Xtalks Life Science Podcast

Undiagnosed and untreated sleep apnea can have serious health consequences such as increased risk of heart disease, stroke and obesity. Conventional sleep apnea testing involves invasive, cumbersome equipment and an overnight stay at a hospital or sleep clinic. However, a new sleep apnea test device developed by Belgian start-up Sunrise may soon change that. Listen to this episode to find out about a new lightweight, wireless, AI-powered device sleep apnea testing device that can be administered in the comfort of your own home.In this episode, Ayesha also looks at another new innovative medical device designed to facilitate rehabilitation in stroke patients with upper limb motor deficits. Neurolutions’ IpsiHand System is a brain-computer interface (BCI) system that consists of a robotic hand brace, a headset with EEG electrodes and a tablet computer that translates brain activity into physical movement. The team discusses the promise and power of BCI applications for the treatment of neurological conditions, including the hype around Elon Musk’s latest brainchild (no pun intended!) Neuralink and its new brain chip technology.  Read the full articles here:How Sunrise’s Sleep Apnea Test Could Be A Game Changer For At-Home Testing How IpsiHand Can Help Stroke Patients Regain Movement through Neurological RehabilitationFor 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

Stories about the development of COVID-19 vaccines have dominated the news for months, but a huge breakthrough in the prevention of another infectious disease has just been announced. Listen to this episode to learn about a new malaria vaccine developed by researchers at the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford that is 77 percent effective at blocking the parasite.In this episode, Ayesha also shares the results of a study that gives parents another reason to limit their kids’ sugar intake. Research involving rats has identified a mechanistic link between high sugar consumption and impaired learning and memory later in life that involves a specific genus of gut bacteria. The team discusses the challenges of regulating added sugar in processed foods, and the applicability of animal models in understanding human development. Read the full articles here:Malaria Vaccine a Breakthrough Success with 77 Percent Efficacy How Sugar May Impair Brain Development in ChildrenFor 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

More cases of blood clots in those vaccinated against COVID-19 — this time in six women who took the J&J shot — has US regulators recommending that vaccination efforts be paused. In this episode of the Xtalks Life Science podcast, Ayesha discusses the type of thrombotic events reported in these patients, and the team explores whether the benefits of getting vaccinated outweigh the risks of getting COVID-19, and suffering infection-associated thrombosis. Also in this episode, Ayesha talks about the approval of the first non-surgical option for patients with severe pulmonary valve regurgitation, a system developed by medical technology veteran Medtronic, called the Harmony Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve. The team debates the ethical and religious considerations of using pig tissue in heart valves.Read the full articles here:First Non-Surgical Heart Valve Wins FDA Approval for Severe Pulmonary Valve RegurgitationUS Regulators Recommend Pause on J&J’s COVID-19 Vaccine, But Just as a PrecautionFor 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

FDA-mandated clinical holds, strategic partnership breakups and $800 million biotech acquisitions. In this episode of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, Sarah revisits two Parkinson’s biotech companies — Prevail Therapeutics and Voyager Therapeutics — to see what progress they’ve made in their gene therapy clinical development programs since April 2019. She shares how well the firms have weathered the COVID-19 pandemic, and the team discusses the outlook for the drug development industry in general.Also in this episode, Ayesha explores the link between Parkinson’s disease and melanoma, and how gene therapies could target both. The team discusses the disconnect between basic, academic research and applied research in industry, and how funding is at the heart of the problem.Read the full articles here:6 Parkinson’s Biotech Companies: Where Are They in 2021?Parkinson’s and Melanoma Share an Amyloid Link, Says New ResearchFor 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 of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, Ayesha discusses a report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) and Anti-Vax Watch that shows there are just 12 people behind 65 percent of all online anti-vaccine disinformation. While social media operators such as Facebook and Twitter had vowed to remove vaccine disinformation from their platforms, the disinformation dozen are still active and well on the sites. How can online misinformation be better combatted and are stricter actions on the part of social media networks needed? Ayesha also talks about the latest clinical trial results for Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine. New data shows that the vaccine is safe and effective in children, performs extremely well against some of the new variants and vaccine-generated immune responses last for up to six months. While the new data is exciting and can help build greater confidence in the vaccine, can there be such a thing as too much information, and too fast, especially since data around the vaccines is evolving so quickly?Read the full articles here:Disinformation Dozen: The Anti-Vaxxers Behind Most Social Media MisinformationPfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Results: Stellar, Long-Ranging Efficacies in Children and Against VariantsFor more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social MediaTwitter: @Xtalks, @XtalksMedDevice 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 of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, Ayesha discusses the results of a new NIH study that suggest a link between moderate caffeine consumption during pregnancy and lower birth weight and reduced body size. Should pregnant women avoid caffeine altogether, or is this yet another restriction placed on expectant mothers that might not be necessary? Ayesha also talks about a new medical device that could help improve gait and balance in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The portable neuromodulation stimulator developed by Helius Medical Technologies helped those with MS achieve a significant improvement in balance in a small trial conducted by the FDA, but will the device’s unique mouthpiece design limit its use?Read the full articles here:New Study Suggests Pregnant Women Should Avoid Caffeine Altogether. Here’s WhyPortable Neuromodulation Stimulator Gets FDA Authorization for MS TreatmentFor more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social MediaTwitter: @Xtalks, @XtalksMedDeviceInstagram: @XtalksFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferencesYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

This podcast was recorded on March 15, 2021In Episode 3 of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, the team reflects on the 1-year anniversary of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ayesha explains how far we’ve come since March 2020 in terms of vaccine development, but discusses the inequities in distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines despite the establishment of the WHO’s COVAX Facility.Ayesha also discusses the four largest cancer biotech acquisitions of 2021 so far, including deals made by Agilent, Takeda and Amgen. The team discusses the potential benefits of these acquisitions and shares results of a study that found that innovation can sometimes be stalled when smaller biotech firms are absorbed by big pharmas.Read the full articles here:Reflections on the 1-Year Anniversary of the COVID-19 PandemicThe 4 Biggest Cancer Biotech Acquisitions of 2021 So FarFor more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social Media Twitter: @Xtalks, @XtalksMedDeviceInstagram: @XtalksFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferencesYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

This podcast was recorded on March 2, 2021With a number of COVID-19 vaccines now being authorized for use, how do we decide which is the best? Using data from COVID-19 vaccine trials from Pfizer/BioNTech, Oxford/AstraZeneca, Moderna and J&J, Ayesha explains why vaccine efficacies can't be directly compared — and why vaccine messaging needs to reflect this. Listen to Episode 2 of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast to hear about Mira's experience with getting vaccinated in the UAE, and why "COVID-19 vaccine shopping" should be discouraged.Read the full article here:COVID-19 Vaccine Messaging: Why Vaccine Efficacies Can’t Be Compared and ShoppedFor more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social MediaTwitter: @Xtalks, @XtalksMedDeviceInstagram: @XtalksFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferencesYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

This podcast was recorded on February 23rd, 2021In Episode 1 of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, Sarah discusses a new condition called “Mask-Associated Dry Eye” and Ayesha talks about Droplet Micron, an innovative insulin needle. Tune into this episode to hear a clip from Sarah’s interview with Dr. Richard Hom, optometric director at Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, who talks about the impact of prolonged screen time on eye health. And hear from Anu Rajora, director of medical marketing at HTL-STREFA, the company behind the innovative Droplet Micron insulin needle, who explains why technology needs to make it easier for patients to adhere to medication schedules.Read the full articles here:Why Mask-Associated Dry Eye Won’t Necessarily Boost Restasis SalesPatient Centricity in Insulin Delivery: Improving the Injection Experience with Droplet MicronFor more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social MediaTwitter: @Xtalks, @XtalksMedDeviceInstagram: @XtalksFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferencesYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured