Phillip Sharp on regulation
From The Dish Live with special guest Phil Sharp · · LabCentral
“Regulations in the high-tech medical industry are very important; that's why the FDA is very important. If you have a set of rules, you can satisfy those rules and you can get approval. But if that's changing or if that's unpredictable, then the amount of investment you're going to get will go down because uncertainty is the most negative thing you can have.”
On , Phillip Sharp, Co-Founder, Member of the Scientific Advisory Board at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, spoke about regulation during The Dish Live with special guest Phil Sharp on LabCentral.
About Phillip Sharp
Phillip Sharp, a Nobel laureate and MIT Institute Professor, has continued to discuss the development and impact of RNA-based technologies. In a December 2025 appearance on "The Dish," Sharp reflected on the early days of RNA interference (RNAi) research, describing the discovery of the mechanism as "stunning" and noting that it was "the crisper of the day." He also discussed the importance of predictable regulations for the biotech industry, stating that "uncertainty is the most negative thing you can have." In an October 2025 interview, Sharp asserted that RNA technology "doesn't have the potential" to cure difficult diseases, "it has already demonstrated it's real," pointing to the success of Alnylam's RNAi therapeutics and the use of lipid nanoparticle delivery technology in mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Sharp has also spoken about his personal background and approach to science. In a May 2025 interview, he discussed his experience with dyslexia, saying his "way of thinking is very powerful" and that he looks for patterns and exceptions. He encouraged students with learning differences to "not get discouraged," adding that being different can be "more powerful." In a June 2025 podcast, Sharp recounted his path from a rural Kentucky farm to his Nobel Prize-winning discovery of RNA splicing, and discussed the founding of Biogen and Alnylam. He noted that the Asilomar conference on recombinant DNA safety was a key moment for the industry, and that Biogen's move to Cambridge was facilitated by an agreement with the city to follow the same rules as universities.