Innovation Express Magazine

MAGAZINE

Vol 5 Special AHIS edition

RICARDO GRANT SOCAP ACCELERATOR Learn more about the SOCAP Accelerator and how budding entrepreneurs can benefit

INNOVATION EXPRESS EXCLUSIVE MatchMD™ CEO Basil Bakri, CHP, CSCS announces new disaster response coordination product, EmergeNC powered by MatchMD as part of our interview.

YOUNG INNOVATORS EXCEL AT AHIS2021 A 12-year-old technical architect helps the chronically ill through app design

INNOVATION EXPRESS MAGAZINE

CONTENTS 3 EDITOR SPOTLIGHT: Gail Pyne-Geithman, MS, DPhil.

7 Deaf and Hard of Hearing (HoH): an underserved community.

11 AHIS2021 celebrates young Innovators

3 Editor's Note 4 MatchMD™ Interview with CEO Basil Bakri 5 Ricardo Grant & SoCap Accelerator 6 Safewave 10 Young Innovators THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE IS IN THE HANDS OF YOUNG INNOVATORS. 13 Summit seniors present study results at AHIS conference 16 A Community Partnership Reduces Black Infant Mortality

20 Bexion Pharmaceuticals

18 Cincinnati as a healthcare innovation hub

By Caitrin Cardosi Sr. Manager, Marketing & Corporate Communications, CTI.

Photo Cred: Jake Blucker

25 More than the sum of their parts: TriHealth Cancer treatment Center works with Tempus to provide accessible and affordable precision oncology services.

28 AHIS2021 Highlights

INNOVATION EXPRESS MAGAZINE | 2

I am excited to join the IHCI team as a scientific editor for Innovation Express!

While I have a lot of academic writing experience, this is my first real foray into journalistic writing and editing. I have been inspired to broaden my scientific communication skills since being a Cincinnati Business Courier 40 Under 40 class of 2009. You can check out the rest of my experience and profile on LinkedIn; I’d be delighted to connect.

The Innovation Express team and I plan to bring you regular news updates about local, national and global healthcare innovation impacting healthcare disparities through this website, and social media, as well as quarterly issues, like this one, featuring in-depth articles and interviews by and with industry disruptors and innovators.

MEET THE EDITOR Gail Pyne-Geithman, MS, DPhil.

This Issue, we focus on the participants and presenters at the recent inaugural Advancing Healthcare Innovation Summit, held in Cincinnati in September of 2021.

The summit was a great success, with attendees and presenters both local and beyond.

Be sure to connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter @InnoXpress to get the latest information.

We hope you enjoy this issue, and we welcome feedback and suggestions on our content, or ideas and contributions for future issues through social media, or directly to ggeithman@innovationexpress.org

MatchMD™ is a secure, HIPAA-compliant messaging service designed with healthcare in mind.

At the heart of this system is an understanding of what medical professionals need to improve patient care. A pioneer in the field of medical communications, this platform is managed by health IT professionals with decades of experience.

Basil Bakri (CEO) and Scott Jones (Business Development) gave an absorbing presentation in the Innovation Theater at AHIS2021.

Basil Bakri was named Chief Executive Officer of MatchMD™ in 2012. He was pivotal in the design and launch of the company’s groundbreaking medical communications platform in late 1999 and has played a vital role in the professional development of the online service since 2000. We interviewed Basil at MatchMD™ headquarters in Miamisburg, OH, to learn more about MatchMD™ and an exciting new product announcement exclusive to Innovation Express!

Watch Gail interviewing Basil

T o l e a r n m o r e a b o u t M a t c h M D ™ o r c o n t a c t t h e ir t e a m v is it https://matchmd.com/contact/ INNOVATION EXPRESS MAGAZINE

THE MOST IMPACTFUL AND POWERFUL PRESENTATION AT INNOVATION THEATER AS PART OF AHIS2021 WAS GIVEN

BY OUR FEATURED ENTREPRENEUR, RICO GRANT. Rico has been described as a “serial entrepreneur” and “connector” and started several Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky-based enterprises in which he is still heavily involved. These include Paloozanoire, a showcase

for

black

midwestern

creatives,

professionals

and

entrepreneurs, and Gallery at Gumbo, a unique barber shop-art gallery combo showcasing black artists, among other efforts. Rico has also picked up accolades for his contributions, earning the 2021 Reds

In the video, Rico explains to

Community Advocate Award, presented by TriHeath, which celebrates

Innovation Express editor Gail

and recognizes business representatives, community leaders and civil

Pyne-Geithman what social capital

servants in the region who advocate connection and inclusion.

is, the need for social capital for

We invited Rico to Innovation Express for an interview, and he

driving and supporting innovation

somehow fit us into his busy schedule to talk about SoCap

and how budding entrepreneurs

Accelerate. From their website, “SoCap Accelerate was created to

can benefit from SoCap accelerate.

bring the next leaders in health innovation to the forefront in our region. Unlike the traditional funding model, we provide social capital to help propel the growth and success of companies solving to make the world a healthier place.”

