Big Pharma steps up race for AI-discovered drugs

Send us a textWant a longer life that still feels like yours? We sit down with psychologist Christina Röcke of the University of Zurich’s Healthy Longevity Center to unpack what actually fuels healthy aging—and what’s just marketing noise. From blue-zone myths to AI-driven biohacking, we trace why the longevity boom exploded and where the evidence really points: consistent movement, quality relationships, realistic stress strategies, and communities that make healthy choices simple.Join Swissinfo for a debate on this topic or read more of our science stories,  by visiting our website swisinfo.ch. You can help other people to find our podcast by leaving us a five-star review.Journalist: Jessica Davis PlüssHost: Jo FahyAudio editor/video journalist: Michele AndinaDistribution and Marketing: Xin ZhangSWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.

Send us a textWe trace how a soil-derived drug led to the discovery of mTOR, why growth control sits at the core of aging biology, and where evidence ends for humans. Michael Hall’s quiet breakthroughs explain fasting, autophagy, and rapamycin without the hype.To read more about this topic and for more science stories, visit our website swisinfo.ch. You can help other people to find our podcast by leaving us a five-star review.Journalist: Jessica Davis PlüssHost: Jo FahyAudio editor/video journalist: Michele AndinaDistribution and Marketing: Xin ZhangSWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.

Send us a textWhat if the most valuable drug candidates aren’t found but designed on demand? We follow a chemist’s journey from a pencil-and-paper notebook to generative algorithms that propose novel, IP-free molecules tailored to specific targets, and we open the door to how Swiss pharma is rebuilding discovery around AI.To read more about this topic and for more science stories, visit our website swisinfo.ch. You can help other people to find our podcast by leaving us a five-star review.Journalist: Jessica Davis PlüssHost: Jo FahyAudio editor/video journalist: Michele AndinaDistribution and Marketing: Xin ZhangSWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.

Send us a textWe trace how sex and gender shape drug development, from male-heavy mouse studies to the split results in Lecanemab’s Alzheimer’s trial. Experts explain why regulators should keep approvals moving while demanding smarter design, better reporting, and post-approval answers. For more science stories, visit our website swisinfo.ch, and you can help other people to find our podcast by leaving us a five-star review.Journalist: Jessica Davis PlüssHost: Jo FahyAudio editor/video journalist: Michele AndinaDistribution and Marketing: Xin ZhangSWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.

Send us a textAlzheimer’s disease is more than age-related memory loss—it’s a serious brain disorder. In this episode of the Swiss Connection Science podcast, Swissinfo healthcare reporter Jessica Davis Pluess explores the science, hope, and controversy surrounding new Alzheimer’s drugs like Leqembi and Kisunla. With billions invested and global regulatory decisions diverging, what do these treatments mean for patients and healthcare systems? Visit SWI swissinfo.ch for more on this topic and a video on this story. Please come to SWI swissinfo.ch for more of our science stories from Switzerland.Journalist: Jessica Davis PlüssHost: Jo FahyAudio editor/video journalist: Michele AndinaDistribution and Marketing: Xin ZhangSWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.

Send us a textThe search for the elixir of life has been going on since time immemorial – and Switzerland has played a key role. Although scientists have yet to come up with a winning formula, the Alpine nation has a booming market for treatments, pills and gadgets that claim to slow ageing and help us live healthier, longer lives.Visit SWI swissinfo.ch for more on this topic and a video on this story. Please come to SWI swissinfo.ch for more of our science stories from Switzerland.Jounalist: Jessica Davis PlüssHost: Jo FahyAudio editor/video journalist: Michele AndinaDistribution and Marketing: Xin ZhangSWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.

Send us a textWe’ve received the sad news that former CERN director and experimental physicist Herwig Schopper has passed away at the age of 101. He was considered the grandfather of the world’s most powerful particle accelerator, helped promote peace through a Middle Eastern science hub, and voiced his concerns about the Nobel Prize. In 2024, just before his 100th birthday, we had the chance to visit him at his home on Lake Geneva. We spoke with him about some of the highlights of his career and his personal thoughts on research and its potential to contribute to peacebuilding.SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.

Send us a textThis is the final episode of 'Lost Cells', a short investigative podcast series. The production is an original SWI swissinfo.ch trilingual podcast made in collaboration with Piz Gloria Productions, Futur Proche, and Studio Ochenta.This gripping investigative podcast series has been uncovering the human stories behind the promises and failures of private stem cell banking in Switzerland.In our series finale, the Lost Cells team digs deeper into the international standards of the cord blood banking industry. Antoine confronts the Swiss authorities for answers. Tatiana and Ratko vow to go public and warn parents all over the world with everything they’ve learned about cord blood banking.SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.

Send us a textOver the next two episodes, we're proud to present 'Lost Cells', a short investigative podcast series. The production is an original SWI swissinfo.ch trilingual podcast made in collaboration with Piz Gloria Productions, Futur Proche, and Studio Ochenta.This gripping investigative podcast series uncovers the human stories behind the promises and failures of private stem cell banking in Switzerland.In episode five, families across Europe feel like they’re being held hostage. Who owns their cells? Do they have any rights? They fight back with the only thing they do have: their own tenacity and an international network of sleuths.SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.

Send us a textOver the next three episodes, we're proud to present 'Lost Cells', a short investigative podcast series. The production is an original SWI swissinfo.ch trilingual podcast made in collaboration with Piz Gloria Productions, Futur Proche, and Studio Ochenta.This gripping investigative podcast series uncovers the human stories behind the promises and failures of private stem cell banking in Switzerland.In episode four, Luis Daniel, Tatiana and Ratko investigate in multiple European jurisdictions. The international band of families turns to Antoine Harari and Valeria Mazzucchi, two journalists based in Geneva, to give them the answers they can’t get from a company in turmoil. Luis Daniel visits Poland looking for assurances that his daughter's stem cells can help him cure his cancer before it's too late. SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.