Empowered Patient Podcast

Sufian Chowdhury, CEO of Kinetik, highlights how the non-emergency medical transportation industry, which has about 20,000 local transportation providers and over 400,000 drivers, plays a pivotal role in the healthcare continuum. Kinetik is bringing digital tools to this environment to provide scheduling and real-time information to an industry that currently relies on the phone. The goal is to make the system more efficient, reduce waiting times for patients and drivers, and ensure that drivers get paid promptly for these rides Medicaid covers. Sufian explains, "These are pre-planned rides. This industry is non-digital. You have to liken the state of this industry to what the taxi industry was in the '90s. It's a lot of telephonic communication. Not a lot of these transport companies are using technology. Because of that, the scheduling becomes very cumbersome, and some members have to request these rides three or four days in advance, not by choice but just because of the broken structure of this industry.

Piotr Orzechowski, CEO of Infermedica, works with health insurance companies, technology partners, public payers, and ministries of health to provide digital care navigation tools that enhance the patient experience with a healthcare provider. The highlight is the development of digital front door technology to support patients in finding appropriate care. Using an AI-powered care interface, symptoms can be evaluated, questions answered, and guidance offered for care options, including self-care at home. When appropriate, AI-based decision support tools guide nurses through phone conversations to triage and determine immediate actions that should be taken. Piotr explains, "We have developed a clinically validated symptom-checking tool powered by AI. I will explain it in a second. But most importantly, it's curated by a team of 50 physicians. So, every single day, our group of doctors performs different tasks related to clinical validation and content updates, and using this content, we create probabilistic mo

Dr. Oren Cohen, President of Clinical Pharmacology and Chief Medical Officer at Fortrea, a global CRO spun-off from Labcorp, discusses the contract research environment and how it continues to change to meet the need for increased productivity in the development and testing of new drugs, devices, and treatments. One key goal is to work in close partnership with clients to include the patient's voice in trial design to increase diversity, drive recruitment, and improve retention.   Oren explains, "I think with all the pressure the industry is under productivity pressure, that's changed massively. It's a very heavy responsibility because we are entrusted with developing very precious intellectual property that represents the next generation of therapeutics for patients affected by all the diseases out there, from rare diseases to cancer to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. It's a very exciting time. I think the science is moving very quickly, and we have the good fortune to be working on some very p

Dr. Will Chou, President and CEO of Passage Bio, is developing gene therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, with their lead product being PBFTO2, an AAV gene therapy for a specific genetic variant of frontotemporal dementia. They are also exploring the potential of raising progranulin levels to help patients with other neurodegenerative diseases. Passage Bio's gene therapy, utilizing AAV as the vector, is delivered through an ICM injection into the cisterna magna, bypassing the blood-brain barrier. Will explains, "What we're doing is a little unique. We are starting in the normal way gene therapies approach this, which is we have a patient population with a specific genetic deficiency. They have frontotemporal dementia caused by a mutation in the granulin gene, in the GRN gene, which means they are deficient in creating a protein called progranulin. Our gene therapy product replaces that progranulin, and by replacing what they don't have enough of, we hope to stop the neurodegenerative decline from this dis

Ben Zimmer, CEO of Priovant Therapeutics, focuses on developing therapies for rare autoimmune diseases specifically dermatomyositis, which affects the skin, muscles, and organs, and non-infectious uveitis, a severe ocular inflammatory condition. While these conditions are symptomatically different, mechanistically, they have features in common related to the underlying pathology of the diseases. The drug in development is an oral once-daily therapy that addresses the inflammatory conditions and cytokines driving the pathology. Ben explains, "During COVID, there was a lot of talk about the cytokine storm and these are molecules involved in immune cell signaling. So, they're basically ways that different types of immune cells signal to each other to do different things. There's a large variety of different cytokines and some autoimmune diseases. There are only maybe one or two cytokines or a small number that are driving the pathology of the disease."   "Both dermatomyositis and non-infectious uveitis are high