Watch Rico and Gails interview here

You can find about more about some of Rico’s impressive work here: https://paloozanoire.com/ https://galleryatgumbo.com/ h t t p s : / / w w w . n k u . e d u / s o c a p a c c e l e r a te / a b o u t- u s . h tm l

SAFEWAVE BEFORE THE 2021 SOCAP ACCELERATE COHORT OF PARTICIPANTS WAS FINALIZED, SAFEWAVE TECHNOLOGIES FOUNDER TREVON BRUCH AND BRADLEY HERALD, CHIEF ENGINEER, GAVE A COMPELLING PRESENTATION AT INNOVATION THEATER. AS YOU HEARD IN OUR INTERVIEW WITH RICO GRANT, THEY MADE THE FINAL CUT AND WE ARE EXCITED TO HAVE TALKED WITH TREVON FOR THIS ISSUE.

O u r g o a l a t S a f e w a v e i s t o h e l p im p r o v e t h e s a f e t y , s e c u r it y , and q u al it y o f l iv ing f o r t h o s e 4 6 6 m i l l i o n i n d i v i d u a l s w h o a r e d e a f o r h a r d o f h e aring t hro u g h o u r p a t e n t p e n d i n g w r i s t b a n d . W e g iv e o u r c u s t o m e r s t h e o p p o rt u nit y t o p ro t e ct t he ir f a m i l y a n d t h e i r h o m e s t h r o u g h a v ib r a t io n b a s e d s e c u r it y s y s t e m t hat l ink s t o g e t h e r o u r S a f e w a v e b a n d t o s e n s o r s o n w in d o w s , d o o r s and f ire al arm s . W e a l s o c r e a t e d a S a f e w a v e m o b il e a p p l ic a t io n t h a t a l l o w s o u r cu s t o m e rs t o s e e which entry was breached.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing (HoH): an underserved community.

According to the National Institute of Deafness and Communication Disorders, The US has 48M individuals who are Deaf/HoH which is equivalent to 15% of the population. This number is projected to hit 900M in the world by 2050 because children are exposed to headphones and other technology even earlier. A growing demographic to be sure, however not accompanied by growing innovation or solutions. FEMA stated, “Many advancements in the prevention of fire injury and death over the past century have not addressed the fire safety needs of the community.”

The idea originated when Founder, Trevon Bruch, was awoken in the middle of the night by a fire alarm. Trevon said he was frustrated because he knew the alarm was a false alarm, but quickly became grateful because what if something was on fire and he couldn’t hear the alarm. He then wondered if the Deaf and HoH had solutions that would substitute for the Fire Alarm or maybe even, home security.

After nights of research, Trevon reached out to co-founder, Jared Gabbard, and asked him to research Fire Alarms for the Deaf. Jared found nothing. Together they created Safewave Technology with the goal of improving the safety, security and quality of living for individuals who are Deaf/HoH through our patent pending wearable device.

I ASKED TREVON WHAT BARRIERS HE HAD TO FACE WHEN GETTING STARTED IN THE HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY FIELD WITH SAFEWAVE.

The barriers Safewave had to overcome are unique in many ways. This is a technology company in Northern Kentucky, but not just any technology – wearable technology. On top of creating a brand-new technology, the target demographic is an overlooked and underserved community.

The company also has a 26-year-old CEO which can lead to us being dismissed as “underqualified” or “lacking experience” sometimes. This company is a one-of-a-kind entity in our region that is trying something that is typically only seen in Silicon Valley; that alone made it a tough journey.

Connections were extremely tough to establish in this region because a lot of industries don’t focus on the demographic we are looking to connect with. We find ourselves teaching the potential partners and investors about this demographic and that alone shows that we don’t give this group of individuals sufficient attention. Safewave is a pioneering company in really giving the Deaf/HoH community a voice and place in healthcare technology innovation.

Finding an engineer that was innovative and an all-around hustler was tough as well. Fortunately, we recruited Bradley Herald. Team building and finding the correct pieces was a challenge.

How has the SoCap Accelerate program helped you to overcome those barriers?

SoCap has been amazing for Safewave. The number of connections and guidance is unbelievable. We were able to actually focus on the business and build the foundation surrounding the business. SoCap helped fill the pieces that we didn’t even realize were missing.

“SoCap helped fill the pieces that we didn’t even realize were missing”

The subject matter experts that Rico has assembled as resources are also amazing a n d s o h e l p f u l . C o n n e c t i n g to th e m h a s helped guide our team in so many new w a y s t h a t w e w e r e a b l e t o t r a n s f o r m th e c o m p a n y c o m p l e t e l y f r o m a n L L C to a C Corp. We have also begun the process of securing another patent for Safewave.

O v e r a l l , S o C a p h a s p r e p a r e d u s to th e p o i n t o f P r e - S e e d F u n d i n g in w h i c h w e p l a n o n p u b l i c l y a n n o u n c i n g i n th e upcoming weeks.

That’s wonderful and in such a short space of time! Obviously there is a need f o r y o u r t e c h , c a n y o u e x p l a i n th e p o t e n t i a l i m p a c t o f S a f e w a v e o n th e d e a f and HoH community for us?

The need for this technology is as strong as the need to live. A couple of months ago, an elderly deaf man in Toledo, Ohio passed away in his bed during an unexpected house fire. The article stated that the lack of t e c h n o l o g y w a s a r e a s o n f o r th e passing.

Throughout the creation of our p r o d u c t , w e h a v e c o n s u lte d w i th e n t r e p r e n e u r s a n d p o t e n t i a l c u s to m e r s alike to offer the best possible device.

A l t h o u g h m y p a r t n e r a n d I b e l i e v e th a t t h i s p r o d u c t w i l l c h a n g e t h e i n d u s tr y , the defining moment was when we surveyed a fellow entrepreneur who was born deaf.

W e a s k e d h i m " W h a t d o y o u d o w h e n s o m e o n e b r e a k s in t o y o u r ho m e , o r a f ire a l a r m s o u n d s w h i l e y o u ' r e s l e e p in g ? " H e l a u g h e d a n d r e p l i e d , " w e d ie ".

So, we ask, “ N o s e r i o u s l y , w h a t s o l u t i o n s d o y o u h a v e ? ” H e l o o k e d a t u s and s aid , “W e d ie . ” A t t h a t v e r y m o m e n t , w e k n e w o u r p u r p o s e w it h S a f e w a v e .

P o w e r f u l w o r d s i n d e e d . W e t h a n k y o u s o m u c h f o r t a l k in g wit h u s ! I am ce rt ain t h a t w e w i l l b e c o m i n g b a c k t o S a f e w a v e in f u t u r e is s u e s o f I nno v at io n E x p re s s t o highlight your progress and success.

T h i s i n t e r v i e w w a s c o n d u c t e d v ia e m a il b y G a il P y n e - G e it hm an, wit h T re v o n B ru ch on November 22nd, 2021.

To see more Safewave interviews and resources, see below: Website WCPO (Channel 9 News) When Pigs Fly Podcast 1 Min Safewave Description Safewave Commercial (Fire Alarm) S a f e w a v e C o m m e r c i a l ( B r e a k - In )

YOUNG INNOVATORS

THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE IS IN THE HANDS OF YOUNG INNOVATORS. THIS SECTION HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THEIR WORK.

AHIS2021 CELEBRATES YOUNG INNOVATORS In the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it rapidly became more clear than ever that the traditional pathway of innovation through “invention + adoption + diffusion” was not going to be fast enough to meet the frighteningly rapid spread of the virus. It was young innovators who stepped up, especially in underserved communities, to leverage cutting-edge AI, telehealth, and digital health solutions. “In places where health infrastructure is almost non-existent, young people can play a vital role in piloting new technologies that truly have the capacity to save millions of lives in this pandemic. And this is much needed in a context like ours,” said Shahd Alfarra of the Global Shapers Gaza Hub. Innovation Express recognizes and celebrates young/new innovators who seek to address healthcare disparity in all its forms. This will be a regular feature in future issues.

A 12-YEAR-OLD TECHNICAL ARCHITECT HELPS THE CHRONICALLY ILL THROUGH APP DESIGN

Aaron Bess, just 12 years old, was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by AHIS for his participation in the development of an application that integrates care of patients with chronic conditions, RE-Assist. The application can be used by phone or tablet to allow patients / families to take more control of the care planning process.

A Statue of Excellence LLC DBA REAssist is recognized by the state of Ohio as a Minority Business Enterprise and as a Women-owned Business Enterprise. Their team consists of Ashley Barrow CEO / Founder who has 15+ years experience of care management caring for individuals in transition of care and Aaron, as technical architect, has found a real passion for technology.

Congratulations Aaron, and keep up this exciting trajectory

Ashley Barrow and son Aaron Bess

Katie Dubelhoff and Johanna Huelsman, both remarkable 15-years old attending Summit Country Day School in Cincinnati Ohio, presented their work to an audience of innovators, healthcare disruptors and industry professionals at Innovation Theatre. The following press release describes their research in more detail.

Summit seniors present study results at AHIS conference

By Tami McMann, Communications Director at The Summit Country Day School Two science students at The Summit Country Day School presented findings from a summer study to professionals in the medical field at the Advancing Healthcare Innovations Summit in Cincinnati on September 18. Seniors Katie Dobelhoff and Johanna Huelsman worked with Precision Medicine and Genetic Counseling Department at TriHealth Cancer Institute to manage and analyze data on cancer patients as well as draw conclusions about tumor genetic profiling.

As a student in Summit’s Schiff Family Science Research Institute (SRI), Katie examined the medical records and tumor profile tests of patients diagnosed with lung cancer to determine if somatic tumor genetic profiling impacted their treatment outcomes. She also sought to uncover whether the application of tumor genetic profiling was equitable across different demographics. Katie worked closely with Genetic Counselor and Precision Oncology Lead, Karen Huelsman of TriHealth Cancer Institute, in drawing her conclusions which she presented at the conference.

Notably, Katie uncovered trends that suggest a significant proportion of lung cancer patients diagnosed at TriHealth underwent tumor profiling which identified FDA approved treatments for many and clinical trials for the majority.

Additionally, no there was no significant difference in the proportion of tested patients compared to untested patients based on gender, sex or race demonstrating health equity and access.

Ms. Huelsman noted that Katie provided critical data which can help inform future practices: “This is our first look at the lung specific outcomes in tumor profiling and will be used as a baseline to measure improvements in access over time.”

"Katie and Johanna’s research will help hospitals learn how to increase efficiencies and uptake on testing to support cancer therapy decisions.”

Johanna was supervised by TriHealth’s Courtney Rice, Precision Medicine and Genetic Counseling Manager, as she performed data analysis on ovarian cancer patient records over the summer. She has continued the project as an independent study unit with Dr. Jessica Replogle, head of SRI. Johanna’s Quality Improvement study evaluated the proportion of patients with ovarian-like cancers who underwent paired germline and somatic testing via a Genetic Counselor-led protocol. TriHealth hopes to increase the number of patients with paired germline and tumor profiling while ensuring timely access to results for therapy decisions.

Innovation Express Magazine

Both students earned the respect of their audience after giving back-to-back presentations. Guardant Lab, which provided clinical testing on circulating tumor DNA liquid biopsies for the studies, was represented at the conference by account executive, Allison Fore. She commented, “Their level of intellect and knowledge of these complicated subjects is remarkable.

Through sophisticated data analysis, they were able to uncover data and statistics about biomarkers that can be used to guide protocol in our institutions. I’m simply amazed by what they’ve done.”

Tempus Lab’s Tyler Moeller said his company provided solid tissue next generation sequencing for the research. He was pleased to see results indicating consistent use of genetic testing has a measurable effect on positive outcomes for cancer patients. “It’s very difficult to look at data across different labs,” he said. “Katie and Johanna’s research will help hospitals learn how to increase efficiencies and uptake on testing to support cancer therapy decisions.”

The young women agreed that the experience was equal parts challenging and rewarding.

“Being part of this research project expanded my knowledge of science and made me even more interested in a career in the medical field,” shared Johanna. “It also gave me valuable experience with public speaking.”

Katie believes her work with lung cancer patients helped narrow her interest in medicine. “I’m more passionate about science now after working closely with medical professionals in a real-world setting,” she reflected.

After listening intently to the two presentations, Mark Stiles, a senior oncology specialist with the pharmaceutical company, Novartis, said he was “more than impressed.”

“I came to the presentation looking for two things: substance and communication skills,” he shared. “These students clearly hit home runs on both. Through this opportunity to engage with Tri Health, they’ve proven the value of collaboration. Honestly, hearing them present has made me proud to be part of this community.”

Established in 1890, The Summit Country Day School at 2161 Grandin Road serves students ages 18 months to grade 12. As a Catholic, coed, independent school, The Summit stands on five pillars of education: academic, spiritual, physical, social and artistic.

Ca p t i o n : L e f t t o r i g h t : A l i s o n F o r e , A c c o u n t Exec, Guardant laboratory; Mark Stiles, Oncology senior Specialist, Novartis; Tyler Moeller, Account Exec, Tempus laboratory; Tamara Lorenzen, Executive Clinical Oncology Specialist for AstraZeneca; Karen Huelsman, Precision Oncology Lead for TriHealth Precision Medicine; Katie Dobelhoff; Johanna Huelsman; Jessica Replogle, PhD Schiff Family Science Research Institute Head, The Summit Country Day School.

