Empowered Patient Podcast

Tina Liedtky, President of Transplant Diagnostics at Thermo Fisher Scientific, identifies the significant challenges in the US organ transplant system that must be addressed to meet the demand for organs. Patient access to transplant care is hindered by geography, the need to match donors and recipients, and the threat of organ rejection. Living donations, particularly of kidneys and livers, are a solution to address the organ shortage, as organs from living donors often lead to better outcomes and can be scheduled to avoid damage caused by organ transportation. Tina explains, "So first of all, I would say that organ transplantation saves thousands of lives a year and gives patients with end-stage organ disease the ability to extend their lives meaningfully for many years. However, the organ transplant system in the US is not perfect, and it faces several real challenges. The most pressing challenge is a persistent imbalance between organ supply and demand, in that far more patients are in need of a lifesaving transplant than there are available organs, which leaves many patients waiting too long for a compatible organ or perhaps will never receive a compatible match. And unfortunately, for those patients left waiting, many get sicker, and often patients die while waiting on the wait list. So this gap in supply and demand is real, and it underscores the importance of living donation, which can help expand the pool of available organs and give patients a chance at the timely care that they need." "Another significant challenge is patient access to organ transplant care. For instance, in the weeks leading up to the transplant procedure and after the procedure, patients are often required to be living or situated near the hospital or the transplant center where the surgery is performed. This can pose a challenge to those who simply don't reside in areas where there are major transplant centers or who can't afford temporary housing. And that creates a socioeconomic inequity when it comes to access." #ThermoFisherScientific #Transplantation #OrganDonors #LivingDonation #HeartTransplant #OrganTransplants thermofisher.com Download the transcript here

Dr. Sev MacLaughlin, the CEO of DeLorean AI, has developed an AI platform to identify at-risk patients, including those with renal disease, cardiovascular disease, and mental health conditions. Serving smaller and mid-sized provider clinics, this approach supports the shift to value-based care by predicting adverse events, recommending preventive measures, and reducing hospitalizations and healthcare costs. By analyzing entire populations instead of samples, the platform avoids biases and overlooked subgroups inherent in traditional analytical methods. Sev explains, "So I think there's an opportunity to not only give better care at the point of care, but also aid in the discovery or assist in the diagnosis of unknown diseases that people may have in the chronic format. That may be identifying chronic kidney disease patients five years earlier, so they can have a different treatment modality and directionality in their lives, or hypertension or cardiovascular disease." "We're very strong in renal. So both chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal failure, or patients on dialysis. And then the two comorbidities that most that are huge influences for that are cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular system, and diabetes. In addition to that, we do CD and pulmonary. And then we were asked by one of our largest clients, United Healthcare, to look at mental health. And I have to say another surprise to me is how important mental health is to the other disease states, so that mental health needs to be taken care of to ensure that those individuals are medically adherent, they're going to their appointments, they're taking their medications, they're taking their health seriously. And that is something that I learned was most important and needed to be treated in parallel with the primary care diagnosis." #DeLoreanAI #PreventativeCare #RenalCare #MedAI #Diagnostics #PopulationHealth #RiskStratification DeLoreanai.com Download the transcript here

Antoine Pivron, Vice President of Health Solutions in the B2B division at Withings, highlights the clinical-grade connected devices that are changing the remote patient monitoring market. The equipment and AI-enhanced tools are designed to focus on personalized patient engagement and retention, ultimately leading to improved health outcomes. The data made available identifies trends over time, allowing for intervention when necessary, and is presented in a form that emphasizes prevention rather than reaction. Antoine explains, "We are very well known for our connected devices, especially the weight scales. So we were the first company back in 2009 to develop a connected weight scale, and now we are the leader in this field, mainly in Europe and in the US. So I think we might have the broadest ecosystem of connected devices to be honest, on the market. So we have weight scales, but we also have blood pressure monitors, activity trackers with smart watches. We also have urine analyzers that we're going to launch next week, actually. We really do have a huge range of products that can be used at home to remotely monitor patients." "They're actually analyzing the trends over weeks, months, and they have an intervention when there is something that is not going in the right direction. So it's more about managing alerts if needed. For instance, in chronic heart failure, most remote patient monitoring programs, doctors manage alerts only. And for obesity care, it might be like coaches or nutritionists having a one-time a week or a one-time a month video call with the patient, and they're just managing the trends. So it's not about being in constant alert, it's about having more data to help them make the right decision." #Withings #DigitalHealth #RemoteMonitoring #ConnectedDevices #MedTech withings.com Download the transcript here

