INTERVIEWS

Schizophrenia is a serious and complex mental illness that left untreated can disrupt a person’s relationships, physical health, and plans for the future – and it may even lead to repeated cycles of crisis with recurrent episodes. There is hope for people who have schizophrenia to lead a normal life with the right support and treatment. Here to discuss schizophrenia and the importance of managing it is Jonathan Llamas, a certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and Doctor of Nursing Practice.  

Mark McDonough, CEO of ChromaCode, a molecular diagnostics company, discusses how ChromaCode  technology provides a cost-effective, rapid, and accurate method of testing  clinically actionable biomarkers. He also talks about the partnership with MedGenome to bring affordable diagnostics to India and the middle east.

Amelia Korangy, Director of External Affairs Strategy and Programs at ViiV Healthcare – the only pharmaceutical company solely focused on HIV, discusses ViiV’s investment in HIV prevention for Black women. ViiV’s Risk to Reasons initiative, which includes community grants and resources, recently launched free online activity books to help change the HIV prevention narrative for Black women. The series of three activity books, developed in partnership with Black women advocates across the country will help women with reasons for prevention guide conversations with themselves, their partners and their healthcare professionals. ViiV’s community liaisons are partnering with Risk to Reasons grantees and other community organizations across the country to use these activity books and normalize conversations about HIV prevention and sexual health.

Dr. Steve Marcus, CEO of Cantex Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on developing transformative therapies for cancer and other life-threatening medical conditions for which new treatments are urgently needed discusses 2 clinical trials for azeliragon, an orally active, small molecule, antagonist of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGEs) in various cancers.

Greg Pierce, SVP and GM of Specialty, Health & Wellness at Synchrony, a financial services company, discusses the over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids ruling, ways to find and pay an audiologist who can ensure the patient has the right hearing aid for their needs, and how consumers can utilize Synchrony’s network of 260,000 providers (and their 90-year expertise in financing) to ease the path they’ll take in receiving the hearing care they need.

The U.S. federal government designated May 11, 2023, as the official end of the COVID-19 health emergency​ in the U.S. But the virus is still active and the leading cause of death in the U.S. among the elderly and immunocompromised, so, it’s important to take precautions like getting vaccinated and masking…especially if you have a compromised immune system. Here to talk about the realities of navigating post-pandemic life is returning guest Dr. Dorry Segev, Director at NYU Center for Surgical and Transplant Research along with advocate and caregiver Tracy Shaw, Board Chair, Immune Deficiency Foundation (IDF).

Amy Meyer, Manager of Primate Experimentation Campaigns for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) discusses what is happening to animals inside taxpayer-funded laboratories and the public records PETA sued to obtain and why.

Returning guest, Dr. Douglas Rex, MD, Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Indiana University School of Medicine and a full-time clinical gastroenterologist at Indiana University Hospitals discusses colorectal cancer (CRC), how it is rising in younger adults and underserved communities, and the importance of CRC screenings that are recommended for anyone 45 and older. CRC has a 90% survival rate if detected early, so routine colonoscopies are a must.

Dr. Elizabeth Garner, MD, Chief Scientific Officer for Ferring Pharmaceuticals discusses C. difficile infection as a major health threat, its current standard of care, the reason for the recurrence of this contagious, serious, and sometimes life-threatening disease, and a novel FDA-approved treatment that prevents recurrent C. difficile infection in a unique way involving the gut microbiome.

Dr. Aaron King, Family Medicine and Diabetes Specialist at MedFirst Primary Care, a Baptist Medical Center affiliate, discusses the recent FDA approval of a label update for Novo Nordisk’s RYBELSUS ® (semaglutide) as a first-line option for adults living with type 2 diabetes. He is joined by Beto who is living with type 2 diabetes and shares his experience with being prescribed RYBELSUS ® to manage his condition, along with diet and exercise.