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A COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP REDUCES BLACK INFANT MORTALITY

MEDICAL CENTER, COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND FAMILIES JOIN HANDS AS CRADLE CINCINNATI TO ADDRESS A DEEP INEQUITY IN CHILD HEALTH

As one of the world’s leading centers for pediatric care and research, clinicians and scientists at Cincinnati Children’s have strived for decades to narrow the stubborn gaps in health outcomes between those with privilege and those without.

One of the most significant successes in that far-reaching effort has been turning the tide on high rates of infant mortality among black families in Hamilton County, where Cincinnati Children’s is based.

From 2017 through 2020, Hamilton County witnessed a 42% decline in black infant mortality. For the first time since tracking began, the county’s black infant mortality rate had dropped below national averages.

Leading the effort to achieve this success: a coalition called Cradle Cincinnati particular (or main) part of the article. The writer can also give facts and detailed information following answers to general questions like who, what, when, where, why and how or technology

CREDIT CCHMC

news websites).

Michael Fisher has long been passionate about advocating for children’s health, in general, but especially in underserved communities. He spoke powerfully at AHIS2021 about the importance of innovation to addressing healthcare disparities.

Mr. Michael Fisher recently retired as President and CEO of Cincinnati Children’s, but maintains an active role in

CRADLE CINCINNATI

local and national innovation and advocacy efforts. One of the many initiatives Mr. Fisher implemented, Cradle Cincinnati, has been tremendously successful and a model for other regions to follow.

Cradle Cincinnati began in 2007 as a learning collaborative that was expanded into its current structure in 2012. Over the years, the collaborative has assembled more than 200 representatives of area hospitals, community health centers, home health agencies, and social support organizations. They work with a large network of moms, neighborhood and business leaders, and others under an “all teach, all learn” model designed to bring the experiences of black families to the center of the project.

Large sponsors of Cradle Cincinnati include Cincinnati Children’s, bi3 (the grantmaking arm of Bethesda Inc.), the Cincinnati and Hamilton County health departments, the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio, and the United Way of Greater Cincinnati. Many more organizations participate in the network.

The successes include: Reducing black infant mortality from 18.2 per 1,000 live births in 2017 to 10.6 in 2020–outperforming the national average of 10.8.

From 2015-2017, thanks to the work of the StartStrong program, there were 0 extreme preterm births in Avondale. Now, that program is being expanded to more neighborhoods at risk.

A five-year 30% reduction in women smoking during pregnancy, a known risk factor for premature birth and infant mortality.

Another five-year, 25% reduction in sleep-related infant deaths, a concern that has recently bounced back during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Addressing disparities is core to our mission at Cincinnati Children’s” When the Avondale success was announced, Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune said, “Hundreds of individuals, working collaboratively over the past 5 years, should be proud of the progress we’ve made. No longer do we have the distinction of being among the worst 10 percent of communities for infant mortality in the country. Eighty-eight young kids are alive today because of our collective action. However, today’s numbers mostly show that a lot of hard work remains. We are only just getting started.”

Portune died in January 2020 but the partnership he and many others supported continues its work.

Ongoing goals of Cradle Cincinnati include: With 10,000 new births a year in Hamilton County, scaling up the successes seen in pilot programs remains an unmet challenge An ambitious goal lies ahead to eliminate sleep-related infant deaths in Hamilton County by 2023 Non-stop effort will be needed to maintain robust community involvement, especially in the context of COVID-19 exhaustion.

“Addressing disparities is core to our mission at Cincinnati Children’s,” says Michael Fisher, “It is an inspiration to work with and support the many partners of Cradle Cincinnati. This has been a true community-based approach that has made significant progress at reducing a deep health inequity that has affected far too many families for far too long.”

Article and images provided by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

CINCINNATI AS A HEALTHCARE INNOVATION HUB

BY CAITRIN CARDOSI SR. MANAGER, MARKETING & CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS, CTI. SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2021.

The past several decades have seen incredible medical advances, from vaccines with the potential to eradicate widespread diseases to personalized medicine that can use a patient’s own cells to create a targeted treatment. Despite these huge steps forward, global medical crises continue, and the possibility for improvements to current standards of care are infinite.

Addressing these problems and pursuing these possibilities requires collaboration and innovation across the medical community.

One group of key players in the innovation game is the contract research organizations (CROs) who support the pharmaceutical development process. A full-service CRO is uniquely positioned to support innovation because it can influence all aspects of a trial, from the development of the initial protocol to recruitment strategy to post-approval publications.

….IT IS TIME FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD TO SEE HOW MUCH OUR REGION CAN ACHIEVE.”

CTI Clinical Trial & Consulting Services is a global, full-service CRO specializing in rare diseases, cell and gene therapies, and complex programs in critically-ill patients. It was founded in Cincinnati in 1999 by Timothy J. Schroeder, CEO and Chairman.

