The Readout Loud 392: Epstein's pal attempts a biotech comeback, and Prasad exits the FDA
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Mar 12, 2026 Damian Garde, STAT reporter who investigated Boris Nikolic and Jeffrey Epstein, brings investigative reporting and context. He unpacks Nikolic’s surprising fundraising comeback and the documents linking him to Epstein. The conversation also covers Vinay Prasad’s exit from the FDA and scrutiny of rare-disease decisions. Short, probing takes on biotech reputational risk and fundraising dynamics.
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Boris Nikolic's Biotech Comeback
- Boris Nikolic was a well-connected biotech investor tied to Bill Gates who resurfaced in 2025 after public fallout from his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
- His fund Biomatics collapsed in 2019, he resigned multiple boards, but industry access and past wins kept him in the orbit of influential players like Alexis Borisi.
Reputation Cosigning Enabled A $100M Raise
- Alexis Borisi of Curie Bio quietly backed Boris and vouched for him, letting Boris leverage Alexis's reputation when raising a new fund.
- That support helped BioIntel raise about $100 million despite many in biotech avoiding Boris after 2019.
Epstein Files Deepen Concerns About Ties
- DOJ-released Epstein files show Boris had a far deeper relationship with Epstein than publicly acknowledged, including coordinating photos of young women for Epstein's approval.
- Boris appears in the documents thousands of times, indicating sustained contact from 2009 to 2019.