Xtalks Life Science Podcast

In this episode, Ayesha talks about Nestlé’s marketing of Seres Therapeutics’ oral microbiome drug for recurrent C. Difficile infection (CDI). CDIs are the leading cause of hospital-acquired infections in the US, with recurrence being a common problem. It typically develops after the use of antibiotics which can wipe out the gut’s healthy bacteria. Seres’ microbiome drug SER-109 aims to restore the healthy bacteria via an oral capsule that contains a protective species of gut bacteria. Nestlé has been a big player in the gastrointestinal space and first partnered with Seres in 2016. The latest venture of the partnership will have the food and beverage giant utilize its global pharmaceutical business Aimmune Therapeutics to take on the role of lead commercialization party for the oral microbiome drug.The team also discussed the World Health Organization’s (WHO) adding IL-6 receptor blockers to its treatment guidelines for severely and critically ill COVID-19 patients. This includes IL-6 blockers from Roche (Actemra) and Sanofi (Kevzara). While IL-6 receptor antagonists initially met with mixed results in COVID-19 trials, recent data suggests it can cut improve survival outcomes in critically ill patients. The WHO also called on manufacturers to reduce the cost of the IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibodies to help increase access to the drugs in low- and middle-income countries.Read the full articles here: Nestlé to Market Seres’ Oral Microbiome Drug for C. Difficilev WHO Calls on Roche and Sanofi to Lower Costs for Life-Saving COVID-19 Treatment For more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social MediaTwitter: @Xtalks Instagram: @Xtalks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

In this episode, Ayesha talks about the launch of a digital marketing campaign for the first FDA-approved therapeutic video game to help treat ADHD. The video game, called EndeavorRx, is installed as an app on smart phones and tablets. It was developed by digital medicine company Akili Interactive. The game is available by prescription and is indicated for children eight to 12 years of age with primarily inattentive or combined-type ADHD who have a demonstrated attention issue. Akili launched the first ad campaign for the game on Instagram and is also looking to advertise on other social media outlets. While the game is to be used alongside traditional ADHD medications, it could lower medication doses and serve as a promising non-pharmaceutical alternative for ADHD treatment in children.The team also discussed growing reports of how some women have been experiencing changes in their menstrual cycle following COVID-19 vaccination. While the link between the vaccines and irregular periods have not been studied, experts say the changes are short-term and are not of concern. In fact, vaccination against influenza and HPV are known to lead to temporary menstrual changes. The COVID-19 vaccines may trigger similar changes due to activation of immune cells in the uterus or inflammation, or just simply due to stress around getting vaccinated. Until a causal link is shown, the group agreed that people should not be taken in by conspiracy theories about menstrual cycle changes as related to fertility and pregnancy; the vaccines have been shown to have no effect on the latter. Read the full articles here: Akili Launches Digital Ad Campaign for First FDA-Approved ADHD Video GameWhy the Potential Effects of COVID-19 Vaccines on the Menstrual Cycle Are Not ConcerningFor more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social MediaTwitter: @Xtalks Instagram: @Xtalks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

In this episode, Ayesha talks about a peripheral nerve stimulation system for chronic pain developed by biotech company NeuraLace that received 510(k) FDA clearance last week. The device uses electromagnetic induction technology to directly target nerves damaged from injuries like accidents, surgery and burns among others. The goal is to stimulate damaged nerves involved in the body’s natural pain-relief pathways, helping alleviate pain at the source rather than trying to mask it as most other neuromodulatory and pharmacological methods do. The device received FDA 510(k) clearance, allowing for marketing of the system before its final approval.The team also discussed AstraZeneca’s legal troubles and how it won in the latest hearing of a lawsuit launched by the European Commission over failure to deliver on the promised number of doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to the EU. The Commission filed the lawsuit against the drugmaker in April over not only failing to meet promised vaccine targets, but also over not making use of all its manufacturing plants as outlined in the contract. A Brussels court found that it does not have exclusivity or right of priority over contracting parties, and also dismissed other measures being sought by the Commission. The group talked about how almost every company with a COVID-19 vaccine has had manufacturing delays and difficulties in meeting global demands in this unprecedented crisis.Read the full articles here: NeuraLace’s Peripheral Nerve Stimulation System Wins FDA Clearance for Chronic Pain AstraZeneca Prevails in EU COVID-19 Vaccine Lawsuit For more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social MediaTwitter: @Xtalks Instagram: @Xtalks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

