Xtalks Life Science Podcast
178 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago -This Life Science focused podcast brings together Xtalks editorial staff to share insights into the latest B2B industry news. Xtalks connects professionals in the life science, medical device, and food industries with useful content like webinars, job opening, articles and virtual meetings.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Why Antimicrobial Resistance is a Silent Pandemic
September 01, 2021 09:00 - 23 minutes - 16.1 MBIf 20 percent of the 250 million antibiotic prescriptions written globally each year are unnecessary, are there more drug-resistant superbugs in our future? In this episode, Sarah talks about the importance of paying attention to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and how surveillance programs will be key to preventing the next pandemic. The team debates when it’s appropriate to treat patients with antibiotics and discusses how bacterial infections are identified. They also talk about the link ...
How the Approval of Aducanumab Will Change Alzheimer’s Trials
August 25, 2021 09:00 - 27 minutes - 19.3 MBIn this episode, Sarah presents three ways that Alzheimer’s trials will change now that Biogen’s Aduhelm (aducanumab) has been approved by the FDA. The team discusses whether placebo-controlled trials are still ethical and how ongoing dementia studies can manage patient attrition. Can trials pivot to allow patients to aducanumab as a background therapy? The hosts also discuss how the price of aducanumab may limit patient access, and what it might take for payers to cover the cost of this pr...
FDA Authorizes COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters for Immunocompromised Individuals
August 18, 2021 09:00 - 28 minutes - 19.8 MBIn this episode, Ayesha discussed the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) authorization of a third dose of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for immunocompromised individuals. These individuals would primarily include organ transplant recipients, as well as patients taking immunosuppressive drugs for conditions like cancer and HIV/AIDS. Many people with weakened immune systems have been shown to have either low antibody titers, or none at all, after receiving a standard two-dose r...
FDA Authorizes COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters for Immunocompromised Individuals
August 18, 2021 09:00 - 28 minutes - 19.8 MBIn this episode, Ayesha discussed the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) authorization of a third dose of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for immunocompromised individuals. These individuals would primarily include organ transplant recipients, as well as patients taking immunosuppressive drugs for conditions like cancer and HIV/AIDS. Many people with weakened immune systems have been shown to have either low antibody titers, or none at all, after receiving a standard two-dose r...
AAIC 2021 – COVID-19 Impacts on Cognitive Health + Pancreatic Cancer Blood Test
August 11, 2021 09:00 - 30 minutes - 21 MBIn this episode, Ayesha discussed a presentation at this year’s Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2021 about the impacts of COVID-19 on cognitive health. The study, conducted at New York University Langone Health, found that in cognitively normal COVID-19 patients that experienced the neurological symptom of confusion due to toxic-metabolic encephalopathy (TME), levels of serum biomarkers associated with neuroinflammation, neuronal injury and Alzheimer’s disease (such a...
AAIC 2021 - Diversity in Clinical Trials + Johnson & Johnson Sued by Black Women's Group
August 04, 2021 09:00 - 42 minutes - 29.4 MBIn this episode, Sarah talked about attending the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2021 virtually this year and discussed increasing diversity in Alzheimer’s clinical trials as an important topic that was part of the conference. Black and Hispanic people are more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s compared to Caucasians. Sarah outlined the results of some studies shared at the meeting, including a study that revealed people of minority backgrounds would be more li...
AAIC 2021 – Aduhelm Recommendations + Pfizer's Expanded Chantix Recall
July 28, 2021 09:00 - 39 minutes - 27.1 MBIn this episode, Ayesha discusses a set of recommendations for use of the new FDA-approved Alzheimer’s treatment Aduhelm (aducanumab) published by an expert panel, which was shared at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2021 this week. Ayesha and the team talked about the controversial approval of the drug, with lingering questions about its clinical benefit despite having the ability to reduce amyloid plaques as an anti-amyloid monoclonal antibody. It appears that cl...
WHO Comments on COVID-19 Vaccine Mixing + World's First Glucose Saliva Test
July 21, 2021 09:00 - 39 minutes - 27 MBIn this episode, Ayesha talks about the misleading headlines that ensued after WHO chief scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan made comments in a press briefing about mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccines and how there is currently no data to support additional doses and boosters at this time. News agencies like Reuters were at the helm of the misleading headlines, which took the comments out of context, stating that mixing and matching vaccines was outright dangerous. The team discussed the resp...
Nestlé to Market Oral Microbiome Drug for C. Difficile + WHO Recommends IL-6 Blockers as Life-Saving COVID-19 Treatment
July 14, 2021 09:00 - 40 minutes - 27.6 MBIn this episode, Ayesha talks about Nestlé’s marketing of Seres Therapeutics’ oral microbiome drug for recurrent C. Difficile infection (CDI). CDIs are the leading cause of hospital-acquired infections in the US, with recurrence being a common problem. It typically develops after the use of antibiotics which can wipe out the gut’s healthy bacteria. Seres’ microbiome drug SER-109 aims to restore the healthy bacteria via an oral capsule that contains a protective species of gut bacteria. Nestl...
First FDA-Approved Video Game for ADHD + Why Not to Worry About Menstrual Changes After COVID-19 Vaccination
July 07, 2021 09:00 - 36 minutes - 25.4 MBIn this episode, Ayesha talks about the launch of a digital marketing campaign for the first FDA-approved therapeutic video game to help treat ADHD. The video game, called EndeavorRx, is installed as an app on smart phones and tablets. It was developed by digital medicine company Akili Interactive. The game is available by prescription and is indicated for children eight to 12 years of age with primarily inattentive or combined-type ADHD who have a demonstrated attention issue. Akili launche...
NeuraLace’s Peripheral Nerve Stimulation System for Chronic Pain + AstraZeneca Fights COVID Vaccine Delivery Lawsuit
June 30, 2021 09:00 - 24 minutes - 17.2 MBIn this episode, Ayesha talks about a peripheral nerve stimulation system for chronic pain developed by biotech company NeuraLace that received 510(k) FDA clearance last week. The device uses electromagnetic induction technology to directly target nerves damaged from injuries like accidents, surgery and burns among others. The goal is to stimulate damaged nerves involved in the body’s natural pain-relief pathways, helping alleviate pain at the source rather than trying to mask it as most oth...
Measuring Body Fat Percentage with Amazon's Halo app + Regeneron's Antibody Treatment Cuts Risk of COVID-19 Deaths
June 23, 2021 09:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MBIn this episode, Ayesha discusses the results of a recent study that show Amazon’s Halo app can accurately estimate body fat percentage with results comparable to traditional DXA testing. The app has built-in AI algorithms that analyze images taken from a user’s smartphone, which are used to build a 3D model of the body and generate an estimate of body fat percentage within seconds. The app is easy to use and offers users the convenience of assessing their body fat composition from the comfo...
World's First Digital Fabric + Amazon's Direct-to-Consumer COVID-19 Test
June 16, 2021 09:00 - 30 minutes - 21.3 MBIn this episode, Ayesha talks about a new digital fabric fiber developed by MIT researchers. The fiber contains temperature sensors and memory devices that can sense, record, analyze and store digital health data. The polymeric fiber was designed with hundreds of microscale digital chips embedded into it and can be sewn into fabrics using a needle. Using AI approaches, the digital fiber can analyze temperature recordings and infer a user’s activity. It has the capacity to record and store al...
Fruit and Type 2 Diabetes Risk + Moderna's Manufacturing Partnerships
June 09, 2021 09:00 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MBIn this episode, Ayesha talks about new research from Australia showing that eating fruit could lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Researchers at the Edith Cowan University’s (ECU) Institute for Nutrition Research in Perth, Australia found that consuming at least two servings of fruit a day was linked to an over one third lower odds of developing the disease. The same benefit was not seen for drinking fruit juice. This isn’t the first study that has found a link between fruit inta...
Google's AI Dermatology App + WHO's Investigations into the Coronavirus Lab Leak Theory
June 02, 2021 09:00 - 32 minutes - 22.1 MBIn this episode, Ayesha talks about Google’s new AI-based dermatology tool designed to help people identify and research conditions of the skin, hair and nails. The tool involves downloading an app on your phone and using its camera to take images of the affected area(s). These images, along with information about things like symptoms and skin type, are used to offer a list of possible matching conditions by linking to a database of 288 conditions that includes verified, peer-reviewed inform...
Google's AI Dermatology App + WHO's Investigations into the Coronavirus Lab Leak Theory
June 02, 2021 09:00 - 32 minutes - 22.1 MBIn this episode, Ayesha talks about Google’s new AI-based dermatology tool designed to help people identify and research conditions of the skin, hair and nails. The tool involves downloading an app on your phone and using its camera to take images of the affected area(s). These images, along with information about things like symptoms and skin type, are used to offer a list of possible matching conditions by linking to a database of 288 conditions that includes verified, peer-reviewed inform...
Clinical Trials Day 2021 + AbbVie’s Humira Monopoly
May 26, 2021 09:00 - 33 minutes - 22.9 MBIn this episode, Ayesha talks about Clinical Trials Day 2021 and how the COVID-19 pandemic spurred changes in trial procedures and perceptions of clinical research. At the onset of the pandemic, many clinical trial sites had to be shut down, prompting trial sponsors and practitioners to move to remote, decentralized clinical trial models. Researchers had to adapt quickly to minimize trial disruptions. Xtalks spoke to experts in the field who say decentralized and hybrid trials are here to st...
Pharma TV Ad Spending Trends + AI Algorithm for Heart Disease
May 19, 2021 09:00 - 23 minutes - 16.2 MBIn this episode, Ayesha discusses the latest trends in pharma tv ad spending, including the top spenders last week. The pandemic has led to a rise in both TV watching and health awareness, which pharma companies took advantage of by increasing spending on TV commercials by about 17 percent overall. Last week, three of the top ten TV ads by expenditure were from pharma, which included GLP-1 diabetes drugs Rybelsus and Trulicty and the anti-inflammatory Dupixent for treating eczema. The grou...
Epigenetic Editing with CRISPR + ADHD in Preschoolers
May 12, 2021 09:00 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MBIn this episode, Ayesha discusses a new tool that uses CRISPR to modulate gene expression without editing DNA sequences. Dubbed “CRISPRoff,” the technology targets the epigenome to silence genes involved in diseases, with applications in cancer, AML and other conditions with a heritable component. The team debates the ethical considerations around epigenetic therapies and genome editing, and how scientific communications should be improved to help educate the public on complex medical breakt...
At-Home Sleep Apnea Test + Neurological Rehabilitation Device for Stroke Patients
May 05, 2021 09:00 - 30 minutes - 21 MBUndiagnosed and untreated sleep apnea can have serious health consequences such as increased risk of heart disease, stroke and obesity. Conventional sleep apnea testing involves invasive, cumbersome equipment and an overnight stay at a hospital or sleep clinic. However, a new sleep apnea test device developed by Belgian start-up Sunrise may soon change that. Listen to this episode to find out about a new lightweight, wireless, AI-powered device sleep apnea testing device that can be administ...
Malaria Vaccine + Sugar’s Effect on Brain Development in Children
April 28, 2021 09:00 - 35 minutes - 24.7 MBStories about the development of COVID-19 vaccines have dominated the news for months, but a huge breakthrough in the prevention of another infectious disease has just been announced. Listen to this episode to learn about a new malaria vaccine developed by researchers at the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford that is 77 percent effective at blocking the parasite. In this episode, Ayesha also shares the results of a study that gives parents another reason to limit their kids’ sugar...
J&J COVID-19 Vaccine and Thrombosis + Medtronic's Harmony Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Approval
April 21, 2021 09:00 - 34 minutes - 23.9 MBMore cases of blood clots in those vaccinated against COVID-19 — this time in six women who took the J&J shot — has US regulators recommending that vaccination efforts be paused. In this episode of the Xtalks Life Science podcast, Ayesha discusses the type of thrombotic events reported in these patients, and the team explores whether the benefits of getting vaccinated outweigh the risks of getting COVID-19, and suffering infection-associated thrombosis. Also in this episode, Ayesha talks a...
Parkinson's Disease: Link With Melanoma + Drug Development
April 14, 2021 09:00 - 33 minutes - 22.8 MBFDA-mandated clinical holds, strategic partnership breakups and $800 million biotech acquisitions. In this episode of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, Sarah revisits two Parkinson’s biotech companies — Prevail Therapeutics and Voyager Therapeutics — to see what progress they’ve made in their gene therapy clinical development programs since April 2019. She shares how well the firms have weathered the COVID-19 pandemic, and the team discusses the outlook for the drug development industry in ge...
Social Media’s Disinformation Dozen + Pfizer’s Latest COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Results
April 07, 2021 08:00 - 26 minutes - 18.6 MBIn this episode of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, Ayesha discusses a report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) and Anti-Vax Watch that shows there are just 12 people behind 65 percent of all online anti-vaccine disinformation. While social media operators such as Facebook and Twitter had vowed to remove vaccine disinformation from their platforms, the disinformation dozen are still active and well on the sites. How can online misinformation be better combatted and are stric...
Caffeine Consumption in Pregnancy + Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator for MS
March 31, 2021 08:00 - 27 minutes - 19 MBIn this episode of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, Ayesha discusses the results of a new NIH study that suggest a link between moderate caffeine consumption during pregnancy and lower birth weight and reduced body size. Should pregnant women avoid caffeine altogether, or is this yet another restriction placed on expectant mothers that might not be necessary? Ayesha also talks about a new medical device that could help improve gait and balance in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The ...
COVID-19 Pandemic Anniversary + Cancer Biotech Acquisitions
March 24, 2021 09:00 - 39 minutes - 27.3 MBThis podcast was recorded on March 15, 2021 In Episode 3 of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, the team reflects on the 1-year anniversary of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ayesha explains how far we’ve come since March 2020 in terms of vaccine development, but discusses the inequities in distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines despite the establishment of the WHO’s COVAX Facility. Ayesha also discusses the four largest cancer biotech acquisitions of 2021 so far, including deals made by A...
Mask-Associated Dry Eye + Droplet Micron Insulin Needle
March 24, 2021 09:00 - 28 minutes - 19.5 MBThis podcast was recorded on February 23rd, 2021 In Episode 1 of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, Sarah discusses a new condition called “Mask-Associated Dry Eye” and Ayesha talks about Droplet Micron, an innovative insulin needle. Tune into this episode to hear a clip from Sarah’s interview with Dr. Richard Hom, optometric director at Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, who talks about the impact of prolonged screen time on eye health. And hear from Anu Rajora, director of medical marketi...
Why You Can’t Compare COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacies
March 24, 2021 09:00 - 22 minutes - 15.6 MBThis podcast was recorded on March 2, 2021 With a number of COVID-19 vaccines now being authorized for use, how do we decide which is the best? Using data from COVID-19 vaccine trials from Pfizer/BioNTech, Oxford/AstraZeneca, Moderna and J&J, Ayesha explains why vaccine efficacies can't be directly compared — and why vaccine messaging needs to reflect this. Listen to Episode 2 of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast to hear about Mira's experience with getting vaccinated in the UAE, and why "C...