Empowered Patient Podcast

Heather Ridenoure, Center of Excellence Segment Leader, and Maeve Ruggieri, the Director of Product at Contigo Health, shine a light on the challenge of employee substance use disorder and the resources available for care. This chronic disease can be caused by adverse childhood events, genetic predisposition, stress, and environmental factors. Contigo addresses any substance that can be abused through their Centers for Excellence program with virtual care and in-person care options where participation is voluntary and can be accessed 24/7.

Heather explains, "As far as how frequently this occurs, the newest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control said one in seven people have a substance use disorder. That's new data, and that's been increasing by 30% since the pandemic, which is pretty significant. So, this is one of the reasons we struck out on a journey to try to address some of these issues."

Maeve elaborates, "As Heather mentioned, substance use disorder being a chronic disease, is something that causes clinically significant impairment. So that may or may not be visible to an employer in the workplace. Their employees may seem like they are high performers or be high performers and not be showing the stereotypical signs of substance use disorder, things that we may see from TV or movies, like erratic behavior, things even down to missing deadlines."

"But what's so important is having the member be ready to participate themselves. This program is rooted in shared decision-making between the member and the providers, and our team at Contigo, who's doing a lot of care and case management and support. And if the member is not ready to participate, to explore recovery and manage their substance use disorder, then it's not time yet."

#ContigoHealth #SubstanceUseDisorder #HealthPlans #HealthBenefits

ContigoHealth.com

Listen to the podcast here

Heather Ridenoure, Center of Excellence Segment Leader, and Maeve Ruggieri, the Director of Product at Contigo Health, shine a light on the challenge of employee substance use disorder and the resources available for care. This chronic disease can be caused by adverse childhood events, genetic predisposition, stress, and environmental factors. Contigo addresses any substance that can be abused through their Centers for Excellence program with virtual care and in-person care options where participation is voluntary and can be accessed 24/7.

Heather explains, "As far as how frequently this occurs, the newest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control said one in seven people have a substance use disorder. That's new data, and that's been increasing by 30% since the pandemic, which is pretty significant. So, this is one of the reasons we struck out on a journey to try to address some of these issues."

Maeve elaborates, "As Heather mentioned, substance use disorder being a chronic disease, is something that causes clinically significant impairment. So that may or may not be visible to an employer in the workplace. Their employees may seem like they are high performers or be high performers and not be showing the stereotypical signs of substance use disorder, things that we may see from TV or movies, like erratic behavior, things even down to missing deadlines."

"But what's so important is having the member be ready to participate themselves. This program is rooted in shared decision-making between the member and the providers, and our team at Contigo, who's doing a lot of care and case management and support. And if the member is not ready to participate, to explore recovery and manage their substance use disorder, then it's not time yet."

#ContigoHealth #SubstanceUseDisorder #HealthPlans #HealthBenefits

ContigoHealth.com

Download the transcript here

Kyle Filkins and Kris Napper were both born with SMA, spinal muscular atrophy. Meeting as kids at The Muscular Dystrophy Association summer camp, they have developed a friendship and a documentary. After beginning the use of the drug Evrysdi, their rare genetic disease stopped progressing, and the oral form of this medication allowed them to avoid spinal injections. Now in their thirties, Kris and Kyle are advocating for the community of those with SMA, working on their documentary, and looking forward to more adventures.

Kris explains, "Just shortly before Evrysdi was released and made available, there was another drug called Spinraza that was the first treatment ever for our disability. It was a spinal injection, which poses some complications as far as it's a procedure with some risk. It can be painful, and there's the risk of hitting nerves and causing damage. It's not the most fun thing to go through, but it was beneficial. So I was doing that."

"So for young children, just being diagnosed can be life-changing because you can stop that progression before it really hits. For us, we've already had significant progression. Still, hopefully, this will stop it where it is, and we'll be able to continue our lives for the foreseeable future, a lot better and longer than originally anticipated."

Kyle elaborates, "Before I was on any type of therapy, I would go to bed one day able to do something, and I'd wake up the day after not being able to do that. And it would never come back. And it's pretty great to be able to go to bed and sleep securely knowing that what I did today I can, for the most part, probably do tomorrow. It's definitely life-changing. That's for sure."

"There's been a lot of people interested in this story. Kind of piggybacking here on what Napper said, at the outset, it was really kind of just a budget film and like, "Oh, maybe they'll do cool activities and make jokes and stuff." But then with the advent of this therapy and specifically Evrysdi, that's really changed the outlook of the scope of the film, and for the better, as Napper said."

