StemCell Therapy

Consultant Marc Brush spoke at the inaugural meeting of the Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute seven years ago. At the time he was the editor of Nutrition Business Journal.

Brush was invited back as an attendee this year by PLMI founder Dr Jeff Bland ND. Brush said the difference in the atmosphere at this years event compared to the first go round was striking.

Seven years ago, it was, heres this idea; wouldnt it be cool if it worked? Brush said.Now its here and the question is how do you talk about it with consumers? How do you commercialize it?

Formally titled the Thought Leaders Consortium, the event took place last week in Seattle. As the name suggests, the goal of the event was to bring together researchers and clinicians working on the cutting edge science and clinical applications in the space.

Brush said there was extraordinary breadth and depth to the agenda at this years conference. The list of speakers included researchers from Harvard Medical School, Tufts University and the Scripps Institute.

Topics included the application of systems biology to personalized medicine, the use of biomarkers, and global perspectives on microbiome health as well as the overall application of a personalized approach to health care.

Brush said of particular import was a presentation by Albert-Laszlo Barabasi, PhD. Barabasi is a professor both at Northeastern University and the Harvard Medical School. Barabasi said the study of genes as related to disease has moved far beyond the search for one marker that was common even just a few years ago. There is enough information now to take a systems type of approach to managing disease states.

They talked about having genetic information on 54 disease states, Brush said. There was talk about component pathways, about clusters of genes being involved, not just one genetic marker.

And Barabasi talked about what he called the dark matter of nutrition. In the same way that dark matter makes up much of the universe and is someting we dont track, Barabasi talked about how we only track about .5% of the nutrients in food, things like the vitamin and mineral content. He said that two thirds of the effects of nutiriton is associated with the 99.5% of the chemicals in food that we dont track, he said.

So if youre a genetic researcher, you know that only a small percentage of whats going on is related to the genes you are tracking. The good news for the supplement and food industries is what is left over, and all that you can do with lifestyle and nutrition, Brush added.

Much of that information is being uncovered by what researchers are calling GWAS (pronounced GEE-wahs), or Genome-Wide Association Studies. This type of analysis became possible with the first iteration of the human genome published in 2003. In the years since, more than 36,000 studies mentioning GWAS in the title or description have been published on the PubMed database. Just this year alone, more that 2,700 such studies have been added to the database.

Brush said that the interesting, and perhaps unsettling notion for the dietary supplement industry is that to some degree it is along for the ride.

The future of the dietary supplement industry is increasingly being dictated by people outside the industry. Its being driving by people like genetics researchers and microbiome researchers, Brush said.

Brush said that one of the saving graces, and also the Achilles heel, of the personalized medicine approach is how it is moving away from a 1 to 1 equivalency on health care. In other words, the idea of the past has been problem A is solved by drug B; disease A can be explained by genetic factor B. The issues are now seen as far more complex.

Personalized health care embraces that complexity. The pharmaceutical model was always one to one, and even some supplement studies could be seen as matching one natural ingredient to one condition. There is a huge amount of data coming in, and whoever is able to process all that complexity of information will win. The question for the supplement industry is does it have the scientific sophistication to do that? Brush asked.

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Personalized nutrition has taken giant steps in seven years, observer says - NutraIngredients-usa.com

Biotech stocks saw some strength last week. Positive clinical readouts, a couple of M&A deals and hopes of drug companies clinching a broader opioid settlement agreement worked in favor of the sector.

Reata Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: RETA) was among the strong performers of the week following a positive Phase 2 readout for its drug to treat Friedreich ataxia.

Hereare the key catalysts for the upcoming week.

Conferences

PDUFA Dates

Sunday

The FDA is set to rule on Foamix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (NASDAQ: FOMX)'s NDA for FMX101 in treating inflammatory lesions of non-nodular moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris in patients nine years of age and older.

Monday

The regulatory is also expected to issue its verdict on Eton Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: ETON)'s NDA for ET-202, a ready-to-use injectable formulation of phenylephrine.

Thursday

Melinta Therapeutics Inc NASDAQ: MLNT) and Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: LGND) await FDA decision on a label expansion for Baxdella in community-acquired bacterial pneumonia.

The FDA is scheduled to rule on GlaxoSmithKline plc (NYSE: GSK)'s sNDA for Zejula in treating advanced ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer patients who have been treated with three or more prior chemotherapy regimens and whose cancer is associated with either BRCA mutation or homologous recombination deficiency.

See Also: Biotech Stock On The Radar: Assessing Mirati's Oncology Franchise With An Eye On Multiple Readouts

Clinical Trial Readouts

Protagonist Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: PTGX) will present Phase 1 data for PTG-200 in Crohn's disease on Tuesday.

Arvinas Inc (NASDAQ: ARVN) is scheduled to present at the Targeted Protein Degradation Summit initial Phase 1 data on ARV-110 for treating castration-resistant prostate cancer on Wednesday. The company will also present Phase 1 data for ARV-471 in ER+ positive/HER2-negative breast cancer at the summit.

Bellerophon Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: BLPH) is due to present Phase 2b additional cohort 1data at the CHEST meeting on Wednesday.

Axovant Gene Therapies Ltd (NASDAQ: AXGT) is scheduled to present Phase 1/2 data for AXO-Lenti-PD in Parkinson's disease and AXO-AAV-GM2 in GM2 gangliosidosis. Both presentations are to be made at the ESGCT annual Congress on Wednesday.

Earnings Wednesday, Oct. 23

Thursday, Oct. 24

IPOs

Phathom Pharmaceuticals, a company working on in-licensed assets for treating gastrointestinal disorders, proposes to offer 7.9 million shares in an IPO, estimated to be priced between $18 and $20. The company seeks to list its shares on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "PHAT."

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2019 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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The Week Ahead In Biotech: Earnings Trickle In, While Glaxo, Melinta, Foamix And Eton Await FDA Verdict - Yahoo Finance

SINGAPORE - The chief executive of the National University Health System (NUHS), Professor John Eu-Li Wong, was elected on Monday (Oct 21) to the United States-based National Academy of Medicine (NAM).

Election to the academy is "considered one of the highest honours in the fields of health and medicine", said the National University of Singapore (NUS) and NUHS in a statement on Monday.

The academy aims to address critical issues in health, medicine and related policy.

An election to the academy recognises individuals who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care and public health, the statement added.

Prof Wong, who is also senior vice-president of health affairs at NUS and a medical oncologist-haematologist, has been actively involved in the development of health and biomedical sciences in Singapore. He served as a member of the National Health and Biomedical Sciences Executive Committee.

He obtained his medical degree from NUS and completed his residency and fellowship at the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, where he was the Chief Resident in Medicine, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

At an international level, Prof Wong is a former president of the World Health Summit and a founding member of the Association of Academic Health Centers (International).

He served on the editorial board of the Journal of the American Medical Association, the International Affairs Committee of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, M8 Alliance of Academic Health Centers, and the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Personalized and Precision Medicine.

In his 27-year career with NUS and NUHS, Prof Wong has held various leadership positions.

These include chairman of NUH's medical board; vice-president of life sciences at NUS; dean of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at NUS; and director of the National University Cancer Institute Singapore.

He is also the Isabel Chan Professor in Medical Sciences at NUS.

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NUHS chief executive elected to US-based National Academy of Medicine - The Straits Times

Edmonton, AB, Oct. 18, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new provincial collaboration has been formed to improve the long-term health outcomes, quality of life, and economic prosperity for Albertans suffering with digestive diseases. The University Hospital Foundation (UHF), Ministry of Alberta Economic Development, Trade and Tourism, and Takeda Canada through the Calgary Health Trust (CHT), have jointly invested $1.7 million into the partnership. Albertas Collaboration of Excellence for Nutrition in Digestive Diseases (AsCEND) announced the official launch today at the Western Canadian Nutrition Conference in Edmonton, Alberta. From prevention programs, to acute treatments that enhance the quality of life for survivors, this collaboration is funding cutting edge research, and taking an innovative and comprehensive approach to understand the role nutrition can play in numerous types of digestive diseases. The internationally recognized researchers are performing studies on three key gastrointestinal conditions: inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal failure, and cirrhosis. In the past several decades, prevalence of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) has rapidly increased. Canada has one of the highest rates in the world at 1 in 360 Canadians living with the chronic disease. Dr. Maitreyi Raman is the Medical Director for the AsCEND collaboration. "There is currently no cure for IBD." said Dr. Raman. "Patients describe IBD or Crohns Disease as an inner demon thats impossible to defeat, and are bombarded with medications after diagnosis. There is potentially new hope for disease management in patients with IBD using personalized anti-inflammatory diet therapy, which improves diet quality and meets nutrient recommendations." The provincial partnership for Albertas Collaborations of Excellence for Nutrition in Digestive Diseases (AsCEND) will support education and training, post-graduate physician nutrition fellowships, and clinical patient support and development, focused on three main pillars:

"At Takeda, we are driven to make a real difference in the lives of Canadians with digestive diseases," said Gamze Yceland, General Manager for Takeda Canada. "We are excited to be part of the AsCEND collaboration which aims to make a difference through a comprehensive nutrition-based approach to achieve better health and a brighter future for Canadian patients."

"Alberta is home to world-leading healthcare and research teams in gastroenterology, nutrition, and inflammatory bowel diseases. The University Hospital Foundation is proud to be a partner in this collaboration as we know it will have a positive impact on the health of Albertans living with these conditions," said Christy Holtby, Interim CEO with the University Hospital Foundation. "Were so grateful for the support from community members through our Foundation to help fund this ground-breaking collaboration."

"This partnership is an excellent example of how collaboration between the public and private sectors, and our foundations in both Edmonton and Calgary can work together to make a transformational impact on healthcare outcomes for Albertans," added Mike Meldrum, CEO of Calgary Health Trust. "We are pleased to have the opportunity to work alongside University Hospital Foundation and Takeda Canada in bringing this opportunity to Alberta."

