Trials with Maya Z Maya Zlatanova

 
 In this episode, Maya meets Dr. Leen Kawas. Dr. Kawas is creating a biotech-focused fund to support life science innovations, utilizing her background as an inventor, scientist, and entrepreneur. She first led and co-founded Athira, a company for late-stage clinical programs. She took it public in 2020, raising over $400 million. Notably, she was the first woman in 20 years in Washington State, and one of only 22 female founders in the US, to take a company public.

Maya and Leen discuss the critical role of patient-centric clinical trial design and the importance of engaging with patients early in the clinical development process to ensure the success of clinical trials. Leen also talks about the challenges and solutions in making clinical trials more effective, including addressing patient diversity, optimizing the patient experience, and the importance of integrating clinical operation insights into clinical research for better outcomes. 

See a breakdown of all the ideas Maya and Leen share:
 
(01:09) How Leen Kawas got from a Pharmacist to a Biotech Entrepreneur
(02:39) Why a patient-centric approach is crucial for clinical trials
(05:36) Lessons from patient interactions
(19:23) Why site selection and staff retention are essential
(26:33) How to Empower Study Coordinators
(28:17) The way to build strong relationships with sites
(30:21) How to navigate the challenges with CROs
(37:19) How investors evaluate Biotech companies
(40:03) What is the future of clinical trials
 

Maya Zlatanova, CEO of Trialhub
Leen Kawas, Co-Founder of Propel Bio Partners
See all episodes starring Leen
 

How can we harness the power of AI to create more patient-centric clinical trials? Can technology and empathy coexist in healthcare? In this episode, Maya meets Stefan to explore the integration of artificial intelligence in clinical trials. 

Stefan and his team at Enroll With assist clients in using AI to improve various aspects of clinical trials, from site selection to creating content and virtual patient simulations that can eliminate the need for placebo patients. Although it may seem contradictory, they believe that technology can make healthcare more human-centered, ultimately helping people recover faster. 

Maya and Stefan reveal a vision for the future where AI not only optimizes trials but also strengthens the connection between science and humanity.

(03:58) The broken state of clinical trials
(06:47) AI’s role in bringing a big change in trials 
(13:20) Exploring AI solutions 
(27:34) What’s the AI integration in Pharma
(32:15) Why empathy is what we need in clinical trials now

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Maya Zlatanova, CEO of TrialHub
Stefan Schröder, Founder of Enroll With

In this episode, Maya meets Gretchen Knoll. She has over 20 years of experience in pharmaceutical clinical development, now she focuses on enhancing care for severely ill patients and reducing healthcare costs through strategic collaborations. 

Maya and Gretchen Knoll discuss the challenges and potential transformations in clinical research. They delve into the need for a shift from organ-based cancer treatment to tumor classification, the importance of patient empowerment and education, and the potential of AI and predictive analytics in advancing drug discovery and personalized medicine.

(00:54) Getting to know Gret Knoll
(02:49) Why do we need to shift from organ to receptor-based classification
(07:29) The challenges with using molecular testing at scale
(15:09) What are the challenges and opportunities in clinical trials
(21:20) What is the new role of psychedelics in clinical research
(30:17) The power of predictive analytics and AI in medicine
(32:40) How to empower patients for better trial outcomes

Mentioned in this episode:
Fabrice André: Gretchen references an article by Fabrice André in Nature magazine, discussing his frustrations with current cancer treatment methodologies. "Forget lung, breast or prostate cancer: why tumour naming needs to change” FindMeCure: Maya mentions FindMeCure, a platform that supports patients in finding clinical trials.Gustave Roussy Institute: Gretchen notes the Gustave Roussy Institute in France for its work in predictive analytics and new oncology practices.AlphaFold: Mentioned by Gretchen as a research initiative like Google DeepMind, focusing on protein structures and potentially new treatments, including psychedelics for depression.PARP Inhibitors: Discussed in the context of drug approvals for various cancers and their use in clinical trials, specifically highlighted by Gretchen.Maya Zlatanova, CEO of TrialHub
Gretchen Knoll, Président and CEO of Wyvern Quill Consulting

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In this episode of 'Trials with Maya Z', host Maya Z interviews Sam Whitaker from Mural Health, discussing the pressing issue of patient reimbursement in clinical trials. 

Sam Whitaker is a Founder and CEO of Mural Health, a tech company on a mission to make it easy to participate in clinical research. Mural Health was founded in 2022 as Sam’s effort to evolve the product he invented, the ClinCard, when he founded Greenphire in 2008.

Maya and Sam explore how one-third of Americans are excluded from participating in clinical trials due to financial constraints and eligibility for welfare programs. The dialogue highlights the need for the clinical research industry to address financial barriers. Here are the topics Maya and Sam deep dive into:

(01:03) Introducing Sam Whitaker: The Man Behind a Great Mission
(03:01) The Reimbursement Dilemma: How It Affects Patient Diversity in Clinical Trials
(20:30) Exploring Solutions: Legislative Efforts and Centralized Reimbursement Models
(31:15) Empowering Change: How You Can Support and The Ideal World for Clinical Trials
 
Sign the letter to Congress and support Sam’s mission.

Tune in today for a thrilling journey into the world of clinical trials – expand your knowledge! 

Maya Zlatanova, CEO of Trialhub
Sam Whitaker,  CEO of Mural Health

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TrialHub
Mural Health

In this episode, Maya meets the author of two well-received books. Ross Jackson consults with and advises organizations within the clinical trials industry. He helps them improve patient recruitment and retention.

Maya and Ross discuss the following topics:

(0:51) What led Ross to write the books on patient recruitment
(6:39) Patient recruitment in 1999 vs now
(10:06) Doing country localization right
(15:26) How to craft a solid patient recruitment strategy
(14:58) Why DCT is the new norm now
(24:11) Why aren’t satellite sites popular enough
(28:02) Do we do clinical assessments right

Tune in today for an odyssey into the world of clinical trials – expand your knowledge! 

Maya Zlatanova, CEO of Trialhub
Ross Jackson, The Man Who Wrote the Book(s) on Patient Recruitment

See More:
TrialHub
Patient Recruitment for Clinical Trials Using Facebook Ads
The Patient Recruitment Conundrum

In this episode, Maya meets Colin Sholes. Colin is the founder of Cure Clinical Inc., a US-based software company building a comprehensive database for clinical research performance analysis.

Maya and discuss the following topics:

(4:29) Why is a direct-to-consumer business similar to patient recruitment
(8:06) How to balance the pitch to patients with the site demands
(11:23) How to achieve consistency in patient recruitment ads
(14:40) Are sponsors and CROs reacting to clinical sites direct feedback
(16:58) How does Cure Clinical make trials more scalable
(20:50) Do sites need better statistics or better tools
(24:00) The #1 solution to make trials more patient-friendly

Tune in today for a thrilling journey into the world of clinical trials – expand your knowledge! 

Maya Zlatanova, CEO of Trialhub
Colin Sholes, Founder of Cure Clinical

See More:
TrialHub
Cure Clinical