INTERVIEWS

Michael Dunne, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute (MRI) discusses the research they are doing in the area of tuberculosis, a world-leading killer – and one that hasn’t had a new vaccine option in more than 100 years. He also talks about how Gates MRI is adding a much-needed dimension to medical research to help ensure science is supporting people from ALL walks of life around the globe.

Leanne Donaldson, a psoriatic arthritis patient and advocate discusses her daily life and being a caregiver to her 10-year-old daughter who is living with pediatric psoriatic arthritis. She also talks about the importance of additional treatment options for patients and their families. 

Dr. Priya Prahalad, MD, a pediatric endocrinologist at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health and Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University, discusses how a technology-enabled approach to type 1 diabetes (T1D) – inclusive of onset education, target setting, continuous glucose monitoring, and remote data review – helps decrease HbA1c levels in youth and supports data dashboards that can allow medical teams to quickly identify which patients are in need of additional help, education or guidance.

Jason Matuszewski, CEO, and Andrew Van Vurst, COO of BioStem Technologies discuss the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of structural tissue allografts derived from perinatal tissues intended for homologous use as a protective covering for soft tissue wounds. By applying the latest research in regenerative medicine, BioStem Technologies has developed BioRetain ®, a unique and proprietary technology for processing and producing advanced tissue allografts. Based on this approach the company has developed three perinatal tissue allograft products for wound care: VENDAJE ®, VENDAJE AC ®, and VENDAJE OPTIC ®. 

Dr. Nagesh Mahanthappa, Ph.D.​, MBA​, Founder and ​Interim ​CEO of Scholar Rock, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company discusses spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and the positive Phase 2 TOPAZ trial extension data on apitegromab for non-ambulatory patients with types 2 and 3 SMA. He talks about the Phase 3 SAPPHIRE clinical trial now enrolling in the US and Europe across 55 sites evaluating apitegromab; and the real-world data on patient treatment benefits of apitegromab and its impact on quality of life, such as social and daily living activity.​ 

Dr. Isaac Turner, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Curative, a next-generation healthcare company that pivoted to COVID testing in March 2020, talks about the predicament we’re in with COVID still on the rise with fewer people testing and the challenge of accessing reliable, real-time COVID data. Isaac talks about why testing is still relevant and just as important as it was in March 2020 and why testing needs to become part of our “new normal” as we enter the next phase of the virus. 

Returning guest, Brian Culley, CEO of Lineage Cell Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, discusses the latest clinical advancements with the company’s lead cell therapy program for Dry Age-related Macular Degeneration, as well as its spinal cord injury and non-small cell lung cancer programs. He also talks about how Lineage continues to advance treatments using its proprietary technology including two brand new clinical programs in place for the treatment of diseases which may lead to blindness and hearing loss. 

Alexander Roediger, Global Lead Oncology Policy at Merck & Co, Inc. and MSD discusses the current disease burden of lung cancer and the current landscape for lung cancer screening programs around the world. He also shares findings from his research that were presented at the IASLC 2022 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC).

Dr. Libby Copeland-Halperin, a diplomate of the American Board of Surgery and a candidate member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons discusses a new study that shows breast cancer patients who received silicone implants face challenges in following important FDA recommendations. According to the research, only a small number of the respondents (5.9%) had undergone an MRI screening in accordance with the FDA Recommendations. She talks about access/barriers to care, the importance of screening, and why insurance companies should cover the cost.

Jorge DiMartino, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer and Executive VP of Clinical Development at Kronos Bio, discusses the company’s three investigational compounds being advanced for patients with cancer. The company’s investigational therapies target dysregulated transcription, which is a hallmark of cancer and other serious diseases.