About the AsCEND Partners

University Hospital Foundation

The University Hospital Foundation raises and manages funds to advance patient care, research and healthcare education at the University of Alberta Hospital, the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute and the Kaye Edmonton Clinic. Through Strategic Partnerships, the University Hospital Foundation brings together industry, the public sector, and philanthropy to fund research and find solutions that impact the health of all Albertans. http://www.GivetoUHF.ca Government of Alberta

The Ministry of Alberta Economic Development, Trade and Tourism focuses on economic growth and diversification by supporting innovation and research; expanding access to capital for small and medium-sized enterprises; promoting trade, investment and market access initiatives; and leading Albertas negotiations on trade agreements. http://economic.alberta.ca Takeda Canada

Takeda Canada headquarters is currently located in Oakville, Ontario and is the Canadian subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. Takeda Canada is delivering better health for Canadians through leading innovations in gastroenterology, oncology, neuroscience, and rare diseases. Additional information about Takeda Canada is available at http://www.takeda.com/en-ca.

Calgary Health Trust

Calgary Health Trust raises money to advance healthcare within Calgary. Funds raised benefit Foothills Medical Centre, Peter Lougheed Centre, Rockyview General Hospital, South Health Campus, many community health programs and 12 Carewest care centres in our community. For more information about Calgary Health Trust and its strategic priorities, visit http://www.calgaryhealthtrust.ca.

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ALBERTA PARTNERSHIP STRENGTHENS THE LINK BETWEEN NUTRITION AND DIGESTIVE DISEASE - GlobeNewswire

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is commonly known for its ability to have machines perform tasks that are associated with the human mind - like problem solving. However, what's less understood is how AI is being used within specific industries, such as healthcare.

The healthcare industry continues to evolve as machine learning and AI in technology become more popular in the digital age. Business Insider Intelligence reported that spending on AI in healthcare is projected to grow at an annualized 48% between 2017 and 2023.

Machine learning has the potential to provide data-driven clinical decision support (CDS) to physicians and hospital staff - paving the way for an increased revenue potential. Machine learning, a subset of AI designed to identify patterns, uses algorithms and data to give automated insights to healthcare providers.

Business Insider Intelligence reported that researchers at the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center used IBM Watson's Genomic product to identify specific treatments for over 1,000 patients. The product performed big data analysis to determine treatment options for people with tumors who were showing genetic abnormalities.

Comparatively, Google's Cloud Healthcare application programming interface (API) includes CDS offerings and other AI solutions that help doctors make more informed clinical decisions regarding patients. AI used in Google Cloud takes data from users' electronic health records through machine learning - creating insights for healthcare providers to make better clinical decisions.

Google worked with the University of California, Stanford University, and the University of Chicago to generate an AI system that predicts the outcomes of hospital visits. This acts as a way to prevent readmissions and shorten the amount of time patients are kept in hospitals.

Integrating AI into the healthcare ecosystem allows for a multitude of benefits, including automating tasks and analyzing big patient data sets to deliver better healthcare faster, and at a lower cost.

According to Business Insider Intelligence, 30% of healthcare costs are associated with administrative tasks. AI can automate some of these tasks, like pre-authorizing insurance, following-up on unpaid bills, and maintaining records, to ease the workload of healthcare professionals and ultimately save them money.

Wearable healthcare technology also uses AI to better serve patients. Software that uses AI, like FitBits and smartwatches, can analyze data to alert users and their healthcare professionals on potential health issues and risks. Being able to assess one's own health through technology eases the workload of professionals and prevents unnecessary hospital visits or remissions.

As with all things AI, these healthcare technology advancements are based on data humans provide - meaning, there is a risk of data sets containing unconscious bias. Previous experiences have shown that there is potential for coder bias and bias in machine learning to affect AI findings. In the sensitive healthcare market, especially, it will be critical to establish new ethics rules to address - and prevent - bias around AI.

The use of AI in the healthcare market is growing due to the continued demand for wearable technology, digital medicine, and the industry's overall transformation into the modern, digital age.

Hospitals and healthcare professionals are seeing the benefits in using AI in technology and storing patients' data on private clouds, like the Google Cloud Platform. AI allows doctors and patients to more easily access health records and assess patient's health data that is recorded over a period of time via AI-infused technology.

Health tech companies, startups, and healthcare professionals are discovering new ways to incorporate AI into the healthcare market; and, the speed at which we improve the healthcare system through AI will only continue to accelerate as the industry dives deeper into digital health.

In the AI in Medical Diagnosis research report, Business Insider Intelligence examines the value of AI applications in three high-value areas of medical diagnosis - imaging, clinical decision support, and personalized medicine - to illustrate how the tech can drastically improve patient outcomes, lower costs, and increase productivity.

Want to learn more about the fast-moving world of digital health? Here's how to get access:

Featured Digital Health Articles:- Telehealth Industry: Benefits, Services & Examples- Value-Based Care Model: Pay-for-Performance Healthcare- Senior Care & Assisted Living Market Trends- Smart Medical Devices: Wearable Tech in Healthcare- AI in Healthcare

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AI and machine learning are changing our approach to medicine and the future of healthcare - Business Insider India

Dr. Aswini Kumar, a board-certified cardiologist, recently joined Mercy Clinic Cardiology, 7001 Rogers Ave., Suite 401A, in Fort Smith.

Originally from Chennai, India, she received her medical degree at Chengalpattu Medical College in India and completed an internal medicine residency at State University of New York Upstate Medical University in Syracuse. She was also fellowship-trained in cardiovascular disease at the University of Connecticuts Hartford Hospital.

Outside of work, Kumar enjoys traveling and painting. Her husband is an oncologist who will join Mercy in Fort Smith next summer.

A passion for medicine runs deep in Kumars family.

"I grew up in a family of doctors, said Kumar. My father and uncles are compassionate physicians. I was always determined to follow in their footsteps."

As a cardiologist, she involves patients in every step of their medical journey and encourages them to make lifestyle changes to improve their health.

I believe in personalized medicine, she adds. I try to get to know my patients as best as I can so I can provide the individualized care that will help them the most.

Mercy Hospital Fort Smith also recently welcomed four new providers to the community to care for patients needing emergency care or during their hospital stay.

Dr. Aaron Lawrence, an emergency medicine physician, received his bachelors degree in biology from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. He earned his doctorate of osteopathic medicine from the Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine at the University of Pikeville in Pikeville, Kentucky. He completed his residency in emergency medicine at Central Michigan University in Saginaw, Michigan. He is also a U.S. Army veteran.

In August, Drs. Devron Osborne and Amy Wilson joined Mercys hospitalist team, and Dr. Monali Patil began treating patients in the Intensive Care Unit at Mercy Hospital Fort Smith.

Osborne received his bachelors degree in biology from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. He earned his doctorate of osteopathic medicine from A.T. Still Universitys Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Missouri. He completed his internal medicine residency at Freeman Health System in Joplin, Missouri.

Wilson received her bachelors degree in nursing from the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa and her bachelors degree in biology from the University of Arkansas in Fort Smith. She earned her doctorate of osteopathic medicine from the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Oklahoma State University in Tulsa. She completed her internal medicine residency from OUs School of Community Medicine in Tulsa.

Patil is board certified in critical care medicine, pulmonology and internal medicine. She has a masters degree in epidemiology from the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston. She received her medical training from Grant Medical College and Sir J.J. Group of Hospitals in Mumbai, India. She completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

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People In Business - Times Record

We are in an age of scientific breakthroughs, particularly in areas such as personalized medicine, genomics-based research, and immuno-oncology. While science advances, theres still a major opportunity to improve how organizations work together across the clinical environment. The increased focus on a new class of medicines is creating new challenges across the drug development process that slow trial execution. Collaboration, for instance, is one of the biggest issues impacting speed.

This year, former FDA commissioner, Scott Gottlieb, challenged the industry to improve collaboration across all participants in research with modern technology. At the Veeva R&D Summit, I sat down with experts from clinical research sites, academia, CROs, and sponsors to discuss opportunities to automate information exchange, streamline processes, and leverage new technology and data sources for faster drug development.

Automating Information Exchange

In a recent industrywide survey, all clinical leaders reported the need to improve information exchange among study partners. On average, they utilize at least three methods to share trial data and documents among sponsors, CROs, and sites, with email as the primary tool. At clinical research sites, a lack of common technology creates obstacles to seamless data sharing between trial partners.

The lack of technology geared toward their unique needs can make sites jobs more difficult and distract from the important work that they are passionate about the medicine, said Hunter Walker, CTO at ARG. Ideally, sponsors should be able to keep their finger on the pulse of our operations, too. Thats something that all CROs should strive for, said Walker.AstraZeneca is focusing on being a sponsor of choice for research sites and CROs, so the company is prioritizing efforts to automate information exchange. The information we all need is sitting in isolated siloes across the clinical trial ecosystem but requires multiple emails back and forth to get it, said Doug Schantz, executive director of clinical operations at AstraZeneca.Streamlining Processes for Trial PartnersStreamlined process flow between sites, CROs, and sponsors remains an industrywide issue. As Schantz said, information sharing is the next horizon.We need a complete paradigm shift from transactional interactions with partners to connected relationships where what we need is already available in the clinical trial ecosystem, said Schantz. With better united, networked systems across stakeholders, no one wastes time emailing back and forth and can instead focus on the science and the patients.East discussed the importance of open lines of communication, particularly regarding feedback to sponsors after a trial is complete. With more feedback to sponsors, we can improve process flow in the next trial, she said. We want constant communication from the sponsors and CROs to the sites. And that should happen in a more efficient way than email.Using eSignatures is another way to speed trial execution. Physical signatures on paper slow everything down when there are physicians located in 11 hospitals as we have, added Sheppard. Its hard to start a study when youre waiting on signatures on financial disclosures.If the ink signature requirement is whats holding up getting patients the treatments they need, we need to change, East agreed.Walker offered a potential solution. One way forward is for sponsors to invest more in common technology platforms for sites. Very simply, fewer emails are key, said Walker.The administrative minutiae are what hold sites back from getting trials going quickly. And these setbacks could be resolved with better technology, added Sheppard.Leveraging Patient-Generated Data and New Data SourcesThere is an enormous amount of patient data collected during a treatment or therapy. Innovations like wearable devices and sensors offer promise in collecting new patient data. The question is how to use all this data to speed trial processes and gain insight into disease.Were sitting on a mound of patient data from sensors and wearables, said East. I once heard someone from the FDA say that 80% of the data we collect is only used once. That has to change. With the data collected from wearables, we can gain valuable insights into disease states, how drugs are operating, and how to design trials that provide better outcomes for patients, she added.Walker noted that we are still in the early days of using wearables to gather patient-generated data. There are a lot of logistics, he said. We want to know how often things break and which tools are most effective. Are their systems to process all of this patient data through machine learning? Technologies like sensors and wearables are in their infancy, but we need to start now to get a jump on the experimentation needed to incorporate these devices into the process.An Exciting Frontier in ClinicalAs scientific innovations continue to emerge, the panel agreed that advanced cloud-based platforms and data analytics technology can help processes keep up with breakthroughs in drug development. A day matters when manual processes get in the way of patients receiving life-saving therapy. Automation in a networked clinical trial offers a solution.The life sciences industry is behind. Without automated processes, we will continue to send six emails and use Excel spreadsheets to review the safety data of a clinical trial. We went from paper to electronic, but we need to go from paper to digital so we can automate. Then we can better align and run trials faster, concluded East.

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Better Collaboration Is Key To Speeding Trials - Contract Pharma

Every night, millions of people with sleep disorders struggle to get a good nights rest. One of the most prominent of these disorders is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which impacts ones ability to breathe. During the past two decades, the number of adults living with OSA has grown; 25 million people in the United States and an estimated 100 million around the world have obstructive sleep apnea.

Despite its prevalence, eight out of every 10 people with sleep apnea remain undiagnosed, which can lead to serious health issues, including high blood pressure, chronic heart failure, stroke and even death. With these health implications, its critical that people with OSA get diagnosed, receive the proper course of treatment and stay compliant with therapy. Compliance, however, has not always been easy for patients. Some find it difficult to adjust to sleeping with their CPAP equipment, citing challenges with moving around in their sleep or with pressure on their noses and in their airways. These patients tend to abandon their therapy, leaving them susceptible to the serious health effects that come with not complying with treatment.

Fortunately, advancements in sleep technology are paving the way for new CPAP solutions to be more comfortable, personalized and cost effective. With the ability to personalize service for each patient, these connected care technologies help home medical equipment (HME) providers create better patient experiences and engagement, enhance patient care and improve staff experiencesall while reducing the per capita cost of health care by limiting wasted materials, energy, efforts, money and time. Today, many providers are turning to these solutions to help enhance CPAP therapy for OSA patients from initial diagnosis throughout the entire course of treatment at home.

Once a patient is diagnosed with OSA, personalized CPAP solutions can start to play a significant role in a patients adherence to therapy. The selection of a properly fitting and comfortable mask is an incredibly important factor that strongly influences a persons experience, acceptance and long-term use of treatment. Over the years, advances in mask design, materials and construction have and continue to improve mask effectiveness and comfort.

The latest advancement in developing patient-centric CPAP masks is 3D scanning. This new solution offers a precise and personalized mask fitting experience to give providers data-driven guidance that will help support the right mask selection for their patients. Patients and physicians can sometimes find themselves dealing with trial and error as they seek the best sleep mask for a patients specific needs. But with 3D scanning, providers can have the confidence that their mask recommendation is the best option for the patients needs. By improving the patient experience and satisfaction with the appropriate mask, HME providers can guide patients on the right path to long-term therapy adherence.

Technology is not only helping patients in the beginning stages of their CPAP therapy, but also throughout their courses of treatment. In addition to patient-centric technologies that help providers set patients up with personalized care at the time of diagnosis, connected care technologies are helping patients and providers support adherence over time. An increasing number of HME providers are adopting seamless, connected technology that brings them one step closer to improving long-term CPAP adherence: remote monitoring, therapy adjustments and motivational support.

Before connected care, HME providers had limited ability to remotely know how a patient was responding to therapy, if they were using it as prescribed or if something in their environment had changed. This lack of information created inefficiencies and barriers for providers and resulted in patients returning to the hospital time after time. The emergence of connected care solutions started to limit these inefficiencies and readmissions by allowing providers to monitor patients conditions outside of the doctors office or hospital and understand if they were properly adapting to their CPAP therapy at home.

Today, remote patient management solutions allow providers, physicians and payers alike to review patient data through one unified platform, making it easier to make fast, informed clinical decisions for more personalized patient care. This allows providers to focus on the patients who require immediate attention and to troubleshoot issues early on to help increase CPAP therapy compliance and reduce the risk of a user being readmitted into the hospital.

A simple but powerful example of this is a tool that can monitor the use patterns of a sleep apnea patient as they adapt to CPAP therapy. Knowing these nuanced patterns enables better identification of those patients who will most benefit from intervention. This monitoring tool allows HME providers to focus their efforts on patients who will benefit from service, while minimizing unnecessary calls to compliant patients. It leverages a combination of technology and human capital expertise to ensure the best patient experience and care.

Connected care technologies not only allow effective clinician interaction and monitoring but also offer therapy adjustment and patient management or engagement services, which can help motivate patients to stick with their CPAP treatment regimens within the comfort of their own homes. With these insights, patients can track their progress or set reminders to take action, and even receive motivational messages from their physicians. This helps ensure they stay on track and get the most benefit out of their CPAP therapy while on their own.

As the homecare industry shifts toward a value-based care model with a focus on improving patient adherence, providers are waking up to the fact that technology is an important part of the solution to many of the industrys challenges. With the adoption of patient-centric and connected care technologies, providers now have the capability to deliver more effective CPAP therapy management for patients with sleep apnea from the moment they are diagnosedand through their entire course of treatment. As CPAP technology continues to advance, the industry must make sure connected care and personalized medicine are integrated to provide both providers and patients the best possible solutions for the best possible outcomes.

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How Technology Is Reshaping CPAP Therapy - HomeCare

Matthew Knowles, the father of the artists Beyonc and Solange, recently announced that he had been told that he has a breast cancer caused by a BRCA2 gene mutation and that his children have a 50 percent chance of inheriting it.

In 2007, my mother was in a similar position. She learned after receiving a breast cancer diagnosis at age 42 for a second time her first bout with cancer came when she was 28 that she carried a BRCA2 mutation. It meant that as her daughter, I had even odds of having inherited it from her.

BRCA1 and -2 gene mutations can elevate a carriers lifetime risk of developing breast cancer up to 72 percent, compared to a 12 percent lifetime risk among the general population. They can also elevate a carriers lifetime risk of ovarian, pancreatic or prostate cancers along with melanoma. Although he had a family history of breast cancer, Mr. Knowles had never been referred for genetic counseling or testing to evaluate his risk of having a BRCA mutation.

His story is all too common among African-Americans. Black women are substantially less likely to undergo genetic counseling and testing for BRCA mutations as compared to white women, even though research suggests that the rate of BRCA mutations is higher among black women than it is for white.

Researchers at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida found that among young breast cancer patients who met the national guidelines for receiving genetic counseling, only 37 percent of black women had discussed it with a provider compared to 86 percent of white women. Just 36 percent of black women received testing for BRCA compared to 65 percent of white women. A study showed that only 58 percent of black women who were eligible for genetic testing under the national guidelines received testing as a part of their routine care.

Although there is no clear answer as to why the disparity exists, one reason may be the lack of awareness among doctors that black people are at risk for carrying BRCA mutations. Ohio State University researchers interviewed black and white women at higher risk for breast cancer. One study participant, a black woman in her 20s, reported that when she had expressed interest in genetic counseling, her gynecologist told her that only Jewish women tested positive for BRCA mutations.

Although its true that Ashkenazi Jews have an especially high risk of carrying a mutation (the rate is estimated to be one in 40), people of all racial backgrounds run a risk. The same study also found that black women are less likely have seen a specialist who could provide information on genetic counseling and testing: only 15 percent of black women in the study had met with a genetics, cancer or breast specialist as against 70 percent of white participants.

Although there have not been any published studies that I know of on genetic counseling and testing rates among black men, a 2016 report found that among men diagnosed with prostate cancer, black men may be more likely to have BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations than white men.

The discovery of the BRCA1 and -2 mutations in 1994 and 1995 was a huge breakthrough that allowed for us to get better at treating and preventing cancer. That makes the low levels of BRCA testing among African-Americans especially troubling, because people who know they are carriers can possibly reduce the risk of getting cancer by getting a preventive mastectomy or oophorectomy.

I know this myself. When I was 29, I was tested and discovered that my mother had passed on her BRCA2 mutation to me. I decided to have a preventive double mastectomy, which shrank my risk of developing breast cancer from 80 percent to less than 5 percent.

Even if a person decides not to do what I did, enhanced surveillance, like an MRI and mammogram every six months, can help detect cancer at an early stage when its more treatable. If black women and men arent receiving genetic testing, theyre potentially missing out on the chance to catch breast cancer early on. This is crucial because black women are more likely than white women get diagnoses of breast cancer at a later stage, which has lower survival rates. Similarly, black men are also more likely than white men to be told they have prostate cancer when it has reached a more advanced stage.

As the use of personalized medicine and genomics in treating cancer increases, knowing whether a patient has a BRCA mutation allows for individualized treatment. It also lets the patient to take steps to prevent a recurrence or a second cancer elsewhere. For example, once my mother learned that she carried a BRCA2 mutation, which is also associated with a higher risk of ovarian cancer, she underwent an oophorectomy. She has been cancer-free for 12 years.

Knowing that a person carries a BRCA mutation also provides an opportunity to test and identify relatives who may carry a harmful mutation potentially preventing and detecting cancer early in a whole family.

We need a large-scale effort to improve genetic counseling and increase testing rates in the black community. The first step is to make medical providers more aware that black women and men are at risk for carrying BRCA mutations. Numerous studies have shown that the biggest indicator of whether someone undergoes genetic testing is a recommendation from a doctor.

An educational effort would also help to dispel myths that genetic testing is financially prohibitive. Most insurance will cover the costs of testing for people who meet the national guidelines. When I underwent testing in 2014, I paid only $80 after insurance kicked in.

Cancer awareness organizations also need to do a better job of reaching out to the black community about BRCA mutations and the benefits of genetic counseling and testing. Research shows that black women are highly interested in undergoing testing for BRCA mutations once they are presented with information regarding its benefits.

Only one percent of genetic counselors in the United States are black. We need more black health care professionals who have undergone specialized training to provide risk assessment and interpret genetic testing results. This could also help to increase the number of black women who receive genetic testing.

I cannot imagine what it must have been like for my mother to have faced her first cancer diagnosis when she was not even 30 and had a young daughter. What I do know is that I was able to substantially lower my chance of having to battle the same disease because I knew about her BRCA2 mutation. More black families should be empowered with the same information.

Erika Stallings (@quidditch424) is a lawyer.

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Beyoncs Dad Has a Mutation More African-Americans Should Be Tested For - The New York Times

BARBARA SCHWARTZ BECHET Misericordia

ELIZABETH BETTY BURNS Marywood

Better Homes

and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins

& Associates

The company recently hired several new Realtors. Melanie Vanderveer joined the Bushkill office and Jessica Curry and Joseph M. Seagraves joined the Stroudsburg office.

Vanderveer has been a resident of the Pocono Mountains since June 2005. She resides in Bushkill as a social media specialist. She formerly worked as a reporter for the Pocono Record and in 2013 started her own freelance social media management PR business.

Curry is a native of the Pocono Mountains and resides in East Stroudsburg. She is a 2017 graduate of the Polley Associates real estate school. In addition, her education includes a family and consumer science degree with a masters degree in technology.

Seagraves, originally from Philadelphia, has lived in the Poconos for the past 37 years. During that time, Seagraves has been employed full time in new construction, custom home design, home builder business and new home sales. Seagraves has won numerous awards through the Pocono Builders Association for custom homes that he designed. He is considered the grandfather of todays new home sales. Seagraves formerly worked for RGB Custom Home Builders, where he was a top salesman. He will continue to sell RGB homes in his capacity.

Classic Properties

Angie Marx joined the Kingston office. Raised in Kinston, North Carolina, she later attended Kings College and worked for 10 years in the family business, Marx Sheet Metal & Mechanical, as the account manager/controller. She recently earned her real estate license from Vintage Real Estate Academy and chose to join the company for the strong support system she felt it offered agents.

Cohen Haydu

Chiropractic

Dr. Richard Cohen conducted a workshop at the Professional Hockey Chiropractic Society conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Cohen, who is beginning his fifth season as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins team chiropractor, conducted the workshop on neck exercises to prevent and reduce the severity of neck and head injuries in hockey. Some studies suggest that head and neck injuries are the second most common and second most costly injury occurring in professional hockey. Drawing from his concepts of movement development, he created a series of exercises that incorporate neck strengthening and core strengthening in positions that occur naturally as babies grow from birth to free walking.

Commonwealth Health

Soohan Mansuri, M.D., has joined the primary care team of the physician network. Mansuri will provide personalized medical care to patients of all ages from infant to senior adulthood and welcomes new patients to his practice at 610 Wyoming Ave., Kingston.

Board-certified in family medicine, Mansuri comes from the Wright Center of Graduate Medical Education, Family Medicine Residency Program, Scranton.

Mansuri is a member of the medical staff at Commonwealth Health Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.

Foley, Comerford

& Cummins

Daniel E. Cummins and Stephen T. Kopko, both of the Scranton insurance defense firm, published an article titled Litigating the Zero Verdict that appeared in the September/October edition of the Pennsylvania Lawyer magazine. The article provides an overview of the propriety of zero verdicts by juries under different circumstances in personal injury matters. The article also reviews the variety of arguments that can be raised by both sides in support of either affirming or overturning such a verdict based on the facts of the case. Cummins is a partner in the firm and Kopko is an associate attorney. They both focus their practice in the handling of auto accidents, premises liability and products liability, and other civil litigation matters.

Glenmaura

Senior Living

Janine Kubasko Starinsky, MHA, CDP, CDCM, CADDCT, has been named executive director. She is dedicated to raising the bar for senior living in NEPA. Kubasko-Starinsky, born and raised near Moosic, brings more than 25 years of experience across independent, personal care, memory care and enhanced living. She most recently served as an interventionist for Penn States EIT-4-BPSD cohort study. She earned her Bachelor of Science from East Stroudsburg University and a Master of Health Administration degree from the University of Scranton.

Honesdale

National Bank

Gregory W. Sheridan joined as branch manager of the Hallstead office, currently being constructed in Susquehanna County.

He will administer the operation of the banks future office location being constructed at 313 Main St., Hallstead. In his role, he will be showcasing the banks capacity to support comprehensive banking solutions for the Hallstead community through personal, business, mortgage, lending, cash management, financial planning and wealth management resources.

Keystone College

Professor Jeffrey Brauer has been selected for the Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason Universitys Academic Research Seminar, Poverty, Institutions and Economic Development, as an expert on Generation Z. The institute will be held in November in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

As a full professor of social sciences and an accomplished researcher and diversity facilitator, Brauer has presented dozens of workshops and seminars throughout the country to educators, business leaders, civic organizations and student groups.

Marywood University

Elizabeth Betty Burns, of Jefferson Twp. and Charleston, South Carolina, has been elected to the board of trustees. She will serve on the University Advancement Committee and the Financial Affairs Committee.

Burns retired in 2005 from the Capital Group of Companies in New York, where she served as senior vice president of Capital Guardian Trust Co., and previously worked at Time Warner Inc. as assistant treasurer in the companys Corporate Finance Group.

She serves locally on the board of United Neighborhood Centers and is a founding member and trustee of NativityMiguel School of Scranton. She also is a member of Women in Philanthropy of Scranton.

Misericorida

University

The university recently named Barbara Schwartz-Bechet, Ed.D., as the dean of the College of Health Sciences and Education.

Schwartz-Bechet joins the university after serving as the interim dean and professor in the College of Education and Rehabilitation at Salus University. While at Salus University, she was actively engaged in an interprofessional education-forward culture that included programs in low vision, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and education, special education and rehabilitation.

NBT Bancorp Inc.

Angela Wolfe Kelley has joined as executive vice president and general counsel. In this position, Kelley will coordinate the banks legal activities, manage external legal counsel and oversee relations with regulatory agencies.

Kelley will serve on the executive management team and will be appointed corporate secretary by the board of directors. She will be based at the companys headquarters in Norwich, New York.

Kelley has 12 years of corporate law experience. She comes from Heartland Financial USA Inc., based in Dubuque, Iowa.

ODonnell Law Offices

Best Lawyers has chosen Neil T. ODonnell, owner and founder of the law firm, in the 2020 Best Lawyers in America for Personal Injury Litigation Plaintiffs and Workers Compensation Law. ODonnell has been recognized by Best Lawyers for the last eight years.

A frequent contributor to legal education programs, ODonnell has held leadership positions in both regional and state legal communities, including the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Institute.

Society for

Human Resource Management

Ivy Rinehimer was awarded the 2019 NEPA SHRM scholarship for her pursuit and achievement of the SHRM-CP certification in June. Rinehimer is employed by Moses Taylor Hospital, Scranton, as a human resource professional. She is a 2018 graduate of Kings College, majoring in human resource management.

NEPA SHRM is an affiliate chapter of the most highly regarded professional association for HR professionals.

Wayne Memorial Community

Health Centers

Kate Scully, CNM, has joined as the fourth midwife of the Womens Health Centers existing staff of obstetricians/gynecologists, nurse midwives and a certified registered nurse practitioner at its Honesdale office at 110 Park St.

As a certified nurse midwife, Scully provides prenatal care and facilitates births at the New Beginnings Birthing Suites of Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale. Additionally, she offers postpartum care, annual gynecological exams, family planning and menopause counseling.

Wilkes University

Kishan Zuber has joined as the vice president of enrollment management and marketing. Zuber oversees undergraduate and graduate admissions offices, enrollment services, financial aid and marketing. With her leadership, the university will continue to advance its overall enrollment strategy, creating one of the finest doctoral universities in the country.

Zuber was formerly vice president of enrollment services at Wells College in Aurora, New York. Zuber earned her bachelors degree in environmental studies and her masters degree in student affairs and diversity from Binghamton University, State University of New York.

Wyoming Valley Habitat for

Humanity

The organization recently filled two positions on its board of directors. Kevin Engelman will be acting as the WVHFH board president and Bernie Stelma will be a new board member. Both will volunteer their time and professional expertise to further the mission of the organization.

Engelman is a graduate of Wilkes University with a degree in business administration and a concentration in finance. He joined Wells Fargo Bank as a manager trainee in the Northern New Jersey market. He is currently a district manager for the Wilkes-Barre market.

Stelma is a graduate of Wyoming Valley West High School and Pennsylvania State University. He spent 22 years working with Wells Fargo Bank as a branch manager and is currently a business banking relationship manager with M&T Bank in the Wilkes-Barre Region.

SUBMIT PEOPLE ON THE MOVE items to business@timesshamrock.com or The Times-Tribune, 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503.

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People on the Move - News - Citizens Voice

(MENAFN - GetNews) According to report published by Grand View Research,Growing number of approved companion diagnostics and biomarker products have been proved promising avenues for the development of advanced precision diagnostic tests. Several personalized diagnostics and therapeutic products based on companion diagnostics are under clinical trials and development pipelines, which also add an incremental opportunity to accelerate this market.

According to a report, ' Personalized Medicine Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis By Product (Personalized Medical Care, Therapeutics, Personalized Nutrition & Wellness), By Region (Asia Pacific, Europe, North America), And Segment Forecasts, 2019 - 2025 , published by Grand View Research, Inc., The global personalized medicine (PM) market size is expected to reach USD 3.18 trillion by 2025 registering a CAGR of 10.6% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Growing number of approved companion diagnostics and biomarker products have been proved promising avenues for the development of advanced precision diagnostic tests. Several personalized diagnostics and therapeutic products based on companion diagnostics are under clinical trials and development pipelines, which also add an incremental opportunity to accelerate this market.

Gene therapies are widely utilized to diagnose both chronic and genetic disorders according to individual's genetic makeup. Growing adoption of gene sequencing and data analytics technologies is anticipated to escalate precision medicine market growth. Decreasing cost of whole genome sequencing, advancement in cell biology sector, and the development of 'Human Genome Project are several other factors influencing the demand for gene therapy hence, boosting the overall market. Moreover, key leaders are undergoing numerous strategic developments to launch novel personalized products, which will also contribute to the market expansion.

For instance, in September 2018, Vertex Pharmaceuticals collaborated with Genomics for the delivery of precision medicine based on individual's genetic differences and lifestyle. Similarly, in January 2018, Foundation Medicine collaborated with European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) to facilitate Foundation's comprehensive genomic profiling to across personalized medicine and clinical trial enrolment.

Further key findings from the study suggest:

PM therapeutics is projected to register the fastest CAGR over the forecast period owing to the development of high-capacity rapid sequencing platforms for medical therapies

Reduction in sequencing cost leads to an expected growth of genomic sequencing and genetic research, thus contributing to lucrative opportunities for genomic medicine

Asia Pacific is projected to be the fastest-growing regional market due to rising number of collaborative initiatives between eastern and western market leaders

Chinese personalized medicine market is benefitted due to initiatives implemented by the Chinese government and reimbursements for disease treatment

Prominent companies include GE Healthcare; Illumina, Inc.; Asuragen, Inc.; Abbott Laboratories; Dako A/S; Exact Science Corp.; and Biogen, Inc.

Product Insights

Personalized nutrition & wellness was the largest product segment in 2018. Availability of a wide range of nutrition & wellness products and increased Over The Counter (OTC) sale of these productsplay a significant role in boosting the segment growth. Companies are undertaking several initiatives for sustaining market competition. For instance, in March 2018, DSM partnered with Mixfit to provide personalized nutrition solutions by combining Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology.

This strategic partnership was targeted towards offering consumers a personalized approach regarding nutrition. PM therapeutics includes pharmaceuticals, genomic medicine, and medical devices for personalized therapies and it is anticipated to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Advent of high-capacity rapid sequencing platforms and reducing cost of sequencing whole human genome plays a major role in the segment development.

Genomic medicine has emerged as a significant segment in PM therapeutics. Availability of large databases of genomic data enables researchers to develop accurate and effective therapeutic products for several medical conditions. Consequently, this results in high utilization of human genome sequencing techniques for genomic medicine.

Regional Insights

Led by U.S., North America was the dominant regional personalized medicine market in 2018. Increasing adoption of NGS methods and healthcare IT systems in clinical workflow along with supportive government policies and funding drives the regional market.

For instance, in September 2018, the All of Us Research Program initiated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded funds of USD 28.6 million to three genome centers of the U.S. This funding supported the generation of genomic data from biosamples by these centers, which is a critical component of precision medicine discoveries.

Ask Our Industry Expert for More Details on Report -https://www.grandviewresearch.com/inquiry/625/ibb

However, Asia Pacific is projected to witness the highest CAGR over the forecast period owing to low cost of clinical trialsof newly developed precision medicines and diagnostic products. Moreover, rising disposable income levels and growing economy of emerging countries will boost the market further.

Browse Related Report:

Grand View Research has segmented the global personalized medicine market on the basis of product and region:

Personalized Medicine Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

Personalized Medicine Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

Explore the BI enabled intuitive market research database, Navigate withGrand View Compass , by Grand View Research, Inc.

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. This U.S.-based market research and consulting company is registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco. Comprising over 425 analysts and consultants, the company adds 1200+ market research reports to its extensive database each year. Supported by an interactive market intelligence platform, the team at Grand View Research guides Fortune 500 companies and prominent academic institutes in comprehending the global and regional business environment and carefully identifying future opportunities.

Media Contact Company Name: Grand View Research, Inc. Contact Person: Sherry James, Corporate Sales Specialist - U.S.A. Email: Send Email Phone: 1-415-349-0058, Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Address: 201, Spear Street, 1100 City: San Francisco State: California Country: United States Website: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/personalized-medicine-market

MENAFN1310201900703268ID1099120383

The rest is here:
Personalized Medicine Market Is Estimated to Cross USD 3.18 Trillion By the End of 2025 | Grand View Research, Inc. - MENAFN.COM

Novartis is soliciting proposals from patient advocacy organizations for initiatives designed to expand and improve understanding of biomarker testing among people with cancer that are based on the pharma giants Solutions to Empower Patients (STEP) Program.

The STEP Program will fund up to four patient advocacy organizations as much as $75,000 each, with the aim of helping them address education, access, and reimbursement challenges like those that have hindered the development and use of biomarker testing in personalized medicine, Novartis said.

The deadline for submissions is 11:59 on November 4, 2019.

By supporting patient advocacy organizations that empower patients and their care teams to make informed decisions about their health, the STEP Program can help create a path to better care, Ameet Mallik, Executive Vice President and Head, US, Novartis Oncology, said in a statement.

Created in 2017, the STEP Program has helped fund the patient-focused initiatives of eight organizations nationwide. The STEP program funded three organizations in 2017 and five last year.

Novartis says it created the STEP Program with the intent of supporting U.S.-based nonprofit organizations as they work to address some key challenges in healthcare. Any national, US-based, 501(c)(3) patient advocacy organization is invited to submit a STEP Program proposal that focuses on at least one of the following criteria in cancer biomarker testing: Awareness and Education, Self-Advocacy, and/or Policy Improvement.

Proposals will be evaluated by an external review committee consisting of experts in a variety of fields. The committee will review the applications and identify as many as four proposals deemed to have the potential to make the greatest positive impact on the cancer community, Novartis said.

All organizations will be notified of the review committees decision by or before January 31, 2020.

Novartis said organizations interested in details on how to submit proposals, or which want to learn more about the STEP program, should visit the STEP Program page on the companys U.S. website.

See original here:
Novartis Solicits Proposals to Advance Biomarker Testing in Cancer - Clinical OMICs News

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

How to Stop Superhuman AI Before It Stops UsStuart Russell | The New York TimesOnce the focus shifts from building machines that are intelligent to ones that are beneficial, controlling them will become a far easier feat. Consider it the difference between nuclear power and nuclear explosions: a nuclear explosion is nuclear power in an uncontrolled form, and we greatly prefer the controlled form.

This Girls Dramatic Story Shows Hyper-Personalized Medicine Is Possibleand CostlyErika Check Hayden | MIT Technology Reviewin a dramatic demonstration of the power of personalized medicine, doctors in Boston created a treatment just for [six-year-old Mila Makovec]. In only eight months, they found the genetic cause of Milas disease, designed a drug to overcome the error, and began giving it to Mila via an injection in her spine, in whats believed to be the first individually tailored treatment of its kind.

Waymo Tells Customers That Completely Driverless Vehicles Are on the WayAndrew J. Hawkins | The VergeIts a sign that Waymo is growing confident enough in its technology to increase the frequency at which it allows passengers to ride in autonomous vehicles without a safety driver behind the wheel.

Virgin Orbit Says It Wants to Send Tiny Spacecraft to Mars in 2022Neel V. Patel | MIT Technology ReviewIf it succeeds, Virgin Orbit will be the first commercial company to travel to the Red Planet. It will also mark an unexpected entrance into deep spaceflight for a company whose plansfocus on air launches, which have always been considered unsuitable for traveling beyond low Earth orbit.

Jeff Bezoss Master PlanFranklin Foer | The AtlanticWhere in the pantheon of American commercial titans does Jeffrey Bezos belong? At 55, Bezos has never dominated a major market as thoroughly as any of these forebears, and while he is presently the richest man on the planet, he has less wealth than Gates did at his zenith. [But] the scope of the empire the founder and CEO of Amazon has built is wider. Indeed, it is without precedent in the long history of American capitalism.

Meet the Robot Racing Drone That Could Beat Human Pilots by 2023Stephen Shankland | CNETSince 2016, the human pilots of theDrone Racing Leaguehave competed to see who could whip a quadcopter around pylons and through hoops the fastest. On Tuesday, theyll get a new challenge: the fully autonomous RacerAI, adroneprogrammed to fly itself.

Image Credit:MEAX /Unsplash

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This Week's Awesome Tech Stories From Around the Web (Through October 12) - Singularity Hub

EAST HANOVER, N.J., Oct. 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Novartis is inviting patient advocacy organizations to submit proposals for programs that offer to expand and improve understanding of biomarker testing among the cancer community through one of its signature patient advocacy initiatives, the Solutions to Empower Patients (STEP) Program. The STEP Program will provide funding to as many as four patient advocacy organizations of up to $75,000 each.

Through the advancement of personalized medicine, cancer treatment has greatly evolved to include more customized treatment options based on a patient's type of cancer determined through biomarker and other forms of testing. The hope is that treatments will one day be tailored to each person's cancer.1 Though biomarker testing has become one of the cornerstones of personalized medicine within oncology, there remain significant challenges when it comes to education, access and reimbursement.2,3,4

"Biomarker testing has the potential to transform the treatment strategy for people living with certain types of cancer, but it is not yet part of routine care for all tumor types," said Ameet Mallik, Executive Vice President and Head, US, Novartis Oncology. "By supporting patient advocacy organizations that empower patients and their care teams to make informed decisions about their health, the STEP Program can help create a path to better care."

Novartis created the annual STEP Program to inspire solutions from US-based nonprofit organizations that help to address some of the most significant gaps in health care. Since 2017, the STEP Program has provided support to eight organizations across the country for their impactful patient-focused initiatives.

Application Details for Interested Patient Advocacy Organizations Any national, US-based, 501(c)(3) patient advocacy organization is welcome to submit a STEP Program proposal for consideration. Suggested proposals should focus on at least one of the following criteria in cancer biomarker testing:

Proposals will be evaluated by an external review committee consisting of experts in a variety of fields. The committee will review the applications and identify as many as four proposals that have the potential to make the greatest positive impact on the cancer community.

Organizations that wish to apply for funding from the program should complete the required submission form available on https://www.pharma.us.novartis.com/stories/education-awareness/step-program-supporting-solutions-patient-advocacy-organizations. All submissions must be received by 11:59pm ET on November 4, 2019.

For more information about STEP Program, including submission details, please visit the Novartis US website, STEP Program page.

About NovartisNovartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people's lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world's top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach more than 750 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 108,000 people of nearly 140 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a US affiliate of Novartis, is located in East Hanover, NJ. Find out more at http://www.novartis.com.

Novartis is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Novartis at http://twitter.com/novartis or follow @NovartisNews for the latest News & Media Updates at https://twitter.com/novartisnewsFor Novartis multimedia content, please visit http://www.novartis.com/news/media-libraryFor questions about the site or required registration, please contact media.relations@novartis.com

References

Novartis Media Relations

Central media line: +41 61 324 2200

E-mail:media.relations@novartis.com

Eric Althoff

Kristen Klasey

Novartis US External Communications

Novartis US Communications

+1 646 438 4335 (direct)

+1 862 778 4763 (direct)

eric.althoff@novartis.com

+1 862 754 1732 (mobile)

kristen.klasey@novartis.com

Novartis Investor Relations

Central investor relations line: +41 61 324 7944

E-mail: investor.relations@novartis.com

Central

North America

Samir Shah

+41 61 324 7944

Sloan Simpson

+1 212 830 2417

Pierre-Michel Bringer

+41 61 324 1065

Cory Twining

+1 862 278 3258

Thomas Hungerbuehler

+41 61 324 8425

Isabella Zinck

+41 61 324 7188

SOURCE Novartis

http://www.novartis.com

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Novartis STEP Program now accepting submissions for proposals that address unmet patient needs in cancer biomarker testing - PRNewswire

BALTIMORE, Oct. 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The African American Neuroscience Research Initiative (AANRI) announced today the receipt of a $275,000 grant from the Abell Foundation, which will provide critical funds to support the development and growth of the collaboration between the African American Clergy Medical Research Initiative and the Lieber Institute for Brain Development. Utilizing the Lieber Institute's robust brain repository, the AANRI aims to establish a road map to help close the gap in health disparities and accelerate research efforts that will lead to new treatments for brain disorders.

The Abell Foundation grant will enable the AANRI to establish a Scientific Advisory Committee, expand partnership and collaboration efforts, and hold an inaugural national meeting on the topic next year.

Also, last month U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) championed report language through the Senate Appropriations Committee which officially recognizes the longstanding disparity in neuroscience research among underrepresented minority groups, including African Americans. The Committee urges the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities to support the increase in neuroscience research among ethnically diverse individuals, including African Americans, and collaboration with external partners to develop the framework needed to advance the discovery of treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders which is the scientific goal and objective of the AANRI.

Senator Ben Cardin, senior senator for Maryland, said, "I'm proud to partner with the AANRI and the Lieber Institute for Brain Development to address this long-standing disparity in neuroscience research. Working together, we can correct this inequity and accelerate the discovery of treatments that benefit ethnic minority groups, including African Americans."

Rev. Dr. Alvin C. Hathaway, Sr., Principal of the African American Clergy Medical Research Initiative, said, "My clergy colleagues and I have been studying the emerging science behind precision medicine and believe that this technology has potential for finding cures and treatments for diseases that uniquely affect African Americans. This grant brings us one step closer to ensuring ethnic minority groups are not left behind in the precision medicine revolution. And the efforts of Senator Cardin if realized will be transformative."

The AANRI addresses a long-time disparity. While genomic research has the potential to provide some of the most personalized and effective medical treatments for many medical disorders, minority groups are inadequately represented in these large-scale genomic studies. In neuroscience research studies of brain disorders, underrepresented minority groups, including African Americans, make up less than 5% of research cohorts.

"So far, personalized medicine has not really been for everyone," said Daniel R. Weinberger, M.D., Director and CEO of the Lieber Institute. "The Abell Foundation grant provides critical support to enable the AANRI to execute the scientific strategy, with the ultimate goal of developing new treatments for brain disorders for people of African ancestry."

For more information on the African American Neuroscience Research Initiative, visit aaneuroscience.com or contact Becky Oldham, Director of Communications at the Lieber Institute for Brain Development at media@libd.org.

About the African American Neuroscience Research InitiativeThe African American Neuroscience Research Initiative (AANRI) aims to establish a road map to help close the gap in health disparities and accelerate research efforts that will lead to new treatments for brain disorders. The Initiative is the first of its kind in the nation to address health and neuroscience research disparities.

About the African American Clergy Medical Research InitiativeThe African American Clergy Medical Research Initiative (AACMRI) is focused on ensuring that persons of African descent are equitably represented in medical research. It advocates for equity in public policy, funding, education, training, and awareness that produces improvements in protocols, treatments, medicines and health outcomes.

About the Lieber Institute for Brain DevelopmentThe mission of the Lieber Institute for Brain Development and the Maltz Research Laboratories is to translate the understanding of basic genetic and molecular mechanisms of developmental brain disorders into clinical advances that change the lives of affected individuals. LIBD is an independent, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization and a Maryland tax-exempt medical research institute affiliated with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

About the Abell FoundationThe Abell Foundation is dedicated to the enhancement of the quality of life in Maryland, with a particular focus on Baltimore. The Foundation places a strong emphasis on opening the doors of opportunity to the disenfranchised, believing that no community can thrive if those who live on the margins of it are not included.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/african-american-neuroscience-research-initiative-awarded-grant-from-abell-foundation-for-critical-program-support-300937274.html

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African American Neuroscience Research Initiative Awarded Grant From Abell Foundation for Critical Program Support - P&T Community

NEW YORK, Oct. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --Genomics Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Application And Technology (Pathway Analysis, Functional Genomics), By Deliverables (Instruments, Consumables, Services), By End Use, And Segment Forecasts, 2019 - 2025

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5807259/?utm_source=PRN

The global genomics market size is expected to reach USD 27.61 billion by 2025. It is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 8.6% during the forecast period. The past decades have witnessed significant changes in disease management processes due to simultaneous advancements in genomics and personalized medicine. There has been a gradual growth in the usage of genomic studies in clinical practices, which is reflected by the growing trend of targeted therapies.

Results from genomic studies enable a better understanding of diseases and the underlying mechanisms for researchers, physicians, and consumers.This facilitates evidence-based decision-making, and hence, helps improve personalized treatment regime.

In addition, technological advancements in data analysis tools have motivated healthcare community to create precision-based therapies from surplus, available DNA data.

Ability of the medical community to make use of the available genomic information in personalized medicine is anticipated to significantly impact the genomics market.Furthermore, plummeting cost of sequencing has enabled the whole genome sequencing at very less price.

Scientists are combining the sequencing generated data with diagnostics which has proven its effectiveness in enhancing personalized treatment landscape.

The companies are involved in strategic alliances with global as well as local entities to boost their revenue generation and enhance their market share. For instance, in March 2017, Foundation Medicine collaborated with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, as a result of which Bristol-Myers Squibb could deploy Foundation Medicine's molecular information solutions and comprehensive genomic profiling for identification of predictive biomarkers, such as Microsatellite Instability (MSI) and Tumor Mutational Burden (TMB), to accelerate its immunotherapy clinical trials.

NGS-based services held a major market share in the services segment due to its rapid adoption of whole genome sequencing and application of sequence databases for disease screening and prognosis.The demand would remain strong with the expansion of the customer base from limited to academic and research centers to CROs, biotech and pharma players.

As patients are focusing on their health, Direct-To-Consumer (DTC) laboratory testing is increasingly being employed. DTC genetic tests enable consumers to access information about their genetics without necessarily including healthcare professionals in the process.

Further key findings from the report suggest: High demand in terms of volume coupled with the high cost of specific reagents contribute to substantial revenue share. Companies are embracing the trend of offering varied reagents that simplify workflow process Use of predictive biomarkers for diagnosis and monitoring take cancer eradication a step further. Moreover, organizations and programs such as the National Biomarker Development Alliance (NBDA) are actively participating in development of novel biomarkers for cancer diagnosis Growing interest of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in genomics is expected to drive growth of the genomics market in the forthcoming years Asia Pacific is anticipated to display the maximum potential and an become an emerging market for genomics. It is anticipated to register the fastest CAGR of 10.4% over the forecast period Major players include BGI; Agilent Technologies; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.; Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc; Foundation Medicine, Inc, 23andMe, Inc, Danaher, Illumina, Inc; Pacific Biosciences; Oxford Nanopore Technologies.; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., and Myriad Genetics, Inc.

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5807259/?utm_source=PRN

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Happy Friday! Yours truly is back from beautiful Vietnam and it seems I missed one or two ahem minor news events while traipsing around.

I come bearing no souvenirs but rather two health reminders (one via Sen. Bernie Sanders). Firstly, dont forget your flu shot Australia has had an unusually early and severe season, which rarely bodes well for our own. The second comes in the form of a hard-earned lesson from a 2020 candidate: Dont ignore those heart attack warning signs! (This is especially directed at women, who are dying unnecessarily from cardiac events.)

Now enough mother-henning. (You missed me, didnt you?) On to the news of the week!

The Supremes are back in action, and a look at the high courts docket reveals a potentially doozy of a politically charged term (with rulings expected to land as the general election heats up in 2020).

In the health care sphere, a big case to watch is the Louisiana abortion suit. An essentially identical Texas law which requires doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals was ruled unconstitutional by the court in 2016, but that means little with two new justices appointed by President Donald Trump weighing in.

The New York Times: As the Supreme Court Gets Back to Work, Five Big Cases to Watch

Oral arguments in two other health-related cases were held this week. The justices grappled with the moral and legal complexities of the insanity defense. The case prompted questions such as this one from Justice Stephen Breyer: One defendant kills a victim he thinks is a dog. The second defendant knows its a person but thinks the dog told him to do it, Breyer said. They are both crazy. And why does Kansas say one is guilty, the other is not guilty?

The New York Times: Supreme Court Opens New Term With Argument on Insanity Defense

Tuesday was all about LGBTQ rights. Although most of the justices were divided along ideological lines on whether federal civil rights legislation applies to sexual orientation and gender identification, Justice Neil Gorsuch hinted his vote might be in play. As an avowed believer in textualism, he suggested that the words of Title VII are really close, really close to barring employment discrimination for those workers. But dont go placing bets on the outcome yet. He also noted that he was worried about the massive social upheaval that would follow such a Supreme Court ruling.

The New York Times: Supreme Court Considers Whether Civil Rights Act Protects L.G.B.T. Workers

On that note, the 2020 Democratic candidates participated in an LGBTQ forum on the eve of National Coming Out Day. There were a handful of notable moments through the night (including a zinger from Sen. Elizabeth Warren that was met with loud applause), but much of the spotlight was on protesters who demanded the candidates pay attention to violence against black transgender women. We are hunted, said one member of the audience.

CNN: Protesters Interrupt CNN LGBTQ Town Hall to Highlight Plight of Black Transgender Women

Elsewhere on the campaign trail this week, controversy over a pregnancy discrimination talking point from Warrens stump speech prompted women including Warren rival Sen. Amy Klobuchar to speak out on social media about their own and their mothers experiences.

NBC News: Women Rally in Support of Elizabeth Warren by Sharing Their Own Pregnancy Discrimination Stories

Sanders campaign confirmed that the health scare from last week was indeed a heart attack. The 2020 candidate who promised to return full blast to the race said he hopes people learn from his dumb mistake of ignoring the warning signs. In true politician-running-for-office style, he also was able to use the scare as a way to emphasize the importance of his signature policy proposal, Medicare for All.

Reuters: Democratic Presidential Hopeful Sanders Says He Was Dumb to Ignore Health Warnings

In a sign of whats to come for Big Pharma, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, one of the fields more moderate candidates, released a drug pricing plan that is decidedly not moderate. The move falls in line with a broader sense that theres an ever-growing appetite among even middle-ground Dems for action to rein in drugmakers.

Stat: Buttigieg Unveils an Aggressive Plan for Lowering Drug Prices

And for you political wonks out there, this was an interesting read on the shifting political dynamics of doctors, who once used to be a sure thing for the GOP.

The Wall Street Journal: Doctors, Once GOP Stalwarts, Now More Likely to Be Democrats

A key ruling on the health law is expected in the next few weeks, but officials (on condition of anonymity, mind you) said that if the ruling is against the ACA, the Trump administration will ask the court to put any changes on hold possibly until after the election. The reports further support the idea that the law, which has been, uh, politically fraught (to say the very least) over its entire life span, is at the moment viewed as an Achilles heel for Republicans.

The Washington Post: Trump Administration Plans to Delay Any Changes If the ACA Loses in Court

Two other major news items out of the administration this week to pay attention to:

The Associated Press: Trump Signs Proclamation Restricting Visas for Uninsured

The Associated Press: Overhaul Is Proposed for Decades-Old Medicare Fraud Rules

The first teenagers death in the outbreak of vaping-related lung illnesses drove home this week public health officials message that young people are playing with their lives when they partake. The number of cases jumped to 1,299 as of Oct. 8, with the number of deaths rising to 26.

The Wall Street Journal: New York Citys First Vaping-Related Death Is a Bronx Teen

Reuters: U.S. Vaping-Related Deaths Rise to 26, Illnesses to 1,299

Although Juul is facing a barrage of lawsuits, one filed this week was notable. It was believed to be the first from school districts, which claim that fighting the vaping epidemic has been a drag on their resources. While some legal experts are dubious about whether the school districts can establish their standing, others arent ruling it out.

The New York Times: Juul Is Sued by School Districts That Say Vaping Is a Dangerous Drain on Their Resources

And the ripple effect of the crisis is spreading to life insurance prices.

Bloomberg: Prudential Plans to Boost Life Insurance Prices for Vapers

Time for you to flex your ethical muscles for the week: Should there be boundaries to highly personalized medicine? A pricey drug designed and named for! just one patient sparked questions this week about how far researchers should go in the name of curing a single person. Especially when there are thousands of patients out there with rare diseases. Would only the wealthiest subset be given cures? Who would decide which patients deserve limited research hours over others?

The New York Times: Scientists Designed a Drug for Just One Patient. Her Name Is Mila.

And ProPublica shines a light on the practice of drug companies using flashy Facebook ads, cash incentives and other marketing techniques to woo Mexican residents over the border to donate plasma. Its not as innocuous as it might seem donating too much plasma can compromise the immune system. (Selling plasma has been banned in Mexico since 1987.)

ProPublica: Pharmaceutical Companies Are Luring Mexicans Across the U.S. Border to Donate Blood Plasma

In the miscellaneous file for the week:

The New York Times: One Doctor. 25 Deaths. How Could It Have Happened?

Los Angeles Times: Americans Increasingly Fear Violence From People Who Are Mentally Ill

The New York Times: When a Steady Paycheck Is Good Medicine for Communities

Stat: Sesame Street Launches Initiative to Help Explain Parental Addiction to Kids

The Associated Press: US Official: Research Finds Uranium in Navajo Women, Babies

The Washington Post: Nobel Prize in Medicine Awarded for Discovery of How Cells Sense Oxygen

Thats it from me! Its good to be back with you guys, and I hope you have a great weekend!

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Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes - Kaiser Health News

Executive Summary

As care becomes more centered on the patient and the number of touchpoints and data inputs increases, care teams need a single pane view of the entire patient journey. In response, many health systems have begun to partner with a variety of CRM platforms such as Salesforce that have developed workflows and capabilities to meet the unique challenges of patient engagement and enable system-wide care traffic control. Bringing together data from parer apps and services, the platform gives the organization a shared view of the patient including medical history, insurance, scheduled appointments, preferences all in one place.

Hardly a day goes by without another new entrant declaring its foray into healthcare. Through a series of strategic acquisitions, Best Buy expanded from selling electronics and deploying its Geek Squad for repairs to providing home health services and remote monitoring. As the companys president suggested, achieving the goal of reducing healthcares spiraling costs will require some interesting new bedfellows.

Among these bedfellows is Lyft, which launched a healthcare-specific offering to reduce costly no-shows and remove transportation barriers for patients, especially those with chronic disease. Care teams can now order a ride in the same workflow as they do blood tests and, under some plans, have it covered by insurance. Then theres the explosion of apps, virtual consults and health chat bots making up the telemedicine market, which is expected to grow to $64 billion in the U.S. over the next five years.

What these trends point to is a dramatic expansion over the coming years of healthcares front door as the locus of care shifts from the hospital or clinic to patients themselves at work, home, or wherever their smartphones take them. Paired with a shift to value-based care and alignment of incentives to outcomes, this burst of innovation offers the promise of a more personalized approach to medicine focused on keeping patients well and out of the hospital, reducing overall cost of care. But it also brings with it some significant challenges that demand new approaches and safeguards.

Care traffic control

As care becomes more centered on the patient and the number of touchpoints and data inputs increases, care teams need a single pane view of the entire patient journey what John Halamka, executive director of the Health Technology Exploration Center of Beth Israel Lahey Health, has cleverly termed care traffic control. Orchestrating care and integrating data across an increasingly diverse and potentially virtualized care team requires new tools and what Halamka has called a new paradigm for team-based communication and wellness. Just as the retail industry has embraced knowledge sharing and omni-channel engagement through CRM platforms, so is healthcare recognizing the need for a coordinated approach to managing patient relationships.

In response, many health systems have begun to partner with a variety of CRM platforms that have developed workflows and capabilities to meet the unique challenges of patient engagement and enable system-wide care traffic control. For example, Piedmont Healthcare, a health system serving more than 2 million people across Georgia, partnered with Salesforce to help them deliver, engage and personalize care at scale. Bringing together data from partner apps and services, the platform gives the organization a shared view of the patient including medical history, insurance, scheduled appointments, preferences all in one place.

Piedmont care teams can get a more complete view of the patient by seeing medical history alongside information on employment, socioeconomic status, and other social determinants of health. In-home providers can access the same patient profiles to flag gaps around things like healthy food access or transportation that could land patients with chronic conditions back in the hospital. Armed with this data and the insights generated, outreach teams can send reminders or run targeted campaigns around things like nutrition classes to engage patients in more personalized ways. The ultimate goal is to deliver a more coordinated, tailored patient experience at a lower total cost of care.

While some might argue that EHRs can and should play this role of a unifying platform, most were never designed around patients and their full journey of care beyond the walls of a hospital or health system. Also, the average health system is challenged with integrating data and coordinating care across 18 different EHR systems across its various affiliated providers. A patient-relationship platform that sits atop these otherwise disconnected systems can provide a coordinated view of the patient journey thats otherwise sorely lacking.

Achieving the goal of truly personalized, patient-centered care still runs up against chronic and systemic interoperability challenges. But the expansion of digital health and the entry of Big Tech players such as Apple, Amazon and others have gradually shifted the calculus and created incentives for legacy EHR vendors and health systems to embrace a more open exchange of data. The rapid move across the industry to data-sharing via APIs using FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) standards is a positive sign that the industrys information silos may finally be breaking down.

Navigating the healthcare data tsunami

Even with the right tools in place, coordinating patient care across an expanded and more diverse ecosystem will only get more challenging with the tsunami of data coming from these new sources. A recent International Data Corporation report predicts a 36% growth rate for healthcare data over the next five years, faster than in any other industry. With every month that passes, new smart medical devices appear and more app-using patients begin to monitor their health, expecting the resulting data to be sent to their doctors and EHRs. Early in 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services responded with a proposed rule calling on the healthcare industry to take steps to give patients safe, secure access to, and control over, their healthcare data.

But what does this actually mean? With no certification process in place for medical apps, how are newly empowered patients to choose which are trustworthy and effective? Likewise, what criteria are providers to use for prescribing apps or accepting and validating the data coming from them? As John Torous, MD, director of digital psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, has demonstrated, we have yet to figure out how to conduct randomized trials for apps the way we do for drugs. Thus, its hard to distinguish apps with therapeutic benefit from those that are just marketing hype. Along with questions of validation come equally important questions of usability. For the data from a validated app or device to be usable, rules need to be written to separate a signal from the noise for example, what heart rate patterns from a remotely monitored CHF patient get ignored and which trigger an alert to the EHR. Much more work is needed to wrestle with these thorny issues in order to effectively translate clinical skills into digital care delivery.

Finally, as empowering as it sounds to give patients control over their data, we know all too well from recent breaches and scandals how this opens up their data to exploitation. A recent study of 24 of the top medical apps available on the market found that 79% shared user data in ways that might compromise privacy. As data moves into patient hands, the traditional role of the physician as trusted gatekeeper begins to break down. If you share health information with your physician, she has privacy obligations. If you share it with Alexa or Google Home, the same privacy rules dont apply. We need to educate patients to the risk versus reward of these technologies and evolve data privacy regulations to match new realities.

Healthcare is at an inflection point, awkwardly poised between traditional care delivery models with their benefits and well-documented shortcomings and a wave of new, exciting but largely untested offerings and interventions. A healthy dose of skepticism and vigilance is needed as companies and investors look to ride the wave and seize near-term rewards. But the promise of more personalized, patient-centered and outcomes-based healthcare is real, worthy, and within reach.

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How New Health Care Platforms Will Improve Patient Care - Harvard Business Review

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Quantzig, a leading analytics advisory firm that delivers customized analytics solutions, has announced the completion of their article that lists the pros and cons of predictive analytics in healthcare.

With the healthcare sector beginning to leverage advanced technologies such as predictive analytics and AI, healthcare organizations, health care agencies, and primary healthcare service providers must be aware of its benefits and risks. But to analyze the benefits of predictive analytics in healthcare, healthcare organizations must acknowledge the myriad ways through which they can benefit from this discipline.

Predictive analytics in healthcare plays a crucial role in improving operational management including the overall improvement of business operations and the personalization of drug therapies. Request a free brochure of our analytics solutions to learn more about its benefits.

Predictive Analytics in Healthcare: What are the benefits?

1. Improving operational efficiency of business processes

Predictive analytics in healthcare plays an important role in enhancing the efficiency of business processes by scrutinizing patient data sets to determine admission and readmission rates, while also helping businesses to monitor and analyze staff performance in real-time.

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2. Accuracy of diagnosis and treatment through personalized medicine & drug therapies

Predictive analytics in healthcare plays a key role at the individual level by helping healthcare service providers leverage prognostic analytics and big data to find cures for certain unfamiliar diseases. These insights can then be used by healthcare organizations to dynamically adjust their strategies in line with the discoveries and familiarize themselves with new conditions.

Talk to our analytics experts and learn how we can help you harness the true potential of analytics to drive healthcare outcomes.

3. In-depth insights to enhance cohort treatment

Digitization has enabled healthcare service providers to easily access patient data sets to make crucial decisions. Predictive analytics in healthcare includes population studies that use huge volumes of patient data to generate profiles of community and other cohort health patterns to create early interventions that aim to reduce the financial and resource load healthcare organizations.

Want comprehensive insights on the role of predictive analytics in healthcare decision making? Get in touch and learn more about our solutions.

Recent Articles:

About Quantzig

Quantzig is a global analytics and advisory firm with offices in the US, UK, Canada, China, and India. For more than 15 years, we have assisted our clients across the globe with end-to-end data modeling capabilities to leverage analytics for prudent decision making. Today, our firm consists of 120+ clients, including 45 Fortune 500 companies. For more information on our engagement policies and pricing plans, visit: https://www.quantzig.com/request-for-proposal

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Pros and Cons of Predictive Analytics in Healthcare | Quantzig's Latest Article Offers Expert Insights - Business Wire

Genomind opted to create the focused report in response to the recent UnitedHealthcare (UHC) decision to cover PGx testing for a subset of depression and anxiety patients. Genomind began offering its CORE Anxiety and Depression Report, in conjunction with UHCs coverage initiation for Genominds test for certain patients, on October 1, 2019. Consistent with the format of the full 24-gene report, Genomind will not include medication references on the CORE reports that are available to patients.

Mental healthcare in the U.S. is in crisis, with costs skyrocketing and suicide rates continuing to climb. Genomind remains committed to being part of the solution by providing innovative tools that are supported by literature and recognized by patients, clinicians, and health plans, said Shawn Patrick OBrien, Chief Executive Officer at Genomind. We have worked with UnitedHealthcare to bring our PGx service in line with their policy and laud their decision to support patients and embrace innovative, effective solutions in mental health. We look forward to working with other health plans to make these important tools more accessible to patients who continue to struggle with unmet medical needs in mental health.

In an August 2019 network bulletin, UHC issued a positive coverage decision for the use of multi-gene PGx testing, which uses no more than 15 relevant genes, in patients who have:

In issuing its decision, UHC cited the cost savings demonstrated in several studies examining PGx-guided therapy versus treatment without, including the Perlis et al. study, which used Genominds test. This study demonstrated that, compared to similar patients who did not use PGx-guided treatment, patients using Genominds test demonstrated an estimated $1,948 cost reduction in the first six months, 40% fewer emergency room visits for any reason, and 58% fewer hospitalizations for any cause.i

According to UHCs 2019 annual report, its health plans cover 27 million individuals. Given the estimated $1.4 billion market for depression and anxiety treatment, Genomind believes that many patients will be able to benefit from this policy decision. If the cost and resource savings described in the Perlis et al. study are applied to the patient population with depression and anxiety, we believe that the overall savings to the healthcare system would be in the billions, continued OBrien.

I watched my daughter struggle for years and we had many moments of despair as she spiraled into the depths of anxiety and depression. We wondered if wed ever find treatments for her that would work, said Jennifer Connelly, mother of a patient whose clinician prescribed Genominds PGx test as part of her mental healthcare program. Using Genominds test has been a lifesaving part of my daughters treatment. The information it gave our doctor enabled him to choose a medication more likely to work for her body, which I believe allowed the other pieces like cognitive therapy and wellness habits to take root. I am beyond grateful for Genominds test, which was such a key part of her healing process, and I hope that more patients are able to use this important tool in their mental health journey.

Genominds new CORE Anxiety and Depression Report is the most advanced and comprehensive depression and anxiety-focused service available in the mental health PGx market. It analyzes 15 genes that Genomind selected due to their documented utility in anxiety and depression treatment. As part of the Genomind Professional PGx Express suite of services, it provides 99.9% accuracy and a turnaround time of less than three days from receipt of the patient sample in Genominds lab. UHC patients and physicians receiving the CORE report can also enroll for free in NeuroFlow a digital platform of behavioral health smart phone apps that help the care teams and patients better track compliance with treatment plans and enable remote monitoring and measurement-based care.

Clinicians will still be able to order Genomind Professional PGx Express with the full 24-gene panel, which covers a broader range of mental health conditions, including substance abuse, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and bipolar disorder, upon request.

Clinicians can learn more about Genomind Professional PGx Express and the UHC coverage details at Genomind.com or by contacting Genominds customer service at 877-895-8658 or customerservice@genomind.com.

About Genomind Professional PGx Express (PGx Express)

Genomind Professional PGx Express is the most advanced and comprehensive mental health pharmacogenomic service available, bundling the results of a patients individual genetic profile with a set of services to support the patient and clinician in improving treatment outcomes. With a genetic profile obtained via a safe and painless cheek swab, Genomind offers two versions of its report. The full report analyzes potential variants on 24 pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic genes selected for inclusion based on guidelines from expert consortia and review of hundreds of peer-reviewed studies. Results include genetic information relevant for the treatment of conditions including depression, anxiety, autism, schizophrenia, chronic pain, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance abuse. In addition, Genomind Professional PGx Express offers a CORE Anxiety and Depression Report, which focuses on a subset panel of the 15 genes most relevant to anxiety and depression, and which is currently covered by UnitedHealthcare for certain patients. For both the full and CORE reports, Genomind will provide medication specific results for the clinician report only.

In addition to the genetic profile, PGx Express offers:

About Genomind

Genomind is the leading mental healthcare company, delivering the genetic testing tools that empower clinicians to make more informed treatment decisions and create better outcomes for patients with mental illnesses. As the scientific leader in genetic testing, Genominds flagship offering is Genomind Professional PGx Express the most advanced and comprehensive mental health genetic service available. Supported by a world-class genetics lab and unique consultative approach, Genomind is advancing a new paradigm of personalized medicine in mental health care. Learn more at http://www.genomind.com.

i 1. Perlis R et al. Pharmacogenetic testing among patients with mood and anxiety disorders is associated with decreased utilization and cost: A propensityscore matched study. Depression and Anxiety, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22742

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191008005279/en/

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Genomind Supports New Reimbursement Initiatives and Patient Access to Mental Health Pharmacogenomic Tests with PGx Report Focused on Anxiety and...