investments.Follow UsLove our podcast? Follow us on LinkedIn at RTW Investments, LP and check out our website for the latest updates and insights.To make sure you never miss an episode, you can subscribe to the RTW podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and most other podcast platforms.Chapters00:00 – Introduction01:48 – The Drug Innovation Treadmill05:04 – The Economics of Innovation08:22 – Gene Therapy at a Crossroads11:05 – Fixing Healthcare’s Incentive Problem12:27 – A Policy Roadmap for Reform16:21 – Rebalancing the System18:28 – Closing ThoughtsDisclaimerThis interview features Rod Wong, Founder, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer at RTW Investments, in conversation with Stephanie Sirota, Partner and Chief Business Officer at RTW Investments.Statements by RTW personnel reflect their own views and opinions as of the date of recording and are subject to change without notice. Nothing in this episode is intended as investment advice, a recommendation to buy or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation to provide investment advisory services. The views expressed are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of RTW Investments, its affiliates, or its clients. This content is for informational purposes only.

Americans spend $1.4 trillion a year on food, and a growing share of that spending is decided in the grocery aisle by people holding a phone. Hunter Stoler, the certified health coach behind Health with Hunter, joins RTW's Stephanie Sirota to discuss what nearly two million followers are putting in their carts and why the largest retailers are paying attention. From losing 50 pounds and keeping it off, to reading ingredient lists instead of front-of-box claims, to the arrival of “GLP-1 friendly” shelf tags that carry no agreed definition, this is a view of how consumer demand is reshaping what mainstream grocers choose to stock.Podcast teamProducer & Editor: Tim YoungProduction Coordinator: YingYu LinCinematographer: Peter GarofaloExecutive Editorial Advisor: Stephanie SirotaEditorial Advisors: Steve Alperin, Jim HeinsTheme Music: Yehezkel RazFeaturing: Hunter Stoler, certified health coach and creator of Health with Hunter, moderated by Stephanie Sirota, Partner and Chief Business Officer at RTW Investments.FOLLOW USLove our podcast? Follow us on LinkedIn at RTW Investments, LP and check out our website for the latest updates and insights.To make sure you never miss an episode, you can subscribe to the RTW podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and most other podcast platforms.Chapters00:00 - Introduction01:18 - The Thanksgiving wake-up call02:53 - What made the weight loss stick03:46 - Learning to shop, and what bad habits cost06:43 - Choosing influence over the clinical path08:56 - Obesity: willpower, environment, or the food supply11:15 - Reading the ingredients, not the front of the box12:32 - Better-for-you goes mainstream14:16 - GLP-1s and the new shelf15:23 - Protecting muscle and prioritizing protein19:03 - Inside the grocery walkthrough22:20 - Change requires changeDisclaimerThis interview was given by Hunter Stoler, certified health coach and creator of Health with Hunter, and moderated by Stephanie Sirota, Partner and Chief Business Officer at RTW Investments. Statements by RTW personnel reflect RTW's views and opinions as of the date of recording. All expressions of opinion are subject to change without notice and are not intended to be a forecast of future events or results. The views expressed by guests are their own, and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Nothing in this episode is medical advice. Listeners should consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding their own health decisions.

Treatment-resistant depression affects four million Americans, and until now, patients have had almost no options. Dr. Steve Levine of Compass Pathways joins RTW's Stephanie Sirota to discuss COMP360, a psilocybin-based therapy for treatment-resistant depression. From the science behind rapid and durable response, to the regulatory path, reimbursement infrastructure, and what's next for PTSD, this is a rare inside look at how the most promising new chapter in psychiatric medicine gets built.PODCAST TEAMProducer & Director: Devon LeaverEditor: Dominique GuerraProduction Coordinator: Ying Yu LinProduction Support: Annabelle ChanResearch Consultant: Connor WilliamsExecutive Editorial Advisor: Stephanie SirotaTheme Music: Yehezkel RazAdditional Music: APM MusicFeaturing: Steve Levine, Chief Patient Officer of Compass Pathways, moderated by Stephanie Sirota, Partner and Chief Business Officer.Don't forget to listen to part 1 of Stephanie's discussion, Psilocybin: Counterculture to Cutting-Edge Psychiatry.FOLLOW USLove our podcast? Follow us on LinkedIn at RTW Investments, LP and check out our website for the latest updates and insights.To make sure you never miss an episode, you can subscribe to the RTW podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and most other podcast platforms.CHAPTERS00:00 - Introduction1:37 – Steve Levine & Compass Pathways5:27 - The Treatment Resistant Depression Journey9:42 - Who are the TRD Patients?11:06 - Holding Psychedelics to the Same Standard18:25 - Why PTSD Is the Next Frontier21:01 - Lifestyle's Role in Treatment Durability22:41 - OutroDISCLAIMERThis interview was given by Steve Levine, Chief Patient Officer of Compass Pathways, and moderated by Stephanie Sirota, Partner and Chief Business Officer at RTW Investments. Statements reflect RTW's views and opinions as of the date hereof and not as of any future date. All expressions of opinion are subject to change without notice and are not intended to be a forecast of future events or results. The views expressed by guests are their own, and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

Are psychedelics poised to transform mental health treatment? Connor Williams joins Stephanie Sirota for a deep dive into psilocybin, the science behind its effects on the brain, and its potential in treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and other serious conditions. As clinical trials advance and FDA pathways take shape, psychedelics have moved from counterculture to clinic, raising critical questions for patients, clinicians, and investors alike.PODCAST TEAMProducer & Director: Devon LeaverEditor: Dominique GuerraProduction Coordinator: Ying Yu LinProduction support: Annabelle ChanExecutive Editorial Advisor: Stephanie SirotaResearch Consultant: Connor WilliamsTheme music: Yehezkel RazAdditional music: APM MusicFeaturing: Senior Research Analyst, Connor Williams, and moderated by Stephanie Sirota, Partner and Chief Business Officer at RTW InvestmentsStay tuned for part 2 of Stephanie's discussion on Psychedelics with Dr. Steve Levine, Chief Patient Officer at Compass Pathways.FOLLOW USLove our podcast? Follow us on LinkedIn at RTW Investments, LP and check out our website for the latest updates and insights.To make sure you never miss an episode, you can subscribe to the RTW podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and most other podcast platforms.CHAPTERS00:00 - Introduction1:12 - Explaining Psilocybin 4:21 – Recreational Use to Medical Use 6:03 - Compass Pathways’ Story 11:18 - Getting Psychedelics to Patients 16:04 - Myth or Fact: Psilocybin 21:15 - What’s next for Psilocybin? 20:02 - OutroDISCLAIMERThis interview was given by Senior Research Analyst, Connor Williams, and moderated by Stephanie Sirota, Partner and Chief Business Officer at RTW Investments. Statements reflect RTW's views and opinions as of the date hereof and not as of any future date. All expressions of opinion are subject to change without notice and are not intended to be a forecast of future events or results. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.