In this episode, Ayesha discusses the results of a recent study that show Amazon’s Halo app can accurately estimate body fat percentage with results comparable to traditional DXA testing. The app has built-in AI algorithms that analyze images taken from a user’s smartphone, which are used to build a 3D model of the body and generate an estimate of body fat percentage within seconds. The app is easy to use and offers users the convenience of assessing their body fat composition from the comfort of their homes, instead of having to go to a clinic and wait for several days or weeks for results. The team also talked about Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19 that has been shown to reduce the risk of deaths by 20 percent among hospitalized COVID-19 patients in results from the UK RECOVERY trial. The treatment consists of two monoclonal antibodies that target the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. The team discussed how it is still important to research effective treatments for COVID-19 despite having vaccines because of circulating variants, and the potential for new ones, as well as continuing high case numbers in some countries. Moreover, continuing to develop new technologies and treatments will be beneficial for other current and future infectious diseases.Read the full articles here:Study Shows Amazon’s AI-Powered Halo App Can Accurately Assess Body Fat PercentageRegeneron’s COVID-19 Monoclonal Antibody Treatment First to Reduce Risk of Death in Hospitalized PatientsFor more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social MediaTwitter: @Xtalks Instagram: @Xtalks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

In this episode, Ayesha talks about a new digital fabric fiber developed by MIT researchers. The fiber contains temperature sensors and memory devices that can sense, record, analyze and store digital health data. The polymeric fiber was designed with hundreds of microscale digital chips embedded into it and can be sewn into fabrics using a needle. Using AI approaches, the digital fiber can analyze temperature recordings and infer a user’s activity. It has the capacity to record and store all types of digital data, including movies and music, creating exciting possibilities for digital data capture, analysis, storage and sharing.  The team also discussed the FDA’s recent authorization of Amazon’s direct-to-consumer (DTC) COVID-19 test. The PCR-based test can be bought online through Amazon without the need of a prescription. The test involves self-collection of nasal swab samples with the option of sample pooling. Consumers mail in the samples to Amazon, which are processed at laboratories the company set up for routine testing of its employees. Not only is the test a part of Amazon’s continuing COVID-19 pandemic efforts, but it is also a part of the company’s larger forays into health care, as the online retail giant recently launched Amazon Care, a virtual-first health care platform.Read the full articles here:MIT Researchers Develop World’s First Digital Fabric That Can Measure and Store Health DataAmazon Gets Green Light from FDA to Sell COVID-19 Tests Directly to ConsumersFor more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social MediaTwitter: @Xtalks Instagram: @Xtalks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

In this episode, Ayesha talks about new research from Australia showing that eating fruit could lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Researchers at the Edith Cowan University’s (ECU) Institute for Nutrition Research in Perth, Australia found that consuming at least two servings of fruit a day was linked to an over one third lower odds of developing the disease. The same benefit was not seen for drinking fruit juice. This isn’t the first study that has found a link between fruit intake and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Fruit is loaded with fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that likely work together to offer significant health benefits.The group also discussed Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing partnerships, including its latest deal with South Korea’s Samsung Biologics. As Moderna’s first authorized product, the company doesn’t have the manufacturing capacities to produce enough doses of its COVID-19 mRNA vaccine to meet global demands. Given this, CDMOs like Lonza and Catalent partnered early on with Moderna to manufacture millions of doses of the vaccine. And now with more manufacturing deals, Moderna has ambitiously pledged to produce up to 1 billion doses of its vaccine this year, and 3 billion by 2022. Read the full articles here:Can Fruit Lower the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes?Moderna Strikes Manufacturing Deal with Samsung Biologics for COVID-19 Vaccine ProductionFor more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social MediaTwitter: @Xtalks Instagram: @Xtalks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