“We saw a need for innovative experts specializing in creative approaches to novel problems who could advise and guide pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies through the more complicated pathways of the clinical trial process,” remarked Schroeder.

The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region has a rich history in being at the forefront of medical development, dating back to the original research of Dr. Albert Sabin on the Polio vaccine, more than 60 years ago.

The region has since contributed to thousands of medical breakthroughs and is home to a phenomenal pool of talent being nurtured at nationally-ranked universities and utilized in globallyrecognized hospitals and medical companies.

“We founded CTI in this region because we recognize the talent and we see how passionate the people here are about making a difference,” added Schroeder.

“Culturally, the Midwest tends to skew humble, but it is time for the rest of the world to see how much our region can achieve. This is a natural hub for international medical innovation, and we look forward to working with clueing the rest of the world into our region’s excellence.”

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Article written by Ashley Hammond

“Bexion Pharmaceuticals is committed to the discovery and clinical development of life-changing oncology treatments. We leverage over 100 years of life science leadership to accelerate our clinical development program and are driven by the promise of developing life-changing oncology therapies on our path to becoming a leading biotech/pharmaceutical company.”- Bexion

In an historic remodeled train station that has stories ranging from cattle to beautiful galas and a bar where beer cost a quarter lies one of the Tri-State areas most innovative gems, Bexion Pharmaceuticals.

I had the opportunity to sit down with the founder and President of Bexion Ray Takigiku, PhD and learn more about his vision and the company's future. The vision began in 2006, while working for Procter & Gamble (P&G) pharmaceuticals organization. While working there, Ray fell in love with how his job could help so many people.

When P&G closed their pharmaceuticals division, he knew he had to keep his passion alive and he has been able to do so all because of one protein.

THE BEGINNING… In the early stages, he connected with a researcher from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center who had generated some preliminary data regarding the anti-cancer properties of a protein that is naturally found in all of us. Ray created a drug based on this data and Bexion began.

“he was able to use existing data, identify a protein that our body already produces and use that protein to create an anticancer drug that can potentially change the future."

Now the drug is in late-stage clinical trials and that original compound that emerged has proven itself to be more interesting the more is learned about it.

I asked Ray to explain this in “non- doctor language'' and simply put, he was able to use existing data, identify a protein that our body already produces and use that protein to create an anti-cancer drug that can potentially change the future.

So, if this all happened in 2006, what’s taking so long?

The data was uncovered in 2006, which ignited the flame of what is now Bexion Pharmaceuticals. Throughout the years they have endured several setbacks. Ray explained that the journey of biologics from discovery to commercialization varies, but it isn’t rare to take more than 20 years for the entire process. On top of needing a good amount of funding to take on a project so important to the world, it takes patents, approvals and multiple stages of preclinical (in vitro and in vivo non-human) and clinical (human) testing before it is even ready to be presented to the FDA for approval.

During the “Advancing Healthcare Innovation Summit” Ray presented in the Innovation Theater, and a line that stuck out was that science is like fashion. I asked Ray to elaborate more on this.

In fashion, what's “vogue” or “trending” changes so often that you may buy a new suit one day and wear it to the office the next and there is already a new trend that makes your suit out of style .

Trends happen in science too and scientists can often see the trends happening. Listen to this clip of Ray discussing trends in relation to the Covid-19 vaccines.

Watch this clip of Ray discussing how science, fashion and Covid Vaccines are related

The basis of Bexion and their focuses are all related to Lysosomes but what are Lysosomes?

L y s o s o m e s g e t a b a d r e p . T h e y a r e o f te n r e c o g n i z e d a s t h e t r a s h o r r e c y c lin g b in s o f t h e c e l l . B y d e f i n i t i o n a ly s o s o m e is a m e m b r a n e - b o u n d c e l l o r g a n e lle th a t c o n ta in s d i g e s t i v e e n z y m e s . L y s o s o m e s a r e in v o lv e d with various cell processes. They break down e x c e s s o r w o r n - o u t c e l l p a r ts . T h e y m a y b e u s e d t o d e s t r o y i n v a d i n g v i r u s e s a n d b a c te r ia a n d t h e y j u s t m a y b e t h e h id d e n k e y to a n tic a n c e r m e d i c a t i o n s . M o s t p e o p le th in k o f a c e l l w i t h a f e w p a r t s , t h e n u c le u s is ty p ic a lly h a i l e d a s t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t b u t in f a c t a ll o f t h e p a r t s o f t h e c e l l a r e i m p o r ta n t. S e e im a g e t o s e e a l l o f t h e d i f f e r e n t p a r ts o f a c e ll.

