Dr. Marc Hedrick, President and CEO of Plus Therapeutics Inc., has expanded their focus from glioblastoma to leptomeningeal metastasis, a central nervous system cancer that is a growing challenge due to increased survival rates from primary cancers. Their highly sensitive, advanced diagnostic test, CNSide, can detect cancer cells in cerebrospinal fluid, addressing the shortcomings of imaging and outdated standard-of-care practices. Using AI and advanced data analytics, their lead drug candidate is uniquely suited for treating CNS cancers because its safety at high doses enables the precise delivery of radiation.

Marc explains, "Since we last talked and we discussed primarily the use of radiotherapeutics for the treatment of glioblastoma. We've expanded that pretty significantly into a disease called leptomeningeal metastasis. And I think we may have touched on that briefly, at least conceptually, a few years ago. But now it's really real. We've just completed a phase one trial, and we're expanding that with the goal of getting the drug approved, perhaps sooner than with glioblastoma, by focusing on leptomeningeal cancer, for which there's nothing approved. And maybe it would be a good idea to back up and explain a little bit about what that is, because there's an epidemic of it that's not commonly understood."

"So the central nervous system is a protected organ in the body. Now, I mean the brain and the spinal cord. And it's that way for a reason to keep bad things out. Things like infections, tumors, or certain chemical toxins. And that includes drugs. Only about 2% of all drugs get into the central nervous system, which is a problem from a therapeutic perspective. But there's an epidemic in terms of metastases to the brain and spinal cord. Let's call those the CNS collectively. And that's because many common tumors like breast cancer, lung cancer, gastrointestinal cancers, and melanoma are better controlled locally with drugs that don't have to worry about getting into the central nervous system. They just need to get into those specific organs and tissues and then exert control over the tumor where it occurred."

$PSTV #LM #CNS #Cancer #LeptomeningealMetastases #CNSide #BrainCancer #Oncology #Radiotherapeutics #MedicalInnovation #CancerResearch #Biotechnology #PatientCare #ClinicalTrials #HealthcareInnovation #CancerTreatment #Neuroscience #MedTech

plustherapeutics.com

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Kristy Yoskey, VP and Market Leader at PointClickCare, sees the evolution of demands of those living in senior living facilities from expecting basic housing to a desire for lifestyle choices, health services, and engagement in meaningful activities. On the facilities side, there is a shift from reactive to proactive care, where technology is used to monitor residents, identify behavioral changes, support clinical decision-making, and intervene early to prevent adverse events. In addition, the complexity of resident care is increasing, blurring the line between hospitality and healthcare and requiring greater care coordination and real-time updates for providers and family members.

Kristy explains, "We've seen a real shift within senior living, and this is sort of a passion of mine. Residents in senior living are not just looking for hospitality, a place to go, and a roof over their heads anymore. They want lifestyle. They want health, they want purpose in life, they want independence. So we've seen real shifts in acuity levels, which means complexity, care needs are shifting. And we're seeing families sort of wanting more transparency, real-time updates. COVID really shifted a lot of things post-2020, and senior living did not necessarily get past that."

"So they want to know that their loved one's not only safe, but they're also thriving, and they're receiving care. Residents want to know that someone's going to help coordinate their care and not just put them in an apartment and leave them alone. They're moving in for something that they need, some sort of help or something that is beyond what they can do in a community-type home. So the last thing I'll say here is that hospitality and healthcare have really become blurred in senior living since COVID. It's been a hot topic. We're seeing a lot more clinical services onsite and a lot more coordinated care happening. So the teams, the tools, all of that happening onsite within assisted independent memory care are now a necessity."

#PointClickCare ##SeniorLiving #HealthTech #AI #DigitalHealth #ElderCare #ResidentWellness #HealthcareInnovation #ProactiveCare #SeniorCare #PointClickCare #WellnessCoordination #HealthcareTransformation #AgingInPlace #ClinicalTechnology

pointclickcare.com

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Sarah Smith, Qualitative Specialist and Global Behavioral Science Strategy Lead at Oracle Life Sciences, is focused on the critical role of behavioral science in improving recruitment and retention in clinical trials. Oracle Life Sciences is working to address historical underrepresentation in clinical trials by combining behavioral insights with integrated technologies to identify at-risk populations and understand barriers to participation. Using nudges to encourage trial participation, conducting decentralized trials, and applying AI to reshape patient engagement are strong tools for building trust and improving accessibility.

Sarah explains, "Behavioral science is about understanding behavior. It draws from a number of disciplines like psychology, anthropology, and behavioral economics. But what it tells us is that people aren't rational. They don't always do the things that we expect them to do. So if we want to engage people, if we want to engage them properly, if we want to ensure that all the things we do are equitable and have an equal playing field, then we need to really understand why people do the things they do and to try and help us make sense of that in a way that encompasses everybody."

"We see treatment and technology advancing, but there are many communities that aren't part of that still, that are underrepresented. Factors like gender, ethnicity, culture, conditions that carry a stigma, socioeconomic issues, and geographic limitations - all of these things can limit the opportunity, ability, and willingness of individuals to participate in clinical trials. And that means the impact of those trials is less generalizable because those people are not represented. They're just simply not there. So the treatment that is aimed at these people is not measured in those groups. Oracle is working to address this by combining a deeper understanding of behavior with integrated technology to try to close this gap in representation to give more inclusive patient-centered care that unifies clinical, behavioral, and safety data across settings. To give a more holistic view, to give more coordinated care, to identify risks earlier, to identify patients that perhaps just need a bit more attention - a more personalized engagement."

#OracleLifeSciences #lifesciences #ClinicalResearch #PatientCentricity #PatientEngagement #ClinicalTrials #Healthliteracy #BehavioralScience #HealthEquity #AI #Healthcare #Diversity #Inclusion #MedicalResearch #Innovation

Oracle.com/life-sciences

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