In this episode, Ayesha talks about Google’s new AI-based dermatology tool designed to help people identify and research conditions of the skin, hair and nails. The tool involves downloading an app on your phone and using its camera to take images of the affected area(s). These images, along with information about things like symptoms and skin type, are used to offer a list of possible matching conditions by linking to a database of 288 conditions that includes verified, peer-reviewed information. The tool is set to be piloted this year. While not a diagnostic tool, the team discussed how it could help users get more reliable and targeted information about skin conditions compared to a random internet search, which could help relieve some anxiety until they see a doctor.The group also discussed the WHO’s calls for renewed investigations into the origins of the COVID-19-causing SARS-CoV-2 virus. The calls come after a recent US Intelligence report identified three researchers at a virology institute studying bat coronaviruses in Wuhan, China who became sick and were hospitalized in November 2019. This has led to speculation that the novel coronavirus may have been accidentally released through a lab leak. Details of the intelligence report has prompted the WHO and other world leaders to call for an investigation into the lab leak origin theory, which is causing divides politically and within the scientific community. The team talked about how the meddling of politics in science continues to be harmful during the pandemic.Read the full articles here:Google Launches AI-Based Dermatology Assist ToolWHO Calls for Probe into SARS-CoV-2 Origins as Lab Leak Theories IntensifyFor more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social MediaTwitter: @Xtalks Instagram: @Xtalks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

In this episode, Ayesha talks about Clinical Trials Day 2021 and how the COVID-19 pandemic spurred changes in trial procedures and perceptions of clinical research. At the onset of the pandemic, many clinical trial sites had to be shut down, prompting trial sponsors and practitioners to move to remote, decentralized clinical trial models. Researchers had to adapt quickly to minimize trial disruptions. Xtalks spoke to experts in the field who say decentralized and hybrid trials are here to stay even after the pandemic, as they can improve the patient experience and incorporate modern digital technologies for enhanced data collection and data sharing. The group also discussed AbbVie’s latest legal troubles over Humira, the world’s best-selling drug, with claims of patent abuses and price hikes by the company that were confirmed in a recent congressional probe. Through these strategies, AbbVie has created a monopoly over Humira to block biosimilars of the drug from entering the market. These unethical practices may deprive patients access to cheaper Humira alternatives that are just as effective. The team discussed how loopholes in US patent laws allow for such problematic exploitation and manipulation.Read the full articles here:AbbVie in Hot Water Over Patent Abuses and Price Hikes to Block Humira Biosimilar CompetitionClinical Trials Day 2021: Reflecting on a Challenging Year That’s Made the Industry StrongerFor more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social MediaTwitter: @Xtalks Instagram: @Xtalks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

In this episode, Ayesha discusses the latest trends in pharma tv ad spending, including the top spenders last week. The pandemic has led to a rise in both TV watching and health awareness, which pharma companies took advantage of by increasing spending on TV commercials by about 17 percent overall. Last week, three of the top ten TV ads by expenditure were from pharma, which included GLP-1 diabetes drugs Rybelsus and Trulicty and the anti-inflammatory Dupixent for treating eczema. The group also talked about a new AI algorithm developed by researchers at the Mayo Clinic that can help increase the identification and diagnosis of cases of low ejection fraction. Low ejection fraction is often asymptomatic in early stages and hence goes underdiagnosed in many instances. The new AI algorithm is integrated into routine electrocardiograms (ECG), which are fast and readily accessible but cannot diagnose the condition on their own. The team discussed the promise of integrating AI approaches into existing medical tools and technologies to facilitate enhanced diagnoses and treatments.Read the full articles here:Pharma TV Ad Spending Trends: Companies in the Top Ten this WeekHow a New AI Algorithm Could Help in the Early Detection of Heart DiseaseFor more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social MediaTwitter: @Xtalks Instagram: @Xtalks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

In this episode, Ayesha discusses a new tool that uses CRISPR to modulate gene expression without editing DNA sequences. Dubbed “CRISPRoff,” the technology targets the epigenome to silence genes involved in diseases, with applications in cancer, AML and other conditions with a heritable component. The team debates the ethical considerations around epigenetic therapies and genome editing, and how scientific communications should be improved to help educate the public on complex medical breakthrough.Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, the team also talks about the prevalence of ADHD in preschool-aged children, with Ayesha presenting the results of a study that investigated the effects of medication in this patient population. They explore the difficulties in diagnosing hyperactivity in an age group when kids are known for their changeable behaviour, and how casual use of the label “ADHD” may be damaging to families who are actually dealing with the condition.Read the full articles here:Epigenetic Editing with CRISPR Might Be Easier Than We ThoughtNew Study Looks at Effects of ADHD Drugs in PreschoolersFor more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social MediaTwitter: @Xtalks Instagram: @Xtalks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured