Michael Platt

How can you use cutting edge molecular analysis of a patient's cancer to develop a personalized treatment plan? Brian McCloskey is an advanced prostate cancer patient who may have received the most testing of anyone on the planet over his eight years of treatment. With help from the diagnostics company BostonGene, he recently had extensive testing done (whole genome DNA sequencing, RNA sequencing, and multiplex immunofluorescence), which identified new biomarkers (such as VEGF), characterized the microenvironment around his tumors (fibrotic), and compared these test results with his previous test results to uncover evolutionary divergence between his original tumor and new metastatic tumors. Brian's doctor Rana McKay, a leading oncologist at UCSD, then used these test results and a review of data on treatment options to arrive at a very personalized treatment plan: a two-drug combination available through a clinical trial. One drug (cabozantinib) targets one of his biomarkers (VEGF) and the other is an immune checkpoint inhibitor drug (nivolumab, brand name Opdivo). This combination has shown good efficacy in other cancers with a similar genomic profile. For more, please see here: https://lnkd.in/eWVfGGk9

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In an op-ed published in BioCentury Inc. May 14, Gigi Hirsch of NEWDIGS Initiative at Tufts Medical Center and Jane F. Barlow, MD, MPH, MBA of Real Endpoints make the case that the only way to have our cake (medical innovation) and to be able to eat it (afford the innovation) is to increase health efficiency – that is, capturing the full value of medical products. And that means consistently doing the following: using the innovations where they’re needed; not using them where they’re not needed; innovating in the use of cheaper medicines and investing in systems changes to support their use. Reducing drug costs alone, with blunt instruments like the IRA, isn’t going to create the investment incentives that result in therapies that will make people healthier. Similarly, pursuing innovative science without also investing in innovations in health efficiency creates a vicious circle where cost containment becomes the primary rallying cry. Hirsch and Barlow suggest, as a start, three ways to begin to break this vicious circle: 1. Recommit to precision medicine (in particular, make diagnostic-driven drug therapy routine medical practice); 2. Build infrastructure to scale value-based payments; 3. Where applicable, repurpose generic drugs to save lives and lower costs. By catalyzing multi-stakeholder collaborations, drug companies have an opportunity to play a leading role accelerating healthcare efficiency in these three areas. As the authors rightly point out, drug companies also have much to gain by helping the overall system catch up with science. After all, what’s the point of a breakthrough that doesn’t reach ALL the patients who need it? #healthcare #value #innovation #efficiency #drugpricing #newmodels #healthcaredelivery #affordability #BioCentury #editorial cc Roger Longman Jeff Berkowitz Michael Sherman Brian Reid Gigi Hirsch Jane F. Barlow, MD, MPH, MBA Mark Trusheim https://lnkd.in/g2naerXA  

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Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development has partnered with Digital Medicine Society (DiMe) on the DATAcc by DiMe’s new project, “Building the Business Case for Digital Endpoints." This project will increase investment in digital measurement development and deployment in clinical trials by developing a value framework, industry benchmarking tools, ROI forecasting models, and a modular template business case framework to support innovators across the field to invest in digital endpoints and advance their broad adoption and scale in clinical research. To learn more about this project, visit https://bit.ly/3VuPALY Tufts CSDD's Joseph DiMasi and Zachary Smith are continuing with an advisory role on the project and have collaborated with CSDD's Abigail Dirks, MS, Ken Getz, and other industry leaders at Johnson & Johnson, Roche, Genentech, UCB, Bayer, Takeda and MindMed on research "Assessing the Net Financial Benefits of Employing Digital Endpoints in Clinical Trials". To access the research article, visit https://bit.ly/3X3NeEW #digitalendpoints #clinicaltrials #research

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May is #MentalHealth Awareness Month, and this Psychology Today article from Kirk Nylen, PhD outlines progress in this space. Among the many therapeutic areas #JourneysMetabolic supports with our EHR-interoperable digital therapeutic, patients with mental health disorders have incredibly profound clinical impact that truly give their lives back. 50-60% of #bipolar patients, for example are non-responsive to medications, a staggering number. There is hope in what many traditionally suggest is hopeless. Not any more. #ketogenic #digitaltherapeutics #insulinresistance #valuebasedcare #baszuckigroup #metabolicpsychiatry

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The field of metabolic psychiatry is absolutely fascinating. In the past few years, we've done a fairly good job of helping people connect the dots between metabolic/mitochondrial dysfunction and end-organ disease. Metabolic disease in the pancreas manifests as prediabetes/diabetes. Metabolic disease in the liver manifests as MASLD/MASH. Metabolic disease in the vascular system manifests as ASCVD. But as a whole, most of us have largely ignored the brain. It makes sense that metabolic dysfunction in the brain leads to diseases of the brain - not only Alzheimer's disease (which is now getting dubbed type I diabetes) but bipolar mood disorder, depression, anxiety, ADHD - and so many more. When you dive deep into biochemistry, it makes complete sense. Props to all the visionary leaders in the field of #metabolicpsychiatry: Christopher Palmer, Georgia Ede MD, Shebani Sethi MD, ABOM, Matthew Bernstein and so many more!

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The Inflation Reduction Act aims to cut drug costs, but some experts suggest focusing on health efficiency—ensuring timely, equitable access to medicines. 💊🔬 Gigi Hirsch, Director of the Center for Biomedical System Design and NEWDIGS Initiative at Tufts Medical Center, highlights the importance of this approach to balance economic sustainability and the potential of biomedical innovation in a BioCentury Inc. piece. Over the past 15 years, the biopharma industry has achieved significant success, yet healthcare costs remain high and benefits unevenly distributed. Hirsch calls for industry leaders to engage in multistakeholder collaborations to create a roadmap to health efficiency. Some of the key steps include personalizing treatment through precision medicine, developing scalable outcome tracking for value-based payments, and repurposing generic drugs. This perspective suggests that the next wave of innovation should focus on translating new medicines into tangible value for patients, addressing inefficiencies in the healthcare system to support sustainable biomedical advancements. Wanna learn more? Read the piece here: https://ow.ly/TVFc50S2pxz Tufts Medical Center #HealthcareInnovation #HealthEfficiency #BiomedicalInnovation #AccessToMedicine #Pharma #HealthcareEquity #PrecisionMedicine #ValueBasedCare #HealthcareReform #DrugCosts #HealthEconomics #Biopharma #MedicalAdvancements #SustainableHealthcare

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Cycle of Health: Season 17, Episode 6 | Watch Thursday, June 27 at 8:30 p.m. on WCNY-TV On this week's episode of "Cycle of Health," we delve into the heterogeneity of ADHD and explore new and developing research into treatment criteria for the condition. Discover how ADHD affects children, teens, and adults throughout their lifetimes. #WCNY #CNY #CycleofHealth

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The white paper titled, “Managing the Challenges of Paying for Gene Therapy: Strategies for Market Action and Policy Reform” has been co-developed by Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) and NEWDIGS Initiative at Tufts Medical Center to advance understanding around the complexities associated with the payment landscape for #genetherapies. Read our summary and a collection of initial reactions at The Evidence Base®. #genetherapy #valueassessment #healtheconomics #outcomesresearch #marketaccess #healthpolicy #rwe #realworldevidence #pharma #biopharma

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“The College of Medicine, with our health system, Penn State Health, is uniquely situated to advance AI at the intersection of health and technology. With our extensive data resources and outstanding faculty, we are reimagining biomedical research, education, health outcomes and value-based patient care.” -- Karen Kim, dean of the Penn State College of Medicine The Penn State Board of Trustees Committee on Academic Affairs, Research and Student Life recently discussed the University's artificial intelligence portfolio and strategies to build upon the current AI footprint at the University. Kim, alongside Dajiang Liu, distinguished professor and vice chair for research in the Department of Public Health Sciences and director of bioinformatics and AI in the College of Medicine, are committee members. Together, Kim and Liu highlighted how the College of Medicine is "poised to be a leader in AI by fully leveraging science, technology and practical applications to enhance health," according to Penn State News. #PennStateAI #Research Penn State Research Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/eNUMfURm

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Think about the impact of being able to introduce a vaccine that can eradicate a life-threatening disease a full year earlier! 🌎 Julia O'Neill, Principal Consultant of Direxa Consulting, and former Distinguished Fellow at Moderna Therapeutics, shares her expertise on accelerating vaccine development using Design of Experiments (DOE): Many believe that DOE is time-consuming, but it actually accelerates development. By using DOE, planning early, and understanding constraints, experiments become more efficient and effective, allowing us to reduce the experimental timeline for a traditional vaccine by half. Learn more from Julia O’Neill’s experiences and insights: https://go.jmp/45jsmM5 #DOE #VaccineDevelopment #Pharmaceuticals #StatisticalAnalysis #JMP

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“At Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, physician-scientists are studying what they say is a first-of-its-kind program that uses virtual reality and generative AI to provide mental health support.” Known as XAIA, this AI program acts as an immersion therapy treatment led by a digital avatar – yet another example of how AI could and can be used to expand health options and accessibility to people globally. While still in its beginning stages, this is truly an interesting case study into what the future of healthcare might look like if we take advantage of current technology and offer it to patients as a means to help them take control of their health. #AI #MentalHealth #BehavioralHealth #FutureOfHealth

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Great article to get to know more about what we are doing at ChristianaCare to contribute to the expansion and growth of Precision Medicine.

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We supported MassBio at the 2024 #MassBioDrive Accelerator Program spring cohort as a curriculum expert. This was an eight-week program that connected emerging biotech startups with industry-specific curriculum modules. Click here to learn more about our experience: https://lnkd.in/eE2Xn_fa #massbio #springcohort #biotechstartups #biotech #blogpost

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From this article in Cancer Therapy Advisor, "This metric encompassed medical accuracy, completeness, and focus." #AI is here to stay. I present this article with an emphasis on understanding more about chatbots in #cancercare but also knowing this is a developing topic that will require ongoing research. #nonprofitleadership #patientadvocacy #breastcancer #breastreconstruction #shareddecisionmaking supporting #sdg3

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Not all patients are concerned with the same things, even those dealing with life-threatening conditions. In this work, individuals who had survived Acute Leukemia were asked about their treatment preferences in the event of a relapse. Whilst all patients were concerned with the likelihood that they would respond to treatment, they differed in terms of their concern for other aspects of treatment. 💡This result emphasise that patients are still individuals, with their own distinct values and preferences, even when faced with a life-threatening condition. Healthcare providers and systems must account for these preferences when treating patients, even in the most urgent of circumstances. Thanks to the Acute Leukemia Advocates Network and especially Samantha Nier and Zack Pemberton-Whiteley for the opportunity to contribute to this research. #patientpreferences #AcuteLeukemia #healtheconomics

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Attention All ErgoScience FCE Providers: The New and Improved Web-Based Software Is Now Available From May 27 through June 1, 2024, current FCE Providers receive a 15% savings on FCE refresher training (optional) and our new web-based software, PWPE Cloud™. ErgoScience’s Physical Performance Work Evaluation (PWPE) software offers everything you need to perform a state-of-the-art FCE: -Freedom to edit reports -Computer-generated color reports complete with graphs and charts -Automated scoring and report writing -Easy to read and interpret test results -Quick turnaround: 15 minutes or less to a finished report -Failsafe mechanisms designed to ensure correct scoring See what all is new: https://bit.ly/3R0KNPK Schedule a call with us today to discuss how the new software can help you excel even more: https://bit.ly/3UKPcH

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The intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology holds immense promise for advancing healthcare, from drug discovery and personalized medicine to improving diagnostics and patient care. AI can analyze vast amounts of biological data more quickly and accurately than humans, leading to insights that can accelerate medical breakthroughs. Biotech, on the other hand, provides the tools and techniques to manipulate biological systems, such as gene editing and synthetic biology, which AI can enhance through predictive modeling and optimization. Together, AI and biotech can revolutionize drug development by streamlining the identification of potential drug candidates, predicting their efficacy and safety profiles, and optimizing treatment regimens for individual patients. In diagnostics, AI algorithms can analyze medical images, genetic data, and other biomarkers to improve disease detection and diagnosis accuracy. Additionally, AI-powered wearable devices and remote monitoring systems can provide real-time health insights, enabling early intervention and preventive care. However, this convergence also raises ethical, regulatory, and privacy concerns, particularly regarding the responsible use of patient data, the potential for algorithmic biases, and the implications of gene editing technologies. It's essential for stakeholders in both fields to collaborate closely to ensure that AI-driven biotech innovations prioritize patient safety, equity, and ethical considerations while maximizing their transformative potential in healthcare. #AI #Biotech #drugdevelopment #Data #HIT #predictivemodeling #machinelearning #healthcare #Informatics #ecosystems

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Genomic newborn screening holds immense potential for saving lives. By enabling early detection of rare diseases, genomic sequencing significantly enhances treatment outcomes and saves lives through timely interventions. In this interview, Director of Prenatal Medical Genetics and Associate Director of Research, Massachusetts General Brigham Personalized Medicine, Boston, Nina Gold delves into her research on genomic newborn sequencing, offering expert insights on the feasibility of implementing this for all newborns and the necessary infrastructure to achieve it. Read the full interview here: https://hubs.la/Q02zYyjK0 #NeonatalCare #RareDiseases #GenomicSequencing

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While screen time often gets the spotlight, a recent interview on WBUR's Radio Boston with the Lab's Dr. Michael Rich and Professor Peter Gray from Boston College highlighted the importance of looking beyond simple numbers and finding the right balance for each child, at each age and stage. Some key takeaways from the discussion: FOCUS ON PLAY, NOT JUST SCREEN TIME: The significance of free, unstructured play shouldn't be underestimated. Exploration and experimentation are vital for healthy development and overly restrictive environments may contribute to anxieties and limit opportunities for growth. DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY ISN’T INHERENTLY NEGATIVE: Interactive media can foster positive connections and experiences, especially during challenging times like the pandemic. QUALITY & CONTEXT MATTER: Dr. Rich underscores that mindful and purposeful engagement with technology can be beneficial. BUILD RELIANCE THROUGH EXPLORATION: Both academics encourage parents to create space for independent play and exploration, allowing children to develop courage, problem-solving skills, and a sense of self-reliance. Listen to full interview: https://ow.ly/ZGMu50RP7H4

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