INTERVIEWS

Dr. Bradley Marder, a nephrologist for nearly 20 years and now Medical Director of Nephrology at Horizon Therapeutics discusses working to educate other clinicians about gout’s connection with other organs of the body, especially the kidneys.  Gout is a disease of systemic uric acid accumulation throughout the body and can contribute to the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and other comorbid conditions like hypertension and cardiovascular disease.  He is helping to ensure nephrologists are just as knowledgeable and effective at treating gout as rheumatologists.

James Coffin, PhD, President and Chief Operating Officer at Sema4, a patient-center health intelligence digital company, discusses the new ability of the company to handle up to 15,000 COVID-19 viral and 4000 antibody tests a day with 24 hour turnaround for COVID and 48 for the antibody test.  He talks about how Sema4 is working directly with higher education, assisting government and large businesses to get students, staff, and workers back to school and work safely.  There is also Sema4 Works, an app that enables symptom tracking through simple self-reporting of symptoms by registered individuals.

Returning guest, Dr. Gregg Sylvester, Chief Medical Officer at Seqirus discusses real-world evidence on the company’s MF59® Adjuvanted, Trivalent Influenza Vaccine that was recently published in the peer-reviewed medical journal “Vaccines”.  The study demonstrated that this vaccine was more effective than a standard-dose non-adjuvanted trivalent seasonal vaccine in preventing influenza-related medical office visits and hospitalizations/ER visits in adults 65+ during the 2017/18 U.S. influenza season.

Cathy Kuhn, PharmD, Director of Strategy Consulting at Updox, the only place to manage healthcare communications across both in-person and virtual care, discusses the pharmacy of the future by implementing a full virtual care strategy that is not only cost-effective and resource-efficient, but that also improves the patient experience. She also talks about the economic impact of COVID-19, how perceptions of telehealth have changed, and how it will be used post-COVID-19.

Returning guest, Dr. Gregg Sylvester, Chief Medical Officer at Seqirus discusses real-world evidence on the company’s cell-based quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIVc), which was published in the peer-reviewed medical journal “Vaccine”. The study shows the value of cell-based quadrivalent influenza vaccine in preventing influenza-related hospitalization in the U.S. 2017/18 season.

Dr. Huy Dang, DPM, discusses the condition of uncontrolled gout, his personal experience living with it, how it’s impacted his day-to-day life, and how it has influenced the way he treats his patients.  Uncontrolled gout can span to the blood, joint fluids, and extracellular spaces.  He explains that pain throughout the body is often connected to complications of the heart, liver, or kidneys, and a systemic burden of the disease.  However, with proper treatment patients can manage the impact of the painful, chronic condition.

Dave Fuehrer, two-time cancer survivor and CEO of GRYT Health, and returning guest Wayne Eskridge, President and CEO of the Fatty Liver Foundation discuss a new, virtual, global platform called the COVID Advocacy Exchange that is offering people around the world free access to important, health information about Covid-19, especially for those with underlying conditions.  There are 62 global patient advocacy groups involved in this effort. 

Dr. Robert Shin, Professor of Neurology at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and the Director of the Georgetown Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Center discusses multiple sclerosis (MS), relapsing forms of MS (RMS), symptoms, and the new FDA approved Kesimpta® (ofatumumab), the first and only self-administered injection for the treatment of RMS. He is joined by Kerry, a patient with RMS. Kerry is not currently taking Kesimpta®.

Hawken Miller, 23, diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) at age five discusses his personal journey and how he had turned to video games as an option to stay competitive and connected as his friends advanced in sports while his disease progressed. Knowing the critical role of gaming for people living with DMD, CureDuchenne and PTC Therapeutics are hosting an inaugural virtual gaming tournament on October 10 to connect gamers and people living with DMD across the country.

Dr. Robert Vigersky, Chief Medical Officer at Medtronic Diabetes, discusses the evolution of the insulin pump, virtually training type 1 diabetics how to use an insulin pump, the recent FDA approval of the Minimed™ 770G Insulin Pump System with smartphone connectivity, and Medtronic’s recent acquisition of Companion Medical’s Smart Insulin Pen.