Trials with Maya Z – Details, episodes & analysis

Meet Angie Schwab - founder of EZ Research Solutions and a passionate expert in clinical research with a focus on improving trial startup processes. In this episode, Angie and Maya dive deep into the challenges and solutions in clinical trial design and execution. Angie shares her insights on the critical importance of thorough planning, understanding local standards of care, and involving all stakeholders - including patients - in study design. They explore how poor initial planning can set trials up for failure and discuss innovative solutions, including the role of automation and AI in streamlining processes and reducing errors. Angie's vision for the future of clinical trials, emphasizing digitalization, standardization, and intelligent study design from the ground up, offers a compelling look at the