John Erwin, CEO of Carenet Health, discusses their recent survey of patients and providers covered by commercial insurance companies or the government programs Medicare and Medicaid.  While there is growing interest in using conversational texting and other digital tools, patients still want to talk with a human. The report reveals that Medicare/Medicaid members are more satisfied with their health plans than those covered by commercial plans, suggesting these plans can learn from government programs to improve the patient experience.   John explains, "Predominantly, we focus on two ..read more

Dr. Lishan Aklog, CEO of Lucid Diagnostics, discusses the current diagnostic landscape for esophageal cancer and the need for early detection. The current diagnostic tool, an upper endoscopy, is an invasive procedure requiring anesthesia.  The EsoGuard, a noninvasive simple cell collection procedure, uses molecular diagnostics to detect pre-cancerous cells within minutes. This test is particularly beneficial for screening those with risk factors such as chronic heartburn, being male, a smoker, or obese.   Lishan explains, "To prevent it, you have to pick it up at the pre-cancer ..read more

David Young, President of R&D at Processa Pharmaceuticals, talks about the FDA's Project Optimus draft guidance on optimal dosage regimens for specific patients. Processa is modifying existing cancer-killing molecules to improve efficacy and decrease side effects by taking into account genetic factors and the benefit-risk profile of each patient. This precision medicine approach will inform clinical trial recruitment, dosing regimens and the number of patients who can be effectively helped.   David explains, "There are a couple of things that make us unique. One is that we're taking t ..read more

David Young, President of R&D at Processa Pharmaceuticals, talks about the FDA's Project Optimus draft guidance on optimal dosage regimens for specific patients. Processa is modifying existing cancer-killing molecules to improve efficacy and decrease side effects by taking into account genetic factors and the benefit-risk profile of each patient. This precision medicine approach will inform clinical trial recruitment, dosing regimens and the number of patients who can be effectively helped.   David explains, "There are a couple of things that make us unique. One is that we're taking t ..read more

Dr. Juan Vera, CEO of Marker Therapeutics, a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company, is developing next-generation immunotherapy with a multi-tumor-specific T-cell platform to overcome limitations of current T-cell therapies with narrow target recognition. This approach, which recognizes multiple antigens within the tumor, helps prevent tumor resistance and adaptation. Marker is participating in the APOLLO trial testing this broad spectrum of target recognition in lymphoma patients who have relapsed after CAR-T CD19 therapy while also exploring acute myeloid leukemia and pancreatic cancer. &nb ..read more

Dr. Juan Vera, CEO of Marker Therapeutics, a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company, is developing next-generation immunotherapy with a multi-tumor-specific T-cell platform to overcome limitations of current T-cell therapies with narrow target recognition. This approach, which recognizes multiple antigens within the tumor, helps prevent tumor resistance and adaptation. Marker is participating in the APOLLO trial testing this broad spectrum of target recognition in lymphoma patients who have relapsed after CAR-T CD19 therapy while also exploring acute myeloid leukemia and pancreatic cancer. &nb ..read more

Andreas Grill, President and CEO of DepYmed, discusses protein tyrosine phosphatase-targeted drugs, a new class of drugs. With a focus on the specific enzyme PTP1B, DepYmed discovered orally bioavailable molecules that inhibit PTP1B, targeting the signal transaction pathway. They are initially testing to treat Rett syndrome, a rare disease with no current therapy while exploring the use of PTP1B inhibitors to treat inflammatory diseases, cancer, diabetes, and neurological diseases.   Andreas elaborates, "In DepYmed, we're focused on a specific enzyme. It's PTP1B. It's part of a family of ..read more

Andreas Grill, President and CEO of DepYmed, discusses protein tyrosine phosphatase-targeted drugs, a new class of drugs. With a focus on the specific enzyme PTP1B, DepYmed discovered orally bioavailable molecules that inhibit PTP1B, targeting the signal transaction pathway. They are initially testing to treat Rett syndrome, a rare disease with no current therapy while exploring the use of PTP1B inhibitors to treat inflammatory diseases, cancer, diabetes, and neurological diseases.   Andreas elaborates, "In DepYmed, we're focused on a specific enzyme. It's PTP1B. It's part of a family of ..read more

Vin Singh, Founder and CEO of Bullfrog AI, discusses how AI is being used to improve the drug development process through a precision medicine approach that looks at a combination of genetic and non-genetic attributes to predict patient response to drugs.  Bullfrog AI aims to reduce the failure rate in late-stage trials by enrolling the right patients in clinical trials. Through their partnership with the Johns Hopkins Lieber Institute for Brain Development, they use AI to analyze a unique dataset of post-mortem brains to discover new drug targets and improve clinical trial design. Vin ex ..read more

Melinda Thomas, the COO and Co-Founder of Octave Bioscience is focused on delivering a new standard of care for multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative diseases.  The company aims to address the unmet needs of people living with MS using blood-based biomarkers, expanded imaging, and a clinical insights program. The solution includes an app, wearable sensors, and a nurse care partner to help patients and neurologists make better-informed treatment decisions.   Melinda elaborates, "What we learned when we did about 150 interviews before we even started developing anything was, i ..read more