WTR Healthcare Happenings

In this episode of the WTR Healthcare Happenings podcast, WTR Healthcare Analyst Robert Sassoon joins host Tim Gerdeman to discuss his newly published industry report, Primer: Peptides- From GLP-1 Success to the Next Wave of Therapeutics. The conversation explores the factors driving the rapid growth of peptide therapeutics, from the success of GLP-1 drugs and the emergence of next-generation obesity treatments to expanding applications across oncology, immunology, cardiovascular disease and other therapeutic areas. They examine the growing competitive landscape, including the entry of large pharmaceutical companies and Chinese developers, the emergence of oral peptides and macrocycles, and the role of AI-enabled drug discovery in accelerating peptide development. The discussion also considers the investment opportunities across the sector, what will differentiate the next generation of winners, and the key clinical, commercial and manufacturing challenges that investors should watch as the peptide market continues to evolve.For additional content, visit www.watertowerresearch.com. 

In this episode of WTR Healthcare Happenings, Tommy Barletta, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of ALDIS Institutional Services, joins host Tim Gerdeman, Co-Founder of Water Tower Research, to discuss what next week’s midterm elections could mean for healthcare investors. ALDIS Institutional Services is an independent research provider that pairs policy expertise with Washington and Wall Street relationships, combining moderated small group events with market commentary on policy-driven catalysts.Tommy Barletta walks through his scenario analysis for the House and Senate, why he sees the House as effectively settled and the Senate as a far wider range of outcomes, and which races he is watching most closely. He explains why affordability has made this a coverage election, and how that read-through differs across hospitals, exchange-leveraged insurers, Medicare Advantage, and pharma, including the operational quarters the market may have to absorb before any policy relief arrives.The conversation also covers what the administration can do regardless of the outcome through the levers it already controls, where the Medicare for All conversation actually stands and why the distinction between universal coverage and universal care matters for managed care, and the near-term catalysts Tommy Barletta is tracking in Washington, from government funding and the debt limit to US and China biotech relations.For additional content, visit www.watertowerresearch.com.

In this episode of WTR Healthcare Happenings, Anthony Tennyson, CEO of Solvonis Therapeutics (LSE: SVNS), joins WTR healthcare analyst Robert Sassoon and host Tim Gerdeman, Co-Founder of Water Tower Research, to discuss the latest developments in the company’s clinical-stage pipeline targeting addiction and other CNS disorders.The conversation explores new analysis supporting SVN-001 for alcohol use disorder and plans to expand its Phase 3 trial into Europe, including Portugal. It also covers progress on SVN-002, an esketamine oral thin film for the US market, and preclinical programs in stimulant use disorder and PTSD.Anthony Tennyson also discusses Solvonis’s capital allocation priorities, non-dilutive funding strategy, and plans to build a stronger US presence.For additional content, visit www.watertowerresearch.com.

In this episode of WTR Healthcare Happenings, Robert Sassoon, Managing Director and Healthcare Analyst at Water Tower Research, joins host Tim Gerdeman, Co-Founder of Water Tower Research, to discuss his newly published initiation of coverage on PharmAla Biotech Holdings (CSE: MDMA, OTCQB: MDXX).Robert Sassoon explains how the Toronto-based company built two businesses on a single chemical and regulatory foundation: a commercial supply business shipping clinical-grade GMP MDMA under the Linneo brand to roughly 35 trials worldwide, and a drug development arm engineering next-generation MDXX molecules. Because MDMA itself cannot be patented, the conversation focuses on where the competitive advantage actually sits, in controlled substances licensing, import and export permits, regulator-accepted documentation, and licensed distribution partners in each jurisdiction.Robert Sassoon also covers the arrangement under which PharmAla supplies product at a discount or at no cost in exchange for perpetual data licenses, the Jupiter Neurosciences transaction for US rights to ALA-002 and what it proved about monetizing the pipeline without dilution, the decision to retain APA-01 in-house, and the pipeline, regulatory, and financial catalysts to watch over the next 12 to 18 months.For additional content, visit www.watertowerresearch.com.

