Health Professional Radio - Podcast

Dr. Rahul Aras, CEO of Iterion Therapeutics, a clinical stage biotechnology company developing novel cancer therapeutics discusses the company's lead product, Tegavivint, a unique nuclear β-catenin inhibitor, which is currently advancing to a Phase 2 clinical trial in patients with progressive desmoid tumors. The company will also pursue additional clinical programs in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and pediatric cancers this year and in 2021.

Tiffany and Wil Cook share their experience living and coping with the diagnosis of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). When Will was homeschooled he turned to video games and has made many friends around the world. Tiffany discusses her work as Family Resource Manager with CureDuchenne and the inaugural virtual gaming tournament hosted by CureDuchenne and PTC Therapeutics on October 10 to connect gamers and people living with DMD across the country.

Dr. Bradley Marder, a nephrologist for nearly 20 years and now Medical Director of Nephrology at Horizon Therapeutics discusses working to educate other clinicians about gout’s connection with other organs of the body, especially the kidneys. Gout is a disease of systemic uric acid accumulation throughout the body and can contribute to the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and other comorbid conditions like hypertension and cardiovascular disease. He is helping to ensure nephrologists are just as knowledgeable and effective at treating gout as rheumatologists.

James Coffin, PhD, President and Chief Operating Officer at Sema4, a patient-center health intelligence digital company, discusses the new ability of the company to handle up to 15,000 COVID-19 viral and 4000 antibody tests a day with 24 hour turnaround for COVID and 48 for the antibody test. He talks about how Sema4 is working directly with higher education, assisting government and large businesses to get students, staff, and workers back to school and work safely. There is also Sema4 Works, an app that enables symptom tracking through simple self-reporting of symptoms by registered individuals.

Returning guest, Dr. Gregg Sylvester, Chief Medical Officer at Seqirus discusses real-world evidence on the company's MF59® Adjuvanted, Trivalent Influenza Vaccine that was recently published in the peer-reviewed medical journal "Vaccine". The study demonstrated that this vaccine was more effective than a standard-dose non-adjuvanted trivalent seasonal vaccine in preventing influenza-related medical office visits and hospitalizations/ER visits in adults 65+ during the 2017/18 U.S. influenza season.

Cathy Kuhn, PharmD, Director of Strategy Consulting at Updox, an industry leader for care coordination and healthcare customer relationship management (CRM) solutions, discusses the pharmacy of the future by implementing a full virtual care strategy that is not only cost-effective and resource-efficient, but that also improves the patient experience. She also talks about the economic impact of COVID-19, how perceptions of telehealth have changed, and how it will be used post-COVID-19.

Returning guest, Dr. Gregg Sylvester, Chief Medical Officer at Seqirus discusses real-world evidence on the company’s cell-based quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIVc), which was published in the peer-reviewed medical journal "Vaccine". The study shows the value of cell-based quadrivalent influenza vaccine in preventing influenza-related hospitalization in the U.S. 2017/18 season.

Dr. Huy Dang, DPM, discusses the condition of uncontrolled gout, his personal experience living with it, how it's impacted his day-to-day life, and how it has influenced the way he treats his patients. Uncontrolled gout can span to the blood, joint fluids, and extracellular spaces. He explains that pain throughout the body is often connected to complications of the heart, liver, or kidneys, and a systemic burden of the disease. However, with proper treatment patients can manage the impact of the painful, chronic condition.

Dave Fuehrer, two-time cancer survivor and CEO of GRYT Health, and returning guest Wayne Eskridge, President and CEO of the Fatty Liver Foundation discuss a new, virtual, global platform called the COVID Advocacy Exchange that is offering people around the world free access to important, health information about Covid-19, especially for those with underlying conditions. There are 62 global patient advocacy groups involved in this effort.

Dr. Robert Shin, Professor of Neurology at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and the Director of the Georgetown Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Center discusses multiple sclerosis (MS), relapsing forms of MS (RMS), symptoms, and the new FDA approved Kesimpta® (ofatumumab), the first and only self-administered injection for the treatment of RMS. He is joined by Kerry, a patient with RMS. Kerry is not currently taking Kesimpta®.

