The STARR News: September 2023 |
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September is
Suicide Prevention
Month
September is Suicide Prevention Month, a time to spread hope and vital information to people affected by suicide, and ensuring that individuals, friends and families have access to the resources they need to discuss suicide prevention and to seek help. National Suicide Prevention Week takes place just after Labor Day weekend, beginning with World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10.
Suicide prevention is important every day of the year. National Suicide Prevention Month gives us an opportunity to shine a special, encouraging light on this topic that affects us all, and send a clear, hopeful message that help is available, and suicide can be prevented.
Find more information and resources HERE and HERE. ❤
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September is National Recovery Month
September is also National Recovery Month (Recovery Month), which started in 1989 and is held every September to promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the recovery community, and the dedication of service providers and communities who make recovery in all its forms possible.
This month, share resources with your network to support Resilience and Recovery from mental health and substance use challenges. On SAMHSA's Recovery Month website, you'll find events to raise awareness and access a toolkit with social media shareables, newsletter articles, and other content to share with your network.
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September Spotlight Podcast: Jacqueline Sharp
Chapter Director, Arkansas AFSP, STARR Advocacy Board Member
In honor of National Suicide Prevention Month, Mallory speaks with Jacqueline Sharp, the Arkansas Chapter Area Director for AFSP in September's Spotlight Podcast. The conversation has a focus on 988 usage and updates, including the fact that along with the increase in youth callers, there has been an uptick in calls from caregivers, which is very encouraging. Jacqueline is prioritizing 988 messaging and education across the state and especially among those populations most at risk – youth and farmers. With AFSP Arkansas State Capitol Day just wrapped up, Jacqueline was happy to share that among the advocates were two advocacy groups from local high schools joined the meetings with the AR legislators to advocate on behalf of support for mental health and suicide prevention resources.
Be sure to check out Jacqueline's podcast HERE!
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Each September, people from all corners of the world unite to raise awareness and to challenge the stigma that persists around Alzheimer’s disease and all types of dementia.
World Alzheimer’s Month is an international campaign to raise awareness and challenge stigma of Alzheimer's and dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting about 6 percent of people 65 and older.
With the number of people living with dementia set to almost triple by 2050, it has never been more important to recognize the risk factors associated with dementia and take proactive steps towards risk reduction. As such, this year’s theme ‘Never too early, never too late’, centers on the key risk factors and risk reduction, aiming to emphasize their crucial role in delaying and potentially preventing the onset of dementia. This also importantly includes ongoing risk reduction for those who have already been diagnosed.
World Alzheimer’s Day takes place during World Alzheimer’s Month and is on September 21st every year. In the build up to, and on the day of, many Alzheimer and dementia associations around the world host memory walks, fundraisers, awareness raising activities and campaigns to bring attention towards those in their community that are affected by Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia.
For more information and a list of ways for you to show your support, visit this site or this one.
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World Alzheimer’s Disease Month Spotlight:
Ethan Barrett, Clinical Operations Manager at North Texas Clinical Trials (NTXCT)
"My passion for Alzheimer’s research comes from witnessing firsthand the devastating impact this disease can have on individuals and their families. Witnessing the gradual decline of individuals as they lose their memories, cognitive functions, and autonomy is truly gut-wrenching. This experience has ignited a deep desire and passion within me to actively participate in the search for an alternative effective treatments and enhance the well-being of those impacted. Alzheimer's research is crucial not only for developing effective treatments but also for understanding the underlying causes and risk factors, so that we can develop preventive strategies.
Additionally, the special considerations of this population, such as the additional need for caregiver involvement, have further fueled my passion for Alzheimer's research. Caregivers play a vital role in supporting individuals with Alzheimer's, as they provide physical, emotional, and practical assistance. They often face immense challenges, including managing behavioral changes, ensuring safety, and coping with their own emotional well-being. Recognizing and addressing the unique needs of caregivers is essential in developing comprehensive care strategies and support systems. By focusing on Alzheimer's research, I hope to contribute to improving the lives of both individuals with the disease and their caregivers."
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CNS Healthcare's Lisa Usdan, MD, a Principal Investigator at their Memphis research site has been appointed President of the Memphis Medical Society! Dr. Usdan is board certified Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Obesity and has been with our Memphis site since 2012. Dr. Usdan follows RBG's sage advice to leave the world better for having lived in it and absolutely makes the Memphis CNS HC site and the community a better, more compassionate place!
Congratulations Dr. Usdan!