David Nichols, CEO of Orthobond aims to address the unmet need of medical device infection and contamination due to bacteria preventing devices from bonding to the bone or tissue. Orthobond's solution is the Ostaguard technology, which uses a molecule with a positive charge to attract and rupture bacteria. The technology is effective against common strains of bacteria and is primarily needed in the operating room, where medical devices can be exposed to bacteria before being implanted. This mechanical approach to fighting bacteria does not require a drug that can potentially create a superbug.  David explains, "Our bodies have great immune systems, and normally, it takes tens of millions of bacteria to cause an infection. However, numerous studies show that in the presence of an implant, a hip or a knee, or a pacemaker, it could take as few as 200 bacteria to cause an infection. When an implant goes in the body, it seems to overwhelm the immune system and can't eradicate that bacteria from your body. It takes

Anupam Girdhar, CEO of medical and life sciences at Ascential Technologies, provides contract manufacturing services primarily to Fortune 100 companies, focusing on solving the most complex drug development and manufacturing challenges. By aligning with customers early on to understand the scope and risks of a project, Ascential can save time and money when bringing drugs and medical devices to market. At the same time, Anupam reminds us that innovation and inefficiency are part of the process for those trying to explore the unknown. Anupam explains, "This is where I enjoy some of the interactions we have with our customers, because if you think about fundamentally what the industry is trying to do, it is about democratizing care to the patients. We are all in the business of serving them and improving patients' lives. A lot of these challenges that we encounter are mostly in the areas of, how do we provide access to more and more patients, as well as, how do we lower the cost fundamentally for both the comp

Dr. Abu Abraham, Chief Medical Officer at Cloudbreak Pharma,  discusses the disease burden and gaps in care for patients with Pterygium, also known as Surfer's eye. Pterygium is an ocular surface disorder that creates a growth on the eye's surface that can cause vision problems. The condition is more prevalent in individuals over 40, but it can also affect younger populations exposed to risk factors from spending time outside in the sun and being exposed to UV light. Cloudbreak Pharma is developing CBT-001, an investigational therapy, a multi-kinase inhibitor administered as an eye drop that aims to stop the progression of Pterygium. Abu explains, "Pterygium is a relatively common condition. It's an ocular surface disorder. It's a growth. The word Pterygium derives from the Greek pteryx, which means wedge-shaped. This growth is also a wedge shape that grows from the mucous membrane that overlies the white portion of a person's eye and grows in the direction of the cornea. The cornea itself is a curved structu

Fadi Micaelian, CEO of Sparkdit, teaches machines to think like humans by understanding trade-offs. AI is not good at finding nuance and capturing trade-offs, which is where Sparkdit comes in. They have developed a technology that can teach computers to make trade-offs like humans and put humans at the center of the technology rather than replacing them. Incorporating AI into patient-centered decision formats can revolutionize healthcare, improve the way doctors interact with patients, and address issues like ageism, sexism, and racism. Fadi explains, "We have been working in AI for years. And AI is magnificent when the data is in abundance. However, we felt that AI fell short in a series of areas, and the main one is to teach machines to think like humans. Because AI, at the end of the day, does not think like humans. AI thinks like neurons. But we humans think very differently. Our thinking is universal. Whether you are an Eskimo, or you are in Paris, or you are in Russia, or whether you're in South Afric

Sofia Elizondo, COO and Co-Founder of Brightseed, discusses the company's focus on bioactives and their potential to improve health outcomes. Bioactives are small molecules found in nature, such as plants, fungi, or bacteria, that activate human biological receptors and positively affect the body. Brightseed uses its AI platform, Forager, to identify and commercialize these bioactive compounds in foods, supplements, and over-the-counter medicine. As part of the food is medicine movement, Brightseed's goal is to make these superfoods more accessible to a broader population.   Sofia explains, "To bring us back to the source, caffeine is a small molecule. It's a natural chemical that a seed produces. And so we take these coffee seeds, grind them up, and then extract the caffeine and other tasty flavors with water every morning." "When we take a sip of our coffee, it's actually very well understood what happens with caffeine. We absorb it in our stomach lining. The caffeine molecule goes into our bloodstream, g