@KKtheFilm #SMA #SpinalMuscularAtrophy #MuscularDystrophy #RareDisease #Evrysdi

KrisandKyletheFilm.com

SnappyClothing.com

Evrysdi.com

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Kyle Filkins and Kris Napper were both born with SMA, spinal muscular atrophy. Meeting as kids at The Muscular Dystrophy Association summer camp, they have developed a friendship and a documentary. After beginning the use of the drug Evrysdi, their rare genetic disease stopped progressing, and the oral form of this medication allowed them to avoid spinal injections. Now in their thirties, Kris and Kyle are advocating for the community of those with SMA, working on their documentary, and looking forward to more adventures.

Kris explains, "Just shortly before Evrysdi was released and made available, there was another drug called Spinraza that was the first treatment ever for our disability. It was a spinal injection, which poses some complications as far as it's a procedure with some risk. It can be painful, and there's the risk of hitting nerves and causing damage. It's not the most fun thing to go through, but it was beneficial. So I was doing that."

"So for young children, just being diagnosed can be life-changing because you can stop that progression before it really hits. For us, we've already had significant progression. Still, hopefully, this will stop it where it is, and we'll be able to continue our lives for the foreseeable future, a lot better and longer than originally anticipated."

Kyle elaborates, "Before I was on any type of therapy, I would go to bed one day able to do something, and I'd wake up the day after not being able to do that. And it would never come back. And it's pretty great to be able to go to bed and sleep securely knowing that what I did today I can, for the most part, probably do tomorrow. It's definitely life-changing. That's for sure."

"There's been a lot of people interested in this story. Kind of piggybacking here on what Napper said, at the outset, it was really kind of just a budget film and like, "Oh, maybe they'll do cool activities and make jokes and stuff." But then with the advent of this therapy and specifically Evrysdi, that's really changed the outlook of the scope of the film, and for the better, as Napper said."

@KKtheFilm #SMA #SpinalMuscularAtrophy #MuscularDystrophy #RareDisease #Evrysdi

KrisandKyletheFilm.com

SnappyClothing.com

Evrysdi.com

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Marlena Del Hierro VP of partnerships and commercial strategy at Seniorly, which is a resource for families looking for senior living options and seniors planning ahead. The Best of Senior Living Awards determined by Seniorly highlights the best 150 communities around the country based on feedback from families, senior living advisors, licensing reviews, and media searches that might reveal something problematic or terrific about a facility.

Marlena explains, "We have an algorithm that then shares the top five to seven options for your loved one. So that's a unique piece, because of the data and the technology that we're constantly gathering from a variety of sources to help these families make the best decision for their loved ones."

"The reason why we're doing these awards is that we should be pushing the envelope. The Baby Boomers are fundamentally challenging these senior living communities. And the awards are just a sense of preparing us for more of a modern era in senior living."

@Seniorly #SeniorLiving #BabyBoomers #IndependentLiving #AssistedLiving #FinancialPlanning

Seniorly.com

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Marlena Del Hierro VP of partnerships and commercial strategy at Seniorly, which is a resource for families looking for senior living options and seniors planning ahead. The Best of Senior Living Awards determined by Seniorly highlights the best 150 communities around the country based on feedback from families, senior living advisors, licensing reviews, and media searches that might reveal something problematic or terrific about a facility.

Marlena explains, "We have an algorithm that then shares the top five to seven options for your loved one. So that's a unique piece, because of the data and the technology that we're constantly gathering from a variety of sources to help these families make the best decision for their loved ones."

"The reason why we're doing these awards is that we should be pushing the envelope. The Baby Boomers are fundamentally challenging these senior living communities. And the awards are just a sense of preparing us for more of a modern era in senior living."

@Seniorly #SeniorLiving #BabyBoomers #IndependentLiving #AssistedLiving #FinancialPlanning

Seniorly.com

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Dr. Steve Marcus, CEO of Cantex Pharmaceuticals, is developing drugs based on Azeliragon that might slow the metastasis of cancer and extend the survival rate for patients with brain and other cancers. This drug has been shown to suppress the RAGE receptor, which is expressed on the surface of cancer cells and some immune cells. When RAGE is over-activated, as it is in several cancers and inflammatory diseases, it can cause pathology.

Steve elaborates, "Azeliragon inhibits something abbreviated as RAGE, the receptor for advanced glycation end products. Originally, it was thought that RAGE is very important for the progression of Alzheimer's disease. And because of that, a company called vTv Therapeutics initiated large-scale clinical trials of Azeliragon for Alzheimer's disease. Unfortunately, those trials failed to show effectiveness of the drug in Alzheimer's disease, but did demonstrate very robust safety. The drug is given once a day and was given to patients for periods up to 18 months, and it was very well tolerated."