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Congratulates to CenExel ACMR Founder and Medical Director, Robert Riesenberg, MD, on his publication in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry! Dr. Riesenberg worked with Paul P. Yeung, Ludmyla Rekeda, Gary S. Sachs, Majid Kerolous and Maurizio Fava to write the article entitled, "Cariprazine for the Adjunctive Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder in Patients With Inadequate Response to Antidepressant Therapy: Results of a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study." Check out the article HERE.
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Neuro-Behavioral Clinical Research partnered with the Ohio Center for Hope to host the Sunshine Fest at their facility in North Canton, Ohio. Visitors from throughout the Greater-Akron area were treated to an afternoon of door prizes, snow cones, and other summer fun while learning more about mental health, memory care, and the benefits of participating in clinical research. Thanks go out to Iqvia and Northeast Ohio Parent/Boomer for sponsoring the event and supporting outreach and wellness within the community!
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Pillar Clinical Trials had a busy August!
Pillar's Dallas site hosted a 70's disco party for patients and staff, with refreshments, dance contests, prizes, and karaoke. Everyone had a blast!
Special shout out to Unit Manager, Whitney Miller, who does a great job of setting up events for patients and staff to have fun together!
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Pillar's Chicago office has a new Site Director! Help us welcome John Jauch, MA, LPC, who says, "I’m grateful, honored, and excited to be part of the amazing Pillar team. I look forward to working with our research patients, sponsors, and advocacy partners to help facilitate advances in mental health with our continued commitment to excellence, integrity, warmth and compassion.”
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Segal Trials' Dr. Scott Fisher, who is the Lead Facilitator and trainer for Segal Trials' Center for Psychedelic Research, hosted a Psychedelics Webinar last month. He provided a fantastic overview of the various psychedelics being researched, the therapeutic potential of different psychedelics, and the profound impact these treatments may have on mental well-being.
Check out the blog post and webinar here!
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Welcome new STARR Advocacy Board Member, Jeff Winton of Rural Minds
Rural Minds is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with the mission to serve as the informed voice for mental health in rural America, and to provide mental health information and resources. Through partnerships with organizations, corporations, and individuals, Rural Minds is working to confront the mental health challenges in rural communities across the country and the stigma that surrounds mental illness.
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The organization was founded in 2021 by Jeff Winton in response to the suicide of his 28-year-old nephew, Brooks, in the farming community where Jeff was raised. This tragic loss inspired Jeff to address head-on the mental health emergency in rural America and talk openly about his personal experience and the fact that suicide rates among people living in rural areas are 64% to 68% higher compared to people living in large urban areas, according to the latest stats from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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In recognition of September being National Suicide Prevention Month, Rural Minds is partnering with the National Grange and the National Association of Wheat Growers to present a Rural Suicide Awareness & Prevention Training Webinar on September 19. Mental health professional Jennifer Schwyzter, LMSW, will lead the free training with an approach that’s relevant to people living in rural communities.
For more information on Rural Minds, visit their website at RuralMinds.org.
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New maps reveal the individual brain changes linked to different mental illness - A breakthrough project mapping brain changes in nearly 1,300 people diagnosed with six different types of mental illness has revealed the extraordinary diversity of brain changes found in people with conditions like major depression and schizophrenia. The study, published in Nature Neuroscience and led by researchers at Monash University's Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health and School of Psychological Sciences, used brain imaging to measure the size of over 1,000 different brain regions. The approach opens new opportunities for mapping brain changes in mental illness and provides insight into the diversity of brain changes in people with mental illness at different levels, from individual regions through to more widespread brain circuits and networks.
A stable and replicable neural signature of lifespan adversity in the adult brain - Neuroscientists at Radboud University (the Netherlands) show that adversities permanently change the functioning of the brain. Furthermore, an aberrant reaction of the brain to adversities is related to anxiety symptoms. This may have predictive value for the development of psychiatric disorders. The research, published in Nature Neuroscience, provides insight into how a specific type of adversity relates to changes in a particular brain region by including different kinds of adversities such as obstetric complications, which are typically not considered in studies on early life adversities and brain alterations despite their link to cognitive and brain development
Genes Behind Depression Could Pave Way for Other Mental Disorders - Researchers from Aarhus University (Denmark) led the largest-ever genetic study on depression, encompassing 1.3 million genomes. Their findings indicate that individuals with hospital-treated depression have an increased genetic risk for other psychiatric conditions like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and substance abuse. The study uncovers numerous genetic variants that not only affect mental health but also have implications for educational attainment. This suggests that it is possible to predict the risk of developing these psychiatric disorders using genetic analyses.