Luke Piggott, principal scientist at Debiopharm, has a unique business model in the drug discovery and development to commercialization landscape. Focusing on rare cancers, they license drugs from smaller biotechs and conduct clinical trials before out-licensing them to larger pharmaceutical companies with marketing capabilities. The use of AI is expanding biomarker discovery and the identification of potential novel mechanisms for targeted therapies.  Novel-novel combinations are being explored to provide therapies with more selective profiles with fewer side effects. Luke explains, "Rare cancers is an interesting area. I mean, it's never an easy one to be developing in the space of rare cancers. With a business model like ours, we have the opportunity to take some of these assets that perhaps are not as, shall we say, financially attractive to investors because of the smaller market opportunity. As a privately owned company, we have the ability to develop these kinds of drugs and move them ahead with soli

Tiara Green, President of Accessia Health, provides financial assistance for copayments, physician visits, durable medical equipment, radiology testing, and travel expenses to support individuals with rare and chronic healthcare conditions who cannot afford their care. They also offer educational services to help patients navigate the healthcare system and make informed decisions about their healthcare. They are reaching out to patients through physicians, pharmacies, patient advocacy organizations, and faith-based and community-based organizations. Accessia Health aims to improve overall healthcare outcomes by using online tools to reduce emergency room visits and help patients adhere to treatment plans.   Tiara explains, "Accessia Health is a national nonprofit organization. We're a patient assistance organization that supports individuals with rare and chronic healthcare conditions. I think we all have been impacted or have been in the healthcare system to receive care, and we know that the cost of care

Roger Rivera, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner at Mente Suave Psychiatry, discusses the different types of bipolar disorder, the potential causes of the disease, available treatment options, and the importance of early detection and management. Roger emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach to care and highlights the impact of bipolar disorder on patients' lives and society as a whole. While there are currently no biological markers for bipolar disorder, ongoing research and initiatives, including the use of AI, show promise in improving diagnosis and treatment.   Roger explains, "So rather than bipolar disorder, it should probably be called bipolar disorders just because of the different manifestations that it has. One of those manifestations could be manic episodes. Manic episodes could be described as just expansive mood, inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, more targeted flight of ideas, and all these other things, which have a very strong correlation with functional impai

Punit Dhillon, Chairman and CEO of Skye Bioscience, focuses on anti-obesity and developing a drug that targets the cannabinoid receptor 1, which plays a role in signaling the body to store fat. The next generation of CB1 inhibition moves from a centrally mediated pathway to targeting CB1 receptors outside the brain. Deploying the endocannabinoid system, their lead drug candidate targets the major organs where CB1 receptors reside in fat tissue to increase mitochondrial activity and burn more fat.  Punit explains, "Skye is focused on exploring research modulating different therapeutic targets via the endocannabinoid system. Our research has narrowed in on the CB1 receptor, where we're modulating it by focusing on this pathway of inhibition. There's a big body of evidence, actually existing validation of this cannabinoid receptor 1 being a really important target to reduce caloric food intake and increase energy expenditure. It's been a really important target for weight loss because of its particular relevance

Joe Ferra, CEO of Elevation Oncology, highlights the unmet needs in gastric cancer and the potential of targeting Claudins, proteins involved in cell adhesion. The current competitive landscape of antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) confirms the promise of a targeted therapy that delivers a cytotoxic drug directly to cancer cells. Targeting Claudin 18.2 with an ADC approach offers an opportunity to treat a broader range of tumors expressing a lower level of Claudin 18.2 than those currently treated by CAR-T therapy. This approach is being investigated as a single-agent drug with promise for use in combination for gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer and esophageal cancer. Joe explains, "As you likely know, in the continuum of cancer drugs, you have chemotherapy on one end that indiscriminately kills everything it touches. On the other end, you have uber-targeted therapies looking at specific drivers of what's driving that specific tumor. In our case at Elevation Oncology, we're focused on what we like to call selec

Dr. Steve Goldberg, physician and Senior Clinical Advisor at DecisionRx, and Dr. Jamie Wilkey, pharmacist and expert on medication therapy optimization, explain that medications are the fourth leading cause of death in the country. They emphasize the need to consider genetic information and pharmacogenomics to design personalized medication plans to improve health outcomes.  The DecisionRx solution is integrated into the pharmacist's workflow to improve medication safety, reduce avoidable costs, and enhance communication with providers, pharmacists, and patients. Steven explains, "Our goal is to help people get more benefits from the medications that they use. A couple of starting facts. The US spends about $500 billion-plus a year on medication, and sadly, there are hundreds of thousands of ER visits, hospitalizations, and deaths that occur to people attributable to medications. There are a number of reasons for it, but relative to what we do, it is often triggered by people having genetics that make them

Ryne Natzke is the Chief Revenue Officer for TrustCommerce, a Sphere company that facilitates electronic payments in the healthcare industry, helping ensure security and compliance in transactions between patients and providers. Healthcare payments present unique challenges, as patients have varying preferences and are impacted by economic factors on their ability to make healthcare payments. TrustCommerce aims to make the payment process easier for patients by integrating with electronic health record systems and patient billing systems, reducing friction in healthcare payments and providing patients with more options and transparency in pricing. Ryne explains, "Some people like paying online, and some people pay in person. There are payment plans. So what we do with our technology and our partnerships with EHRs like Epic and patient billing systems is help make sure that they can facilitate those patient financial experiences across the board and have that happen within systems they're already using. So w

Dr. Andrew Dold, Co-Founder of RevMed, a B2B marketplace for hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) to address the problem of slow-moving or expiring inventory. This medical marketplace allows facilities to recoup lost revenue by listing medical devices for sale and offers purchasing options for smaller facilities. RevMed serves as a middleman, facilitating the interaction between facilities without taking custody of any items. The marketplace has an extensive database of millions of different SKUs and items, which are updated weekly. The goal of RevMed is to decrease the price of healthcare by getting as many facilities as possible to adopt the platform.  Andrew elaborates, "So, full disclosure, this problem came into light during my fellowship at NYU. I did a sports medicine fellowship a few years ago in New York City, and it simply started with me interacting with one of the representatives, the orthopedic representatives at my hospital. I wanted to get a few suture anchors to practice tying kno

Ed Esquenazi, Founder and CEO of Sirenas, is exploring the chemistry of marine organisms to accelerate drug discovery. Marine-based scientific elements are still poorly understood but have the potential to produce unique and useful compounds for drug development. There are stark differences between land-based organisms and marine-based organisms, which have evolved for much longer and, therefore, offer more diverse and complex chemistry. Using AI and machine learning, Sirenas has identified cancer-killing agents, anti-infective agents, and anti-inflammatory compounds from marine organisms and is developing marine-based personal care products.  Ed explains, "We go out into the ocean, collect samples, we bring them back. We understand the different chemistry being produced in these organisms, identify and catalog it very carefully using instrumentation, and then figure out how that chemistry might impact biological systems, all with the goal of accelerating drug discovery. So the goal is to make the chemistry f

Kim Perry, Chief Growth Officer at emtelligent, focuses on using medical AI in the prior authorization process to structure unstructured medical text in patient records, making whole record healthcare possible. AI can be used to extract relevant information from faxed or PDF medical records, saving time and improving efficiency over existing manual processes. For payers, there is potential for medical AI to address other processes such as risk adjustment, care management, quality measures, and payment integrity in an environment still lacking interoperability and reliant on highly trained humans.  Kim explains, "For prior authorization in particular, well over 50% of our prior authorizations here in this country are manual. And that means once a prior authorization is submitted for a request for a procedure or a specialty drug, it's a cue for a clinician to review. And part of that review process is to pull a patient's record." "Unfortunately, because of the lack of interoperability in the healthcare ecosyst