Health Professional Radio - Podcast

Susan, a woman living with an NTRK gene fusion, a rare genomic driver that drove her thyroid cancer shares her unique cancer journey and how she benefited from genomic testing. As an advisor on the TargetCancer Foundation's TRACK (Target Rare Cancer Knowledge) Patient and Caregiver Advisory Council she was directly involved in the development of the TRACK Study and has first-hand understanding of the importance of early testing and broader access for patients like her.

Dr. Scott Sigman, Founder and CMO of OrthoLazer and Team Physician at UMASS Lowell, discusses the publication of a second case report demonstrating positive outcomes for a COVID-19 patient treated with adjunct laser therapy. The patient is part of a randomized clinical pilot trial. The treatment is once-daily for four days using an FDA-cleared laser. Photobiomodulation Therapy is known to have anti-inflammatory effects and in this case study it helped treat the patients’ respiratory symptoms.Dr. Sigman is looking to expand this work and raise awareness among other healthcare providers for this novel therapeutic option.

Jim Palma, Executive Director at TargetCancer Foundation discusses a new clinical trial called TRACK (TargetRare Cancer Knowledge). Supported by Bayer and Foundation Medicine, TRACK provides rare cancer patients with access to genomic testing, personalized treatment recommendations and information via a virtual panel of rare cancer experts. This approach ensures that patients have access to this trial, even if they do not live near a clinical trial site and can socially distance due to COVID-19.

Keith Boettiger, President, Abbott Neuromodulation discusses the company's new Patient Controller app that is being integrated into their broader NeuroSphere™ Digital Care connected care management platform. Using Apple smartphone-compatible digital health tools, it is designed to optimize care for people living with chronic pain and movement disorders so that they can stay in contact with their treating physician. He also talks about how Abbott is working closely with pain physicians around the country on how to best reopen their practices and keep their patients safe following the COVID-19 shutdown.

Dr. Matthew Smith, MD, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Genitourinary Malignancies Program at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center discusses final data published in the "New England Journal of Medicine" (Sep 2020) from the Phase III ARAMIS trial for NUBEQA® (darolutamide) plus androgen deprivation therapy in men with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC).

Beto Casellas, CEO of Care Credit, a Synchrony solution, discusses the partnership with Salucro Healthcare Solutions. He talks about the financial implications of COVID-19 on hospitals, health systems and patients. He also talks about managing unplanned out-of-pocket medical expenses.

Mark Campbell, PharmD, Vice President of Clinical Services for RxBenefits, a technology-enabled pharmacy benefits optimizer (PBO), discusses the company's PBO model and the components behind the model.

Dr. Joslyn Kirby, Associate Professor in the Department of Dermatology at Pennsylvania State University discusses an often misdiagnosed skin condition of hidradentitis suppurativa (HS) and how it is more than just an inflammatory skin disease. She encourages patients and caregivers to advocate for their care and seek out a dermatologist with experience treating HS who can provide an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment options.

Dr. Adam Bingaman, Director of Abdominal Organ Transplantation at Methodist Hospital/Specialty and Transplant in San Antonio, TX discusses tips for transplant patients and their caregivers as they navigate the "new normal" environment. He is joined by Dr. Peter Maag, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for CareDx, the company behind RemoTraC, a remote home-based monitoring system for transplant patients.

Returning guest, Dr. Len Friedland, VP and Director, Scientific Affairs and Public Health Vaccines at GSK discusses the increase in vaccine preventable hepatitis A cases in the US. He explains why it is so important to stay up to date on immunizations, especially during the pandemic.

Dr. Shmuel Shoham, Associate Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine discusses the multi-center, double-blind randomized controlled convalescent blood plasma trials that are currently testing to determine whether giving people antibodies is effective attreating early-stage coronavirus and in preventing those exposed to it from catching the disease. He explains how this research differs from other therapeutics and vaccines under development and why researchers believe it may be promising for COVID-19. He talks about which patients are good candidates for these trials, and what patients can expect if they choose to participate.

Dr. Steve Kanes, CMO and Dr. Jim Doherty, CRO at Sage Therapeutics discuss the three clinical trials, one major depressive disorder (MDD), one postpartum depression (PPD) and one Essential Tremor (ET) that the company was able to advance in spite of the pandemic. They talk about the learnings Sage is leveraging to overcome challenges that span all of brain health from MDD to emerging treatments that tackle executive function and development.

Dr. Tom Sugarman, ED physician at Sutter Delta Medical Center in California and Senior Director of Government Affairs at Vituity discusses how critical it is for hospitals and health systems to start preparing now prior to the onset of a potential COVID-19 surge. This includes accounting for the need to call in support from outside their health system, aligning on communications approach to and from the front lines, focusing on resiliency, and providing resources to support provider and staff wellness during these stressful times.

Returning guest, Dr. Maria Milla, MD, Section Chief, Nicklaus Children's Pediatric Care Centers discusses the importance of flu vaccinations for children and their parents especially now in the COVID-19 environment.

The Incyte Ingenuity Award is an annual program that was created to support people living with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). GVHD is a potentially life-threatening condition that occurs when donor immune cells attack the recipient's organs and tissues after an allogeneic stem cell transplant. Dr. Areej El-Jawahri, MD, Director of the Bone Marrow Transplant Survivorship Program, Massachusetts General Cancer Center (MGCC) discusses the winning project from MGCC titled "Horizon Mobile App for Patients with Chronic GVHD".

Aidan Foley, CEO at True Digital Surgery discusses the partnership with Aesculap, Inc., and the Aesculap Aeos® Robotic Digital Surgical Microscope that is now available in the U.S. The platform enables surgeons to execute precision movements in procedures including neurosurgery, spine, ear, nose, and throat operations, through a multi-axis robotic arm. This product is particularly beneficial for healthcare workers in the COVID-19 pandemic, as the Aeos’ immersive 3D heads-up display can be viewed simultaneously by the full surgical team in an operating room while safely wearing protective face shields. Further, the display helps to minimize the physical strain and pain reported by four out of five surgeons after a day of surgery by allowing them to stand upright, rather than hunched over traditional microscopes.

Lead developer, Yasmeen Almog, a data scientist on Amgen's Digital Health and Innovation Team discusses Crystal Bone, a new digital health algorithm under development that may help doctors predict fracture risk in osteoporosis patients within a one to two-year time frame.

Returning guest, Dr. Mike Clayman, co-founder and CEO of Flexion Therapeutics discusses their FDA approved drug ZILRETTA® ((triamcinolone acetonide extended-release injectable suspension) for the treatment of osteoarthritis and how the company navigated the pandemic to keep meds in the hands of treating physicians and patients. He talks about how physicians are using ZILRETTA in place of elective surgeries, hence, the major increase in unit purchases from April to June 2020.

Dr. Ravi Jhaveri, MD, Associate Division Head of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine discusses how parents can prepare their families for this year’s flu season, while navigating alongside a global pandemic.

Mei Mei Hu, JD, co-founder and co-CEO and Peter Diamandis, MD, co-founder and vice chairman at COVAXX, a division of United Biomedical, discuss UB-612, which could be the first multitope peptide-based vaccine for COVID-19 based on a commercially proven platform that has shown promising efficacy in animals and is safe and scalable. In September 2020 the first healthy adult volunteers were dosed with UB-612 in the company's Phase 1 trial in Taiwan.