The RTW Podcast

At 49, Karen Peterson was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer. Two years later it was stage IV, with a prognosis measured in months. Karen tells Stephanie Sirota how biomarker testing and a Phase 1 immunotherapy trial saved her life, why she walked out on her original oncologist, and what underrepresentation in clinical trials looks like up close. She also explains how Karen's Club, a New York City nonprofit and 2026 grantee partner of the RTW Foundation, helps patients of color use their own test results to make informed decisions about trials.
PODCAST TEAM
Producer: Devon Leaver
Editor: Dominique Guerra
Production Coordinator: YingYu Lin
Production Support: Annabelle Chan
Research Consultant: Chris Liu, Senior Research Analyst, RTW Investments
Story Consultant: Sarah Garwood, Director of Community Engagement, RTW Foundation
Featuring: Karen Peterson, Founder and Chief Patient Advocate, Karen's Club, moderated by Stephanie Sirota, Partner and Chief Business Officer, RTW Investments.
FOLLOW US
Love 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.
CHAPTERS
00:00 - Introduction
01:03 - Diagnosed at 49
02:36 - The vow, and an unannounced visit
04:54 - The immunotherapy trial that saved her life
06:19 - From patient to advocate
08:35 - Who to tell, who to lean on
09:52 - Leaving her oncologist
12:05 - Patients who ran out of time
14:14 - Fear, trust, and the first call
16:02 - Why representation shapes the data
17:17 - The positive impact of peer navigation
18:08 - Working with clinicians
18:59 - How Karen's Club works
20:03 - A CAR T success story
21:38 - The RTW Foundation partnership
22:54 - What decision makers should know
23:26 - Outro
DISCLAIMER
This interview was given by Karen Peterson, Founder and Chief Patient Advocate of Karen's Club, a 2026 grantee partner of the RTW Foundation, 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.

Episode Description
Is there still time for investors to join the biotech rally, or have they already missed it? Rod Wong says there is still plenty of opportunity and sits down with Stephanie Sirota to make the case. They start by contrasting high-profile concerns about AI’s risks with Rod’s more measured view: manage the downside, and position early to capture the benefits. He then explains why today’s rally is built on real commercial data and fundamentals rather than the hype around technology platforms in 2020, and why cancer could be the biotech sector’s flag-bearer for the next decade. Rod discusses how FDA leadership is signaling more support for biotech innovation, how an M&A wave is reshaping the sector, and how commercial launches are outperforming expectations. Looking ahead, Rod shares what he’s watching next. He closes with his biggest-picture takeaway: that medicine is entering a golden age of innovation, one that AI’s growing impact on drug discovery productivity will only help accelerate.
Podcast Team
● Producer and Editor: Tim Young
● Cinematography: Peter Garofalo
● Assistant Camera/Swing: Kate Montgomery
● Executive Editorial Advisor: Stephanie Sirota
● Editorial Advisors: Steve Alperin and Jim Heins
● Theme Music: Ganymede by Yehezkel Raz, with additional music by APM Music.
Featuring: 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 Us
Love 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.
Chapters
00:00 – Introduction
01:10 – AI and the Fate of Humanity
04:13 – Tech vs. Biotech: Value and Villains
06:27 – The RTW Model
09:35 – What's Driving the Recovery Now
12:58 – The Decade of Oncology
15:16 – FDA Leaning into Innovation
18:39 – M&A and the Eli Lilly Effect
21:08 – Launch Performance and Public Markets
24:28 – What's Next
25:21 – Closing Thoughts
Disclaimer
This 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.

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 Us
Love 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.
Chapters
00:00 – Introduction
01:00 – "You Aren’t Infertile Yet": The Insurance Call
02:30 – From Fundraising Career to The Chick Mission
05:45 – The 48-Hour Hope Grant
07:45 – CEO of Your Own Body
09:30 – Putting Ourselves Out of Business: The State-by-State Playbook
11:45 – Texas, Arizona, and the Medicaid Gap
14:10 – Resilience After "Cancer-Free"
16:40 – Following the Science
19:15 – Rewriting the First Oncologist Conversation
21:30 – Worthy of More Than Survival
22:25 – Outro
Disclaimer
This 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 Crisis
Episode Description
American 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 Jozeque

Featuring: 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 Us
Love 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.
Chapters
00:00 – Introduction
01:48 – The Drug Innovation Treadmill
05:04 – The Economics of Innovation
08:22 – Gene Therapy at a Crossroads
11:05 – Fixing Healthcare’s Incentive Problem
12:27 – A Policy Roadmap for Reform
16:21 – Rebalancing the System
18:28 – Closing Thoughts
Disclaimer
This 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 team
Producer & Editor: Tim Young
Production Coordinator: YingYu Lin
Cinematographer: Peter Garofalo
Executive Editorial Advisor: Stephanie Sirota
Editorial Advisors: Steve Alperin, Jim Heins
Theme Music: Yehezkel Raz
Featuring: Hunter Stoler, certified health coach and creator of Health with Hunter, moderated by Stephanie Sirota, Partner and Chief Business Officer at RTW Investments.
FOLLOW US
Love 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.

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:18 - The Thanksgiving wake-up call
02:53 - What made the weight loss stick
03:46 - Learning to shop, and what bad habits cost
06:43 - Choosing influence over the clinical path
08:56 - Obesity: willpower, environment, or the food supply
11:15 - Reading the ingredients, not the front of the box
12:32 - Better-for-you goes mainstream
14:16 - GLP-1s and the new shelf
15:23 - Protecting muscle and prioritizing protein
19:03 - Inside the grocery walkthrough
22:20 - Change requires change
Disclaimer
This 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.