INTERVIEWS

President Biden recently announced a multi-faceted cancer pledge with the goal of reducing mortality from the disease by 50 percent during the next 25 years. Dr. Milan Radovich, Senior Vice President and Chief Precision Medicine Officer at Caris Life Sciences ® discusses precision medicine and why some treatments work well in some patients and not others with the same diagnosis. He talks about the lack of strategies to develop treatments for some cancers and not targeting the right treatments to the right patients; how to apply comprehensive molecular and clinical insights to help identify effective therapies; and why innovations such as liquid (blood) biopsy are charting the future of early disease detection and diagnosis. 

Dr. Emily Paul, ​a molecular biologist with a specialty in genetics and ​Product Director for SOHPiA GENETICS DDMTM discusses processing thousands of genomic profiles for diseases, such as cancer and inherited disorders, where combining genomic and phenotypic information is vital to support discoveries, treatment decisions, and drug development efforts. She talks about how researchers and HCPs can work together by sharing and leveraging patterns identified via AI and machine learning, which improves as it analyzes more data over time.​ 

Dr. Terence Rooney, Vice President, Rheumatology & Maternal-Fetal Immunology Disease Area Leader at Janssen discusses Janssen’s announcement of a comprehensive Network Meta-Analysis (NMA) at Maui Dermatology which concluded that TREMFYA ® (guselkumab) ranked highest for the overall level of skin clearance and showed positive joint efficacy among all advanced therapies approved for the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis (PsA). He talks about what this new data means for patients and why understanding the landscape of treatment options in active PsA is important for physicians making decisions about patient care. 

Craig Parker, President and CEO of Surrozen, a biotechnology company discusses how the company is discovering and developing drug candidates to selectively modulate the Wnt (Wingless/Integrated) pathway. He talks about the tissue-specific antibodies designed to engage the body’s existing biological repair mechanisms with potential application across multiple disease areas, including inflammatory bowel disease, hepatitis, eye diseases, hearing loss, lung and airway diseases, and certain neurological disorders. He also shares some of the company’s key milestones for 2022. 

Jeff Bova, Chief Commercial Officer at UroGen Pharma discusses the launch of their first FDA-approved treatment, the only non-surgical option for patients with low-grade upper tract urothelial carcinoma, or LG-UTUC. This is the first of UroGen medicines to demonstrate an industry-leading move towards more innovative, non-surgical options for patients.  He shares UroGen’s vision to fundamentally change the treatment model for some of the most devastating cancers by delivering better medicines to patients in ways never done before.

It’s a fact that while most seniors claim that they would prefer to age in their own homes, living alone can lead to loneliness, depression, and anxiety. Our seniors account for more than a quarter of the population, and it’s up to all of us, especially family members, to ensure that they are well cared for and living their best golden years.

Depression and loneliness in seniors are real problems. Many seniors that live alone have gone through the devastating loss of their spouses and dealing with family members that have moved away from the area. This leaves many seniors on their own most of the time and in desperate need of companionship and purpose.

As we age, our circle of family and friends often shrinks, leaving us fewer opportunities to connect with the ones that we love. Finding purposeful activities that can help seniors to maintain an active social life, like keeping a weekly appointment at a favorite salon like Lux Hair Lounge, is essential. Let’s take a closer look at a few ways we can help seniors fight loneliness.

Regular Appointments

Having a consistent schedule of appointments to look forward to can be helpful in keeping seniors feeling purposeful. Adding regular meetings, classes, hair appointments, or gathering with friends to a weekly calendar can help seniors to set goals and plan their time with enthusiasm.

Mentoring

The wisdom and experience of our seniors are not something that we should take for granted. Our seniors have a vast amount of knowledge and skills that can be usefully passed on to the next generation. Many seniors are willing to share their expertise through mentoring programs. Sharing knowledge or training doesn’t have to take on a formal arrangement to be a healthy outlet for seniors. Whether seniors want to volunteer to share their skills or simply pass on their knowledge to a junior family member, becoming a mentor can be very satisfying for everyone involved.

Volunteering

Seniors have time to give to others. One of the best ways for seniors to connect with others and feel useful is by volunteering their time and effort on behalf of others. Countless organizations are always looking for volunteers. Setting up a volunteering schedule for your senior family members can help them stay motivated, give them a chance to connect regularly with others, and give them time to help others.

Education

You are never too old to learn something new. Seniors have plenty of time to dedicate to learning and expanding their education. Educational institutes have special tuition rates and class arrangements for senior students who wish to broaden their education.

Community

Most towns have a community center with programs that are specifically designed for seniors. Daily and weekly programs are an excellent way for seniors to gather with their friends, learn something new, and stay connected to their community. Talk to your community center about their senior program schedule.

Isolation and loneliness are real problems that are facing our seniors. Follow some of these tips to help your family seniors stay connected, engaged, and happy.

Joe Landolina is CEO and co-founder of Cresilon, a Brooklyn-based biotechnology company that develops, manufactures, and markets hemostatic medical devices utilizing the company’s proprietary gel technology. The company’s technology has revolutionized the current standard of care in hemostasis and wound treatment with product lines targeting both the human and animal health markets. Cresilon’s mission is to save lives.

Dr. Hamid Khoja, Chief Scientific Officer at FibroBiologics, a regenerative medicine company developing treatment for chronic diseases using fibroblasts, talks about what fibroblasts are and how it could replace stem cell technology.  The company’s indication of focus is multiple sclerosis and their fibroblast technology has demonstrated the ability to remyelinate nerve cells in pre-clinical studies. Small human efficacy studies have thus far demonstrated that treatment with fibroblasts helps improve the cognition and finger dexterity of MS patients. 

Anthony “Sully” Sullivan has made a living selling products first at county fairs and then on television as the “OxiClean Guy” and more, but his life took a detour from his television career when his daughter was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder and needed an alternative to prescription medication which robbed her of her personality. MONTKUSH was born out of Sully’s want and need to find alternatives to drugs for his young daughter. He has learned how to farm CBD and CBDA, the non-intoxicating chemical in the cannabis plant and MONTKUSH has received both USDA organic certification and Vermont’s organic certification. Sully began administering CBD for his daughter’s symptoms and her seizures are under control. Her weight and personality came back. He also talks about the Oregon State University study (January 2022) noting “CBDA and CBGA blocked the action of emerging variants of the virus that causes Covid-19.” Sully, in essence, has accidentally stumbled upon a natural remedy for COVID-19 with the CBDA produced at MONTKUSH. While others use high heat, chemicals, and solvents that can destroy the CBDA, MONTKUSH uses only warmth and pressure and works in concert with nature to get the best CBDA.

Everett Knight, Executive Vice President for Corporate Development and Capital Markets for The Valens Company discusses the latest developments in analytical testing, product development, manufacturing, and distribution of cannabis products. He talks about identifying the cleanest methods of cannabis ingestion, tailoring the cannabis extraction process, and what to expect from the cannabis industry in 2022.