In this episode of WTR Healthcare Happenings, Robert Sassoon, Managing Director of Healthcare Equity Research at Water Tower Research, joins host Tim Gerdeman to discuss his newly published initiation of coverage on Circular Genomics, a privately held molecular diagnostics company developing blood-based tests using circular RNA (circRNA) biomarkers.Robert Sassoon explains the science behind circRNA and discusses the company’s Alzheimer’s research published in Nature Medicine in July, including its locked 34-circRNA signature and its potential to complement established biomarkers such as pTau217. The conversation explores why predicting disease progression could be particularly valuable for Alzheimer’s clinical trials, where identifying patients most likely to decline during a study may improve trial efficiency and outcomes.The discussion also covers Circular Genomics’ staged commercialization strategy, beginning with its CircPATH research-use platform and biopharma partnerships before moving toward clinical diagnostics. Robert Sassoon outlines the key milestones investors should watch, from initial contracts and independent validation to financing, clinical development, and the longer-term commercial opportunity.For additional content, visit www.watertowerresearch.com.

In this episode of WTR Healthcare Happenings, Robert Sassoon, Managing Director and healthcare analyst at Water Tower Research, joins host Tim Gerdeman to discuss his newly published initiation of coverage on eXoZymes (Nasdaq: EXOZ) and its cell-free biomanufacturing platform.Robert Sassoon explains how the technology works, the significance of the reported 10-fold productivity improvement in NCT manufacturing, and the next steps toward validating commercial-scale production with CDMO partner Curia Global. The conversation also covers NCT’s potential in the nutraceutical market, the competitive landscape, and the longer-term opportunity to develop novel molecules for pharmaceutical applications through the BioClick platform.With an NCT product launch targeted for the first half of 2027, Robert Sassoon lays out the commercial, manufacturing, and regulatory milestones investors should watch as eXoZymes moves from pilot-scale validation to commercial execution.For additional content, visit www.watertowerresearch.com.

In this episode of WTR Healthcare Happenings, Kirk Huntsman, CEO of Vivos Therapeutics (NASDAQ: VVOS), joins WTR healthcare analyst Robert Sassoon and host Tim Gerdeman to break down the company's financial and operational restructuring.Kirk Huntsman details the work underway to strengthen the balance sheet, including debt reduction, equity requirements, and Nasdaq compliance. The conversation then turns to the operational turnaround, covering rising patient referrals, expanded capacity in Nevada, and AI-driven cost efficiencies.Kirk Huntsman also discusses new revenue streams including EEG testing, remote patient monitoring, and the DME-based CPAP program, along with plans to expand the sleep center network through partnerships such as the South Florida cardiology initiative. The discussion closes on Vivos' path to positive cash flow and the revenue and cost-control drivers supporting it.For additional content, visit www.watertowerresearch.com.

In this episode of WTR Healthcare Happenings, Natural MedTech CEO and Co-Founder Luke McFarlane joins WTR healthcare analyst Robert Sassoon and Shawn Severson to discuss the company's biosynthetic psilocybin manufacturing platform and its position within Australia's evolving psychedelic medicine landscape. The conversation covers the authorized prescriber pathway, including adoption trends, treatment costs, regulatory developments, and early insurer engagement. McFarlane walks through NMT's proprietary biosynthesis platform, its competitive advantages in cost and purity, the ongoing Series A raise, and the case for local manufacturing. The episode also explores AI's role in drug development, the importance of wet-lab data, NMT's views on drugs-for-data models, and the company's long-term ambitions within the pharmaceutical value chain. 

In this episode, Cannara Biotech COO and Interim CFO Nick Sosiak joins WTR's Linda Bolton Weiser and Tim Gerdeman to discuss the company's expansion following the announcement of a long-term international supply agreement with Curaleaf carrying a potential aggregate value of up to C$21 million. The conversation covers Cannara's differentiated approach within the cannabis industry, the market positioning of its three brands, the scale advantages of its two Quebec mega-facilities, growing room economics, the current state of the Canadian cannabis market, the role of innovation in driving share gains, and the path to reaching maximum annual production capacity of 100,000 kg. 

In this episode of WTR Healthcare Happenings, Oncolytics Biotech CEO Jared Kelly joins WTR's Tim Gerdeman and healthcare analyst Robert Sassoon to discuss the company's progress advancing pelareorep, its investigational oncolytic virus immunotherapy for difficult-to-treat gastrointestinal cancers. The conversation covers the significant unmet need in RAS-mutated colorectal, pancreatic, and anal cancers — tumor types that have largely not benefited from the immunotherapy advances seen in other cancers — and how pelareorep's systemically delivered mechanism selectively targets tumor cells while stimulating an anti-cancer immune response. Kelly also walks through recent clinical results, upcoming data readouts, regulatory progress, and Oncolytics' strategy to advance registration-directed colorectal cancer studies while pursuing partnership opportunities to support future development and commercialization.