Hawken Miller, 23, diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) at age five discusses his personal journey and how he had turned to video games as an option to stay competitive and connected as his friends advanced in sports while his disease progressed. Knowing the critical role of gaming for people living with DMD, CureDuchenne and PTC Therapeutics are hosting an inaugural virtual gaming tournament on October 10 to connect gamers and people living with DMD across the country.

Dr. Robert Vigersky, MD, Senior Medical Director, Diabetes Group at Medtronic discusses the evolution of the insulin pump, virtually training type 1 diabetics how to use an insulin pump, the recent FDA approval of the Minimed™ 770G Insulin Pump System with smartphone connectivity, and Medtronic's recent acquisition of Companion Medical's Smart Insulin Pen.

Returning guest, Dr. Michael Korn, Chief Medical Officer at Caris® Life Sciences discusses new data presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Virtual Congress 2020 from a study that supports that the treatment of certain ovarian cancer patients with KRAS-mutated epithelial ovarian carcinomas (EOC) may benefit from targeted therapies designed to inhibit KRAS gene response. He also talks about additional presentations that reveal the potential impact of precision medicine using Caris' industry-leading technology.

Daniel A. Monti, MD, MBA is Founding Director and CEO of the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health and founding Chair of the Department of Integrative Medicine and Nutritional Sciences at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. Jefferson Health—under preeminent leadership by Drs. Monti and Bazzan—made American history in 2019 by founding the nation’s first independent department of Integrative Medicine within a medical school, standing equal beside long-established traditionally independent departments such as pediatrics and surgery. At the Institute, Dr. Monti's research has focused on understanding the mechanisms of stress and emotion and testing natural substances for their efficiency in helping cure nervous system diseases and cancer.

Author, Jill Rosensweig, discusses her new children's book "Bailey Bloom and the Battle of the Bug", (July 2020) which just received the 2020 Gold Mom’s Choice Award. Parents can use this book as a resource to facilitate discussions with their children about Covid-19, both in terms of what it is and how it is affecting them. A portion of the proceeds from every sale will go to Save the Children, a non-profit organization, which is supporting schools and community programs to feed hungry bellies and minds during the pandemic. Save the Children is also delivering medical supplies and hosting training around the globe to help health care workers protect themselves.

Spiro Rombotis, President and CEO of Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals, a developer of novel therapies that target various phases of cell cycle control for the treatment of cancer and other serious diseases, discusses 3 programs currently in the pipeline for the treatment of various cancers; a transcriptional regulation program, a mitosis regulation program, and a DNA damage response program.

Brad Chapman, Head of Internal Operations and West Ecosystems for U.S. Neurology at UCB, Inc., and Professor Swapna Reddy, Clinical Assistant Professor at Arizona State University’sSchool for the Science of Health Care Delivery, College of HealthSolutions discuss a recent research project looking into how social determinants of Health (SDH) affect the epilepsy community. The project is dedicated to analyzing and evaluating the potential correlation between SDH and epilepsy treatment gaps and health outcomes at a community level and how patients can be better supported in managing their disease. To date, there has been a remarkable absence in research and information on how factors other than the quality of healthcare received can influence outcomes for epilepsy patients.

Dr. Seth Lederman, M.D., co-founder, CEO, and chairman of Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp., discusses their COVID-19 vaccine program based on their proprietary synthetic horsepox vaccine platform, and how they are currently collaborating with Southern Research, Columbia University, and others. Their vaccine is on course to Phase 1 in early 2021.

Josh Claman, MBA, CEO of Rimidi, a healthcare technology company, discusses how and why technology such as remote patient monitoring and telehealth should be used to predict future outbreaks and serve as early warning systems for detecting viruses in individuals. He also talks about how to address minority health inequities exposed during COVID-19.

James Archetto, Vice President at Gaumard Scientific, designers and manufacturers of state-of-the-art, robot-like, patient simulators, discusses the advantages of simulation-based training and how it is improving COVID-19 readiness along with helping clinicians to develop the skills to use a ventilator. The simulators are incredibly life-like and engage the emotions of the learner.