Dr. Jay Lalezari, a physician and researcher with decades of experience in virology and the CEO of CytoDyn, discusses groundbreaking advancements in treating triple-negative breast cancer with leronlimab. He details how this monoclonal antibody can transform cold tumors into hot ones, enhancing the efficacy of immunotherapy. Jay shares impressive survival data, including a cohort of patients with significant long-term remission. He also explores potential applications in colorectal cancer and the interest of major pharmaceutical companies in these innovative treatments.

Andrew Rosen, CEO of the National Ataxia Foundation, champions the fight against hereditary ataxias, focusing on both research and patient support. He discusses the challenges in drug development due to the absence of reliable biomarkers and outlines the Foundation's role in funding vital research projects. Rosen emphasizes the importance of genetic testing and the need for regulatory flexibility to accelerate treatment approvals. He also highlights the Foundation's efforts to connect patients, clinicians, and researchers to enhance awareness and care.

Anne Meneghetti, Executive Director of epocrates, is a leader in medication management. She discusses the challenges of polypharmacy, especially in older adults, and emphasizes the app’s capabilities like quick drug lookups and dosing calculations. Anne highlights the dangers of unintentional medication errors, including interactions with over-the-counter drugs and the importance of medication reconciliation. She also shares practical tips for clinicians and patients to improve adherence and communication, advocating for proactive healthcare strategies.

Dr. Adam Kilian, Director of the Rheumatology Fellowship Training Program at the St. Louis University School of Medicine, focuses on IgG4-related disease, a rare multi-organ disease that has only recently been recognized due to significant diagnostic challenges. The MITIGATE trial is a landmark study that demonstrated that the first FDA-approved treatment, UPLIZNA from Amgen, provides an effective, targeted, steroid-free therapy. The approval of this drug is driving awareness in the medical community about IgG4-RD and whether the disease should be considered after inconclusive results for other suspected conditions. Adam explains, "IgG4-related disease is a rare disease that affects many organ systems. It's a chronic systemic, fibroinflammatory disease that can affect almost any organ system. And it will usually present with these tumor-like inflammatory masses that can cause scarring and lead to organ failure." "Our understanding of it continues to evolve, and it's had a really interesting story over the last century because IgG4-related disease affects so many different organ systems. Over the past century, there were actually many different diagnoses that were recognized, which now all fall under the umbrella of IgG4-related disease. Different scientists and physicians around the world over the years recognized the different manifestations of the disease in the pancreas, in the lymph nodes, in the head and neck, in the kidneys, or in the blood vessels. And it's only been in the last 20 years or so that we have recognized that actually all of these different disease entities from the last century are actually all manifestations of this disease, IgG4, IgG4-related disease." "The clinical trial is called the MITIGATE trial, and it's a very seminal clinical trial in rheumatology from the last several years. This was the first-ever phase three double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized controlled trial in IgG4-related disease. This was a huge trial. It was global. It was conducted in 22 countries with multiple specialties coordinating this trial. It was 52 weeks long, and its purpose was to evaluate the effectiveness and the safety of UPLIZNA in patients who have IgG4-related disease." #MITIGATETrial #IgG4RelatedDisease #IgG4RD #UPLIZNA UPLIZNA Download the transcript here

Dr. Thomas Wisniewski, Director of NYU Langone's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, shares insights from a recent study that projects new dementia cases in the US will double by 2060. New diagnostic tools have made it easier to identify early signs of Alzheimer's, and disease-modifying therapies are being approved, which can be effective if patients are treated in the earliest stages of the disease. AI is seen as a tool to help identify at-risk patients and routinely screen patients to manage the growing need for access to dementia care. Thomas explains, "This was a study that was led by the NY Optimal Institute, which is directed by Dr. Joe Resh, who's really a leader in this area and many public health issues. He did a very thorough analysis along with his team that the annual number of incident dementia cases in the United States is projected to increase from current estimates of 500,000 to around 1 million in 2060. So basically doubling in white adults. Furthermore, in African Americans, this incidence of dementia rate is expected to triple, with the largest absolute increases in dementia cases going to be in the oldest old population." "There was perhaps a lack of awareness of the prevalence of dementia in past decades. But now the importance of making an accurate diagnosis and recognition of dementia is becoming much more prominent in the medical literature and in the medical profession. And that message, I think, is permeating to the lay public as well. So there hasn't been a change in the definition so much, but there is an increase in knowledge in the medical profession about the importance of making this diagnosis, and people living alone." "It's really been a dramatic change. So, apart from being a cognitive neurologist, I'm also a board-certified neuropathologist, and it used to be that making the definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease required a chunk of brain. I'm delighted I don't need those chunks of brain anymore to make a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. There are now very clear clinical criteria and biomarker definitions for making a very accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease." #NYULangoneAlzheimers #AlzheimersDisease #DiagnosingAlzheimers #AlzheimersResearch #MedAI med.nyu/centers-programs/alzheimers-disease-research/ Download the transcript here

Pedro Sanchez de Lozada, CEO of Canid, highlights the significant financial risks that pediatricians face in managing their vaccine inventory. There are administrative burdens associated with ordering, patient demand, tracking, reporting, and filing for insurance reimbursement. The Canid platform was designed to be a vaccine-as-a-service model, removing risk and administrative work from pediatric practices, allowing small and independent practices to achieve economies of scale, and freeing up more time to spend with patients and their parents. Pedro explains, "When managing a vaccine program, the expectation is that the pediatrician will buy and maintain the stock in their office until a patient comes in and gets vaccinated. So, the refrigeration, the temperature logging, the stocking up, and the cost of the vaccine always fall as liability to the pediatrician. And what happens there is that you have a fairly small margin on these vaccines. Now I'm sure we're going to get into this, but when people say pediatricians make money on vaccines, they're usually cherry-picking." "But in reality, as a pediatrician, you actually have to stock all the vaccines. And not all of them have decent margins. Some of them have negative margins. And so as a portfolio, you end up making a pretty thin margin, and then that doesn't even include all the different challenges you might have along the way. So let's take an example: a vaccine that expires or is dropped, and unfortunately needs to be wasted." "So the way that we like to think about it is we want to make it so that the pediatrician can just give vaccines. That's all they need to think about. And what that means is, let's just imagine for a second, a refrigerator that automatically restocks itself, and you just take out the vaccines, you give it to a child, and you go on your merry way. That's obviously a little bit of an idealistic way of viewing things, but it's the experience that we want to accomplish." #Canid #Vaccinations #Pediatricians #Vaccines #PediatricVaccineManagement canid.io Download the transcript here

Alicia Silver, senior director at ADVI Health, highlights the evolving landscape of cell and gene therapy and the need to improve patient access and payment for these treatments. Availability of these therapies for solid tumors and genetic diseases like sickle cell disease is expanding due to the transition from inpatient to outpatient and community settings. The FDA's decision to remove REMS requirements for specific therapies has accelerated the growth of facilities to provide care, particularly for vulnerable populations. Alicia explains, "We work with a number of different cell and gene therapy clients throughout the sector. So we work with manufacturers who have commercialized cell and gene therapy products. So they have products that are currently on the market, manufacturers who are going through the process of clinical trials right now, working with the FDA to get approved products. But we also work with trade organizations that are working behind the scenes at the sector level, trying to get different policies and access changes for patients." "To date, there's probably close to a couple of dozen FDA-approved cell and gene therapies, and they treat everything from blood cancers, which were the first approvals in something called CAR T. We saw blood cancers as the first approvals, and then everything through to solid tumors in oncology. But also, we have newer gene therapies for conditions like sickle cell disease. And that's an area that's been incredibly underserved and definitely will benefit from a durable gene therapy that hopefully corrects some of the issues that patients with sickle cell disease have, like pain crises that end up in a hospital. So from that perspective, we see a really wide range of treatments available to patients today and many more on the horizon." "I think the price tag is definitely somewhat of sticker shock for people who don't understand how cell and gene therapy products are valued. And so what we do a lot of times, educating on, is helping payers understand that it's not necessarily $2 million for a treatment that's going to be a recurrent payment, but something that's kind of an investment in the patient's and the plan's future." #ADVIHealth #CellTherapy #GeneTherapy #AcesstoCellGeneTherapy #ClinicalTrials advi.com Download the transcript here