Unlocking Schizophrenia: Mitochondria Dysfunction at the Forefront - Researchers at Emory University have identified a pivotal role of impaired mitochondrial function in the development of schizophrenia by examining the genetic risk factor 3q29 deletion syndrome. The genetic condition, known to amplify schizophrenia risk by 40 times, displayed alterations in mitochondrial activity in both mice models and human brain organoids. This discovery aligns with findings from another genetic factor linked to schizophrenia, the 22q11 deletion syndrome. The study paves the way for an enhanced understanding of schizophrenia’s neurobiology and opens potential avenues for effective therapeutic strategies.
Poor access to mental health services linked to suicide hotspots - Communities with poor access to mental health services are eight times more likely to be youth suicide "hotspots," according to new Telethon Kids Institute research. In a paper published in the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, researchers used national coronial data to map suicides of 1,959 young people aged 10–24 who died between 2016 and 2020. Led by suicide prevention researcher Dr. Nicole Hill, the team identified eight suicide "hotspots" in large swathes of remote and regional Western Australia and Queensland, as well as parts of country New South Wales and South Australia, where there were significantly more suicides than would be expected, and two "coldspots" in areas of metropolitan Perth and metropolitan Sydney where rates of suicide were far lower. The suicide coldspots occurred in areas characterized by moderate-to-high mental health workforce supply.
Young adults who have more frequent psychotic experiences also spend more time on digital media, says study - A recent McGill University study of 425 Quebecers between the ages of 18 and 25 has found that young adults who have more frequent psychotic experiences also tend to spend more time using digital media. Interestingly, the study, which surveyed the participants over a period of six months, also found that spending more time on digital media did not seem to cause any change in the frequency of psychotic experiences over time, said lead author and psychiatry resident at McGill, Vincent Paquin. The researchers hope their findings will help improve mental health services for young people. By better understanding the types of digital contents and activities that matter to young people, mental health services can be made more accessible and better aligned with individual needs, they say.
Community safe spaces could improve mental well-being and ease health care system pressures - The Mental Health Commission's "Suicide Prevention 2020" report outlined the urgent need for proactive community-based mental health services, while the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan cites 'prevention and early intervention' as the first of its five pillars. Edith Cowan University (ECU) conducted research to support and identify elements of safe spaces. Researchers interviewed people who had visited hospital emergency in emotional distress or suicidal crisis, to determine what features community safe spaces should and should not have to make them effective for those wishing to use them and published the findings in the International Journal of Mental Health Nursing.
Scientists develop finger sweat test to detect antipsychotic drugs in patients - Researchers at the University of Surrey released findings of effective, noninvasive drug adherence monitoring of antipsychotic patients via finger sweat testing. One of the greatest challenges in the treatment of psychotic disorders is nonadherence to antipsychotic medication, where approximately half of patients do not adhere to their prescribed regime, which is consistently associated with a high rate of relapse and unfortunate patient outcomes. The introduction of a simple and dignified method of monitoring patients could improve patient experience and outcomes.
Half the population to have a mental health disorder by 75, global study finds - A global study co-led by researchers from The University of Queensland and Harvard Medical School and published in The Lancet Psychiatry has found one in two people will develop a mental health disorder in their lifetime. Professor John McGrath from UQ's Queensland Brain Institute, Professor Ronald Kessler from Harvard Medical School, and their colleagues from 27 other countries, analyzed data from more than 150,000 adults across 29 countries between 2001 and 2022, taken from the largest ever coordinated series of face-to-face interviews—the World Health Organization's World Mental Health Survey initiative. McGrath said the results demonstrate the high prevalence of mental health disorders, with 50 per cent of the population developing at least one disorder by the age of 75, the most common being mood disorders such as major depression or anxiety.
Smoking found to significantly increase the risk of depression - Together with two colleagues from Canada, Doug Speed from the Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics at Aarhus University has shown that smoking seems to cause mental disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Although it's not the only cause, smoking increases the risk of being hospitalized with a mental illness by 250 percent," Speed says. These findings are based on data from the UK Biobank, one of the largest databases in the world of human health information, with health data from 350,000 people. Additional information here.