R a y e x p l a i n s t h e l y s o s o m e s a r e a n im p o r t a n t p a r t o f t h e c e l l t o o . K i n d o f s i m i l a r t o h o w o u r b o d y w o r k s . “ I f y o u t h in k a b o u t it , t h e h u m a n b o d y , i t h a s y o u r h e a r t a n d l u n g s a n d w e h a v e a s t o m a c h a n d w h e n o u r s t o m a c h is u p s e t (o u r b o d ie s ) a r e i n d i s t r e s s . S a m e t h i n g i s t r u e in a l y s o s o m e c e l l , if a l y s o s o m e g o e s b ad t h e n t h e e n t i r e c e l l g o e s b a d s o m a y b e t h a t d is e a s e d o e s no t o rig inat e in t he l y s o s o m e b u t i t w i l l a f f e c t i t , a n d t h a t is t r u e in C a n c e r . S o in Cance r b e cau s e c a n c e r c e l l s h a v e t o g r o w q u ic k l y , y o u k n o w , t h a t ’ s o n e o f t he p ro b l e m s t he y g r o w q u i c k l y a n d i n a n a d a m a n t f a s h io n , t h e y a r e r o g u e c e l l s . ” W i t h C a n c e r , t h o s e c e l l s b a s i c a l l y n e e d t o s t e a l a l l t h e g o o d s t u f f o u t o f t he ce l l i n o r d e r f o r i t t o g r o w s t r o n g e r . I f u r t h e r l e a r n e d t h a t it 's t he l y s o s o m e s in t he c a n c e r o u s c e l l s t h a t a r e w o r k in g “ d o u b l e , t r ip l e d u t y , q u a d ru p l e d u t y ” as t he r e c y c l e r s o f t h e c e l l . T h e n w h e n l o o k e d a t u n d e r a m ic r o s c o p e t ho s e l y s o s o m e s l o o k a n g r y a n d e n l a r g e d , d e t e r r in g m o s t f r o m l o o k in g a t it as an o b v io u s t arg e t t o g o a f t e r i f y o u w a n t t o t r e a t c a n c e r . “ L y s o s o m e s e s s e n t ial l y m ad e t he m s e l v e s a t a r g e t , i n f a c t t h e y a r e r u n n in g a t s u c h a f a s t r a t e t h a t t h e y are g e ne ral l y j u s t o n t h e e d g e o f b e i n g s t a b l e , r u n n in g a t s u c h a f a s t p a c e t h at t he y are al m o s t a s k i n g f o r t r o u b l e . ” A n d B e x i o n ’ s m is s io n is t o g iv e it t h e t ro u b l e it is as k ing f o r.

SAID TROUBLE? BXQ-350

Lysosomes exist as a crucial regulator of cellular

Now let me explain BXQ-350 in my

function and central to its own function are the

words.

Saposins — four proteins that regulate lysosomal enzymes which are responsible for maintaining homeostasis in the cell.

Bexion’s lead compound, BXQ-350, contains one of these Saposins—Saposin C—embedded in a phospholipid, which catalyzes activity that can restore the dysfunction of numerous disease pathologies creating the potential to treat a broad spectrum of diseases.

The pursuit of our first clinical indication for BXQ-350 has been in solid tumors as that is where the anticancer activity was first demonstrated in -vitro by a researcher exploring Saposin C’s role in lysosomal storage diseases. Additional indications in DIPG/DMG and newly diagnosed CRC/GBM patients are also being targeted due to the tumor agnostic properties of BXQ-350. Several non-oncology indications with significant market potential including Neuropathy are also part of Bexion’s clinical development plan. ( Bexion website)

Ray and his amazing team at Bexion were able to see the value in a microscopic, angry, overworked piece of a cell and have spent many years studying how to highlight that value instead of ignoring it. They are, in their own way, proving a personal belief of mine, that our bodies are miraculously designed to take care of ourselves and one of the most innovative concepts in healthcare is using our own bodies to heal ourselves when we aren’t 100 % healthy.

So, then what makes BXQ350 innovative?

Everything about it.

I am a firm believer in our area becoming one of the world's most innovative hubs for healthcare and I asked Ray to share his thoughts on Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky growing as a future hub of healthcare innovation?

“The reality is, we have wonderful places of higher learning, it’s right in the middle of the country and we have Lots of bright people who are making good discoveries here. So I am hoping that Bexion will not be alone here in the region as time moves forward and a lot of ideas that are coming out of places of innovation in the area will eventually lead to better drugs that will better our population.”

I couldn’t agree more.

