Xtalks Life Science Podcast

In this episode, the editorial team talks about Moderna’s unwillingness to share its COVID-19 vaccine formula with other countries, namely low- and middle-income countries who continue to face issues accessing COVID-19 vaccines. The company said it would be more efficient for it to aim to produce more of the vaccines themselves to deliver to poorer countries. While developing countries continue to...

In this episode, Ayesha talks about World Arthritis Day, which is on October 12 every year, with this year’s theme being raising awareness about early diagnosis. In addition to timely diagnosis, there may soon be a preventative vaccine for inflammatory arthritic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers at the University of Toledo have developed a vaccine against inflammatory arthritis...

In this episode, Ayesha talks about the CDC’s updated guidance according to which the COVID-19 vaccines can be administered at the same time as the flu shot and other vaccines. The new guidelines comes after the federal health agency says there is now substantial data around the COVID-19 vaccines to show that it is safe to be administered alongside other vaccines. Additionally, studies show that i...

In this episode, Ayesha talks about the FDA’s new interactive quiz as part of its Bad Ad outreach program that targets misleading pharmaceutical promotions. Although the Bad Ad program is primarily directed towards healthcare providers, the general public can also anonymously report dubious ads to the FDA’s Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP), which runs the program. The new quiz is likel...

In this episode, Ayesha discusses the FDA’s pending decision on authorizing COVID-19 vaccine boosters for the general public. While an FDA vaccine advisory committee voted against boosters for individuals 16 years of age and older last week, the FDA is still working towards its final decision on the matter. At the same time, the advisory panel recommended offering third doses of the Pfizer COVID-1...

With RNA being the popular new “it” molecule in genetic research, Ayesha discusses Eli Lilly’s new partnership with biotech company ProQR to develop RNA-based therapeutics in this episode. The $1.5 billion deal will see Lilly leverage ProQR’s proprietary RNA editing platform to develop targets of interest. The team discusses how the success of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have heightened interest in...

Knee replacements may soon be getting smarter with the world’s first smart knee implant. In this episode, Ayesha discusses a new personalized knee implant with integrated smart technology that recently received FDA clearance. Using sensors and cloud connectivity, it can help patients and practitioners monitor post-operative progress in real-time.  The editorial team also talked about new data from...

If 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 an...

In 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 aduc...

In 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...

In 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 ser...

In 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...

In 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...

In 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 contex...

In 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 th...

In 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 pr...

In 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...

In 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 eas...

In 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 analyz...

In 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 se...

In 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 co...

In 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 disrupti...

In 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 diabete...

In 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 s...

Undiagnosed 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 abou...