"At the same time, over the last several years, there has been extensive literature indicating that this receptor, RAGE, plays a role in the progression of cancer, both brain cancers, as well as cancers outside of the central nervous system. And with that information, I approached vTv Therapeutics after their clinical trial failed to show efficacy, and I proposed licensing the product and taking it into cancer indications."

#CantexPharma #GBM #Glioblastoma #BrainMetastasis #RAGEReceptor #Cancer

Cantex.com

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Dr. Steve Marcus, CEO of Cantex Pharmaceuticals, is developing drugs based on Azeliragon that might slow the metastasis of cancer and extend the survival rate for patients with brain and other cancers. This drug has been shown to suppress the RAGE receptor, which is expressed on the surface of cancer cells and some immune cells. When RAGE is over-activated, as it is in several cancers and inflammatory diseases, it can cause pathology.

Steve elaborates, "Azeliragon inhibits something abbreviated as RAGE, the receptor for advanced glycation end products. Originally, it was thought that RAGE is very important for the progression of Alzheimer's disease. And because of that, a company called vTv Therapeutics initiated large-scale clinical trials of Azeliragon for Alzheimer's disease. Unfortunately, those trials failed to show effectiveness of the drug in Alzheimer's disease, but did demonstrate very robust safety. The drug is given once a day and was given to patients for periods up to 18 months, and it was very well tolerated."

"At the same time, over the last several years, there has been extensive literature indicating that this receptor, RAGE, plays a role in the progression of cancer, both brain cancers, as well as cancers outside of the central nervous system. And with that information, I approached vTv Therapeutics after their clinical trial failed to show efficacy, and I proposed licensing the product and taking it into cancer indications."

#CantexPharma #GBM #Glioblastoma #BrainMetastasis #RAGEReceptor #Cancer

Cantex.com

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Dr. Spyros Papapetropoulos is the President and CEO of Bionomics, a biotech company focused on central nervous system disorders, particularly social anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorders. Social anxiety is a disease primarily of adolescents and young adults, and the social isolation during COVID contributed to a rise in the number of people experiencing this condition. The Bionomics drug in development is BNC210, a therapeutic that can be taken on schedule an hour before conducting an activity likely to induce anxiety.

Spyros elaborates, "Social anxiety disorder is actually known as social phobia, and it's very different, because everyday interactions cause significant anxieties. And they're very situational, so you become very self-conscious. You feel embarrassed and have a fear of being scrutinized or judged negatively by others. It is considered a very, very important chronic mental health condition that, if left untreated, leads to comorbid depression, even suicidality, and addiction down the road."

"BNC210 acts on nicotinic receptors. These are receptors that are expressed or found in areas of the brain. The alpha-7 nicotinic receptors are found primarily in areas that control emotions, so in areas that are considered brain anxiety generators. I don't know how much your audience has heard about the amygdala, but the amygdala is considered one of the most important areas, also responsible for fight or flight, for instance. And it's an area of the brain that has received a lot of attention. So BNC210 binds to the alpha-7 receptors found in the amygdala and reduces the activity or the activation of the amygdala, which is abnormally high in anxiety-related disorders."

#Bionomics #SocialAnxietyDisorder #SocialPhobia #CNSDisorders #PTSD

bionomics.com

Listen to the podcast here

Dr. Spyros Papapetropoulos is the President and CEO of Bionomics, a biotech company focused on central nervous system disorders, particularly social anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorders. Social anxiety is a disease primarily of adolescents and young adults, and the social isolation during COVID contributed to a rise in the number of people experiencing this condition. The Bionomics drug in development is BNC210, a therapeutic that can be taken on schedule an hour before conducting an activity likely to induce anxiety.

Spyros elaborates, "Social anxiety disorder is actually known as social phobia, and it's very different, because everyday interactions cause significant anxieties. And they're very situational, so you become very self-conscious. You feel embarrassed and have a fear of being scrutinized or judged negatively by others. It is considered a very, very important chronic mental health condition that, if left untreated, leads to comorbid depression, even suicidality, and addiction down the road."

"BNC210 acts on nicotinic receptors. These are receptors that are expressed or found in areas of the brain. The alpha-7 nicotinic receptors are found primarily in areas that control emotions, so in areas that are considered brain anxiety generators. I don't know how much your audience has heard about the amygdala, but the amygdala is considered one of the most important areas, also responsible for fight or flight, for instance. And it's an area of the brain that has received a lot of attention. So BNC210 binds to the alpha-7 receptors found in the amygdala and reduces the activity or the activation of the amygdala, which is abnormally high in anxiety-related disorders."

#Bionomics #SocialAnxietyDisorder #SocialPhobia #CNSDisorders #PTSD #COVID

bionomics.com

Download the transcript here