We thank Ray and his team for allowing us to invade their lab for a day and learn more about this innovative gem. We look forward to hearing more from Bexion at the upcoming Precision Oncology Forum April 1st & 2nd, 2022 and the Advancing Healthcare Innovation Summit August 26th & 27th, 2022.

www.bexionpharma.com

MORE THAN THE SUM OF THEIR PARTS: TRIHEALTH CANCER TREATMENT CENTER WORKS WITH TEMPUS TO PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE PRECISION ONCOLOGY SERVICES.

BY GAIL PYNE-GEITHMAN, MS, DPHIL (INNOVATION EXPRESS), WITH KAREN HUELSMAN, MS, LGC (TRIHEALTH CANCER INSTITUTE) NOVEMBER 2021 Personalized or precision medicine (PM) is the future, I

Perhaps the most well-known application of PM is

think most of us can agree on that. Personalized medicine

Precision oncology (PO). PO is based on the premise that

has revolutionized patient care in a number of ways,

tumors are based on changes to our genes that cause

including, but not limited to, improved access to cutting-

cancers to develop and proliferate. These changes are

edge quality of care, development of customized

varied between individuals, meaning that even the same

diagnostic and therapeutic plans, and most importantly,

type of tumor in different people can have different

improved patient outcomes and quality of life.

genetic changes. In short; everyone’s cancer is unique and may respond differently to therapies.

According to the FDA, “precision medicine is about matching the right drugs or treatments to the right people, based on a genetic or molecular understanding of their disease. Itʼs an approach to patient care thatʼs based on the idea that one personʼs disease isnʼt necessarily exactly the same in someone else who seemingly has the same disease.

Over the past 5 years the Chicago-based tech company Tempus has laid the digital framework across the USA to advance modern precision medicine. Tempus provides an end-to-end, data-driven approach to precision medicine Tempus+ is a program that serves select collaborating health systems by providing access to a robust dataset, a path to research publications, and ongoing precision medicine program support.”

Perhaps the most well-known application of PM is Precision oncology (PO). PO is based on the premise that tumors are based on changes to our genes that cause cancers to develop and proliferate. These changes are varied between individuals, meaning that even the same type of tumor in different people can have different genetic changes. In short; everyone’s cancer is unique and may respond differently to therapies.

The only way that a robust database of genetic changes for particular types of cancer can be developed is to partner with oncology practices Nationwide. Tempus has achieved that, and as a result of their efforts, Tempus now touches approx.

38% of all US cancer patient data.

Karen Huelsman

“....everyone’s cancer is unique and may respond differently to therapies.”

One of those oncology healthcare groups is TriHealth Cancer Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Karen Huelsman, a board-certified and licensed genetic counselor, and Precision Oncology lead, is a big fan of the new capabilities, especially integration into TriHealths existing EPIC patient record systems.

Karen leads a dynamic team, the “Precision Oncology Genomic Workgroup”, which meets regularly to assess and test innovations in PO technologies to ensure the highest standard of care for their patients. This is a true team effort, and brings together multiple disciplines, including oncologists, information services specialists, genetic counsellors and pathologists among others.

Thanks to a year-long collaboration between Tempus and members of the information technology team at TriHealth, Tempus+ genetic testing software is now integrated into the Electronic Medical Record system (EMR) at TriHealth, which is a real boon for Karen and her colleagues.

The >600 genetic test results used to be attached to the patient record as a static pdf, but now the results are populated as searchable variables enabling patient management teams and tumor boards to filter all of the relevant information in one interface.

“One of the major barriers to any adoption of new technology is resistance to change. In this case, physicians love to use this system!” says Karen.

So how does efficient PO implementation improve access to healthcare?

“Over 40% of our patients have applied for Financial Access, and 88% of patients who applied have been approved covering them for any Tempus testing ordered within 18 months.” says Karen. “This gives our Medical & Gyn Oncology team the flexibility to order more serial and concurrent testing and ensure we include informative components like HRD or Tumor of Origin while removing financial barriers and ensuring health care equity”.

AHIS2021 BEST POSTER ABSTRACT

AHIS2021 Best Oral Abstract

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Innovation Theater at the Advancing Healthcare Innovation Summit 2021 Watch the videos

AHIS 2021 Reflections

Save the Date 2022 upcoming events At PO Forum 2022 we will have experts presenting the latest advances in the field of precision oncology especially in testing approaches.

We plan to discuss the application of these advances in patient care.

We are creating a community where we can share real world experiences and case studies of integrating precision medicine into clinical practice.

The aims of AHIS is to provide a platform for stakeholders in healthcare innovation to network, exchange knowledge and ideas, and collaborate to bring monumental changes that improve access to quality healthcare and reduce disparities.

To learn more about the Innovative Healthcare Institute and our plan to Innovate Collaborate and Disseminate Subscribe below