Woofs & Whispers: Dogs Tune In More to Women’s Deliberate Tones - A recent study from Eötvös Loránd University (Budapest) highlights that dogs are more receptive to speech directed specifically at them, especially when spoken by women. Using fMRI scans on trained family dogs, the study discovered that the canine brain responds more strongly to dog- and infant-directed speech than to regular adult speech. Dog auditory brain regions showed heightened responses to speech directed at them, especially if spoken by women, implying a unique neural sensitivity in dogs. The study is the first of its kind to provide neural evidence that dogs are particularly attuned to the speech directed at them.
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Teva expert Shoshi Friedman, VP Global Clinical Operations, talks latest trends in patient clinical trials.
Listen to Teva's VP Global Clinical Operations Shoshi Friedman talk about new directions in the sector, from greater accessibility to increased diversity. Shoshi talks about the latest trends in patient clinical trials and what they mean for patient and healthcare providers. Check out the podcast HERE.
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Alkermes' study aims to enroll approximately 220 pediatric participants. Those who are eligible will be chosen at random to receive either the study drug or olanzapine once daily as an oral tablet. The total duration of participation in the study will be approximately 60 weeks (a little over a year), including the follow-up period.
If you are interested in working on this study or helping to enroll participants between 13-17 with schizophrenia or 10-17 with bipolar I disorder, send us an email - erica@thestarr.org.
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On July 27th, NAMI-NYS participated in Governor Kathy Hochul’s celebration of the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act at the New York State Executive Mansion. NAMI-NYS Senior Director, Government Affairs, Matthew Shapiro, was honored to represent NAMI-NYS and New Yorkers impacted by mental health challenges. Matthew had the opportunity to chat with Governor Hochul and thank her for making mental health a true priority and doing more to address mental illness than any Governor in the state’s history. Governor Hochul was gracious and told Matthew that “we’re just getting started.” As exciting as it was for Matthew to be a part of the event, it is more exciting to see New York recognizing the achievements of people with psychiatric disabilities.
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Health Policy Today: 'ICER’s Hasty Analysis of New Schizophrenia Treatment'
Health Policy Today, which is produced by the Institute for Patient Access, published an article on ICER's (Institute for Clinical and Economic Review) review of KarXT, the compound that Karuna Therapeutics is researching as a potential new schizophrenia treatment.
The article states that ICER’s choice to analyze a drug that doesn’t yet have full clinical trials data poses challenges in ensuring an accurate, complete analysis. Without the full clinical trials data and real-world evidence, both ICER and insurers could underestimate the drug’s effectiveness over time, which, based on the review scope that ICER published, will almost assuredly be the case. According to the article, this underestimate (under-valuation) could lead to more limited access to the potentially life-changing treatment.
While we wholeheartedly agree with the Institute for Patient Access point, we see bigger issues with ICER's review of this -- and any -- innovative potential new treatments for serious mental illnesses.
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Along with other mental health advocacy groups, we are very excited about the possibility of a true novel treatment for one of the most devastating of all mental illnesses, schizophrenia, a condition that faces far greater barriers than any other medical condition, with more stigma attached and fewer champions than almost any other illness.
Any pricing review of a new treatment for schizophrenia adds yet another hurdle in the innovation and investment in researching novel mechanisms.
Individuals that live with severe mental illnesses want access to more effective treatments. This is what we all want. What we do not want is another hurdle to bringing these treatments to market.
Given the massive R&D investment in a new treatment and the pressure that shareholders place on companies to show a beneficial return on their investment, biotech companies need to be incentivized to make these investments in innovative new treatments. Certainly not dis-incentivized.
Further, as ICER approaches the value of a single treatment in schizophrenia, findings will be limited, given the complex nature of schizophrenia and the heterogeneous presentation of individuals throughout their lifetimes. Until more refined diagnostic and prognostic approaches are available to target treatments with greater accuracy, it is irresponsible to suggest any one treatment is superior for all of those living with schizophrenia.
It is our responsibility to avoid introducing further harm, healthcare access issues,
and associated injustice to this vulnerable population.
References:
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What About the Medicare Price Negotiation? |
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Medicare announced it will "negotiate prices" for 10 drugs that cost Medicare’s pharmacy drug benefit the most money. The selected medicines cost Medicare more than $50 billion over a one-year period, the Department of Health and Human Services said.
This is not actually a negotiation. The government would like to dictate the drug prices. True negotiation involves both parties coming to an agreement on terms.
Semantics aside, these ten drugs make up 20% of the Medicare pharmacy drug costs over a one-year period. These drugs have been selected because they are so heavily prescribed... because these are the drugs that people need to stay alive.
