Clinician's Roundtable

Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD Guest: Walter Stadler, MD In 1971 Dr. Judah Folkman announced to the world that angiogenesis would be the Achilles heel of cancer-what's happened in the last 35 years? Dr. Walter M. Stadler, professor of medicine, director of Genitourinary Program, and associate dean of Clinical Research at the University of Chicago Medical Center joins host Dr. Bruce Bloom to fast forward from that early discovery to the current cutting edge uses for Avastin and other anti-angiogenics in cancer, including successes and shortcomings of this class of drugs in treating both solid tumors and blood cancers .

Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD Guest: Walter Stadler, MD Associate Dean of Clinical Research, and professor of medicine and director of the genitourinary program at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Dr. Walter Stadler discusses his role in oversight of clinical research with your host, Dr. Bruce Bloom.

Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD Guest: Walter Stadler, MD Host Dr. Bruce Bloom welcomes Dr. Walter Stadler, professor of medicine and director of the genitourinary program at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. We are still working toward a highly effective treatment for hormone refractory prostate cancer. Could a paradoxical treatment with high-dose testosterone hold the key to a cure? Dr. Stadler details current clinical research on this somewhat controversial topic.

Host: Bruce Japsen Guest: Jeffrey Aronin, MBA At a time drug companies are looking for new answers when it comes to developing new products and having a difficult time, the pharmaceutical industry may be on the verge of a different tact: turning to physcians and their advocacy organizations. Jeffrey Aronin, president and CEO of Ovation Pharmaceuticals Inc. tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about how his company has been getting some of its best ideas for drug development from doctors practicing in the field.

Host: Bruce Japsen Guest: Jeffrey Aronin, MBA It seems most drug-makers are making their biggest sales to doctors by pushing medicines for common conditions whether they be statins for cholesterol or proton pump inhibitors for heartburn. But drugs can actually take on blockbuster significance for specialized treatment groups where treatment options are limited. Jeffrey Aronin, president and CEO of Ovation Pharmaceuticals Inc. tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about his company's efforts to build blockbuster franchises by treating rare conditions.

Host: Bruce Japsen Guest: Jeffrey Aronin, MBA Not all drug companies are in pursuit of billion-dollar blockbuster drugs taken by millions of Americans. In fact, there are drugs treating rare conditions that wouldn't be sold on the market if not for a landmark piece of legislation known as the Orphan Drug Act, now 25 years old. Jeffrey Aronin, president and CEO of Ovation Pharmaceuticals Inc. tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about the silver anniversary of the Orphan Drug Act, its benefits and its future potential.

Host: Larry Kaskel, MD Guest: Gerald Dorn, MD Should African American’s be treated with beta blockers to prevent heart failure? This has been a controversial question in the cardiovascular community. In this segment, Dr. Gerald Dorn of Washington University School of Medicine explains the biological mechanisms in which beta blockers offer protection from heart failure and what led him and his team to more closely examine the African American population who as a group does not seem to benefit as much from beta blockers. Learn in this segment about a gene variant identified by Dr. Dorn and his team carried by African American patients which provides protection from heart failure. Is this gene variant found in all African Americans? Are there other populations with this gene variant? Dr. Dorn talks about the implications of this study and where he hopes to go from here with his research.

Host: Michael Greenberg, MD Guest: Tangerine Brigham Dr. Michael Greenberg welcomes Tangerine Brigham, Deputy Director of Health for the San Francisco Department of Health and Director of "Healthy San Francisco," a landmark plan to provide health care to San Francisco's 73,000 uninsured city residents. Now available at multiple clinics across the city, this program is intended to give people a medical home, a primary doctor and medical services ranging from basic preventive care to pharmaceuticals to surgeries.

Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD Guest: Sandra Aamodt, PhD With a myriad of overlapping hormones and neurotransmitters involved, weight regulation is a complex task. While our bodies aim to stow away energy reserves for emergent times, our patients simultaneously try desperately to shed unwanted pounds. As Sandra Aamodt, PhD, author and former editor-in-chief of Nature Neuroscience, tells host Dr. Leslie Lundt, thanks to leptin, and a host of other regulatory compounds, many patients face long odds making a permanent change in food intake.

Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD Guest: Sandra Aamodt, PhD Our patients use their brains every moment of their lives. So do we! How well do you know your brain? You may be distressed at the answer. Dr. Sandra Aamodt, co-author along with Dr. Sam Wang of Welcome to Your Brain joins host Dr. Leslie Lundt to discuss common misconceptions about neurobiology.