So, although we are grateful to Boehringer Ingelheim for the R&D investment and production of Jardiance (which makes up 33% of Boehringer Ingelheim’s total U.S. sales), apparently we aren't willing to actually pay for it. The performance of Jardiance helped offset the costs of R&D and energy, BI said. The private German company reported that it spent $5.5 billion (USD) on R&D in 2022.
Blood thinner Eliquis makes up about 25% of Bristol Myers Squibb’s U.S. drug sales and Embrel brings in 23% of Amgen’s U.S. sales. My Dad uses Eliquis -- it's been keeping him alive for the past couple of years, so I'm particularly grateful that it exists.
It wouldn't exist if it didn't make the company that created it a profit.
The problem with price-controlling measures is that it puts any investment in new treatments at risk. Obstructing the ability for a company to make a profit will be a factor in that company's risk-assessments and ROI analysis. Price-controlling measures will absolutely have a detrimental effect on the future of biopharmaceutical innovation.
There must be a better way for the government to save on it's expenses without putting the onus on the companies that are investing in developing new treatments. Maybe the insurance companies could make less money -- after all, they aren't paying for innovation but they are making billions on it.
UnitedHealthcare is the largest health insurance company by revenue, with total revenue topping $286 billion. Together, the top eight health insurance companies made around $850 billion in 2022. Maybe HHS wants to look there -- and I only suggest that because I caught a Jon Stewart video (here) where he said that not only is the government paying the insurance companies, but we pay them for the same services, AND we pay deductibles and incidentals and aggravation...
More than half a dozen lawsuits have been filed against the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees CMS, in recent months. Drug companies bringing the issue to court include Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, PhRMA, Boehringer Ingelheim, Astellas, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca. They’re arguing various elements of the new program are unconstitutional.
How much is that going to cost?
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The 148th Annual Meeting of the American Neurological Association (ANA2023) will be held in Philadelphia, September 9-12, 2023. The Annual Meeting will convene the nation’s top academic neurologists and neuroscientists. Learn more here.
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Research with Psychedelics - A Zoom Discussion with FDA and DEA, September 11, 2023 at 3pm ET
The American Brain Coalition (ABC), American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP), and Cohen Veterans Bioscience (CVB) invite you to participate in a special discussion with leaders from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on the barriers and challenges to research with psychedelics compounds. During this virtual session, representatives from the DEA and FDA will provide an overview of where things stand in developing guidelines for conducting clinical trials using psychedelic compounds. We will also feature a panel of experts across the translational research spectrum who will provide an update on where we are today with the research and where we are heading in the near future. More information here.
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For 36 years, Psych Congress has served as the nation's number one conference on practical psychopharmacology. This September 6-10 in Nashville, TN, engage in a unique, integrated forum full of practical, real-world training, covering the latest techniques, treatments, best practices, and evidence-based care. The 2023 event will feature more sessions, more credits, and more opportunities than ever before.
This year, Psych Congress has partnered with the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance to deliver advanced education on mood disorders including Depression and Bipolar Disorder, which affect over 21 million Americans and account for over 50% of the nation’s suicides every year. More information here.
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Starting in September 2023, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) will celebrate 75 years of transforming the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses. Join the Friends of NIMH as we launch the celebration with "The Evolution of Mental Health Research" symposium. This symposium will showcase key advances over the past 75 years and feature distinguished speakers and thought leaders in mental health research. This event is scheduled for September 13, 2023, from 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. ET at the Natcher Conference Center on the NIH campus in Bethesda, MD. You can join us virtually if you cannot attend in person. Click here for more information and to register.
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REGISTRATION NOW OPEN for the 11th Annual “Rally for Medical Research Hill Day” being held Thursday, September 14, 2023, with the “Rally Hill Day” reception taking place during the evening of Wednesday, September 13, 2023. This initiative is an opportunity for supporters from the 400 participating organizations to join together to speak with one voice about making NIH a national priority.
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The Site Solutions Summit is being held October 6-8, 2023 in Hollywood, Florida. Organized by the Society for Clinical Research Site (SCRS), the Site Solutions Summit provides a unique hub where sites, sponsors, CRO executives, and regulators come together to discuss best practices and ideas while developing strategic partnerships through ideation sessions, workshops, and focus groups. Learn more here.
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The 2023 Mental Health Services Conference, October 12-14, in Washington, D.C., brings together everyone caring for those with mental illness, including psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, primary care physicians, social workers, and more, to collaborate on practical advice to influence systems-level change for their patients. Learn more here.
6th Edition of International Conference on Neurology and Brain Disorders Conference (INBC2023) will be held in Boston, October 19-21, 2023. More information here.
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The National Federation of Families (NFF) is hosting their 34th Annual Conference Nov. 9-11 in Chicago. The focus for this year is Advancing Social Justice, Equity, and Inclusion for Families and their Children. If you aren't familiar with NFF, you might consider going to this conference and connecting with NFF, which is the nationwide advocacy organization with families as its sole focus, playing an important role in helping parents, caregivers, and families of children—of any age—whose lives are impacted by mental health and substance use challenges. Consider sponsoring or exhibiting to connect with families of children across the lifespan who experience mental health and/or substance use challenges and the workforce that offers them support. Learn more about the conference here.
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The NAMI Texas Annual Conference, held in Houston, Nov. 3-4, is the event of the year for the TX mental health community. With extraordinary keynote speakers, experiences for peers/families/providers, free CEUs, and dozens of workshops, this year's event is not to be missed! For more information at to register, click here!
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The American Brain Coalition (ABC) is hosting their Annual Membership Meeting on Nov. 13th, from 2pm to 4pm at the Westin Washington DC Downtown Hotel. The ABC is a nonprofit organization comprised of the United States’ leading professional neurological, psychological, and psychiatric associations and patient organizations. Together, we seek to advance the understanding of the functions of the brain, and to reduce the burden of brain disorders through public education and advocacy. On behalf of all who live with neurological and psychiatric disorders, we invite organizations that share our concerns and goals to join us at our Annual Membership Meeting. Learn more here.
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People USA invites you to their Annual Breakfast featuring a
networking breakfast, awards ceremony, and live theater: "Shifting the Paradigm of Behavior Health Response"
along with an open discussion with community providers on Thursday, October 26th.
This event is open to all.
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Fast Company's Innovation by Design 2023 Awards:
Dandi and Radicle Science
Two of the winners of this year's Fast Company's annual design awards that may be of particular interest to the clinical research industry are Dandi, a platform that enables companies to measure their DEI performance, and Radicle Science, a clinical-trial framework for natural medicines or consumer-wellness products.
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Launched last October, the analytics platform Dandi was designed to combat workplace bias by making companies’ diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs more measurable. The tool is easy to customize to focus on different data sets and has an intuitive interface, enabling management and HR to gain real-time insights into compensation and representation by gender, ethnicity, disability status, and other variables.
Dandi features a vibrant color palette that makes it easy to create many different assets. It’s anchored by a simple and flexible framework that allows for infinite adjustments. The goal was to provide team members with more than just facts—Dandi was designed to enable data-driven storytelling. “A lot of design out there, as good as it may be, is very hard for non-designers to adopt,” says cofounder and chief product officer Viktor Persson. “Ultimately that hinders the success of the design, and that’s something that we think a lot about—not designing just for designers.”
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Radicle Science generates clinical evidence with its “proof-as-a-service” platform. This system allows for fully remote clinical trials by mailing non-pharmaceutical products directly to patients’ homes instead of requiring in-person visits. The service is not only faster and more affordable than typical clinical trials, but it’s also designed to include diverse populations on a large scale to increase health equity.
With proof-as-a-service, anyone can participate in a clinical trial no matter where they’re located. Radicle mails products—real or placebo—directly to a participant’s home, and no special equipment is needed other than a phone or tablet. The total time commitment is just one hour over six to eight weeks. Moreover, participants are “unblinded” at the end of the study, unlike pharmaceutical clinical trials, which means that Radicle can share data with participants so they can understand if, and how, a product may have helped. “We’re looking at understanding how different products, different dosages, and even different combinations of products may help—or not help—each of us differently because there’s no one-size-fits-all,” co-founder Pelin Thorogood says.
Since the summer of 2021, Radicle has studied over 30,000 Americans. To date, about 54% of participants identify as female, 20% are people of color, and 20% live outside of metropolitan areas. With more participants comes more data, and Radicle is using artificial intelligence to analyze these large datasets to find useful patterns and insights. Radicle’s reimagined clinical trials aim to help entire communities make more informed health decisions.
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Thank you for reading!
If you have questions, comments, or would like to submit an item to be included in an upcoming newsletter, please email erica@thestarr.org.
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The STARR Coalition is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, our Tax ID # is 47-4634007.
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Everything The STARR Coalition does comes from our stakeholders looking to make positive change.
The STARR Coalition | phone: 501-725-8890 | www.thestarr.org
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SHARE, CARE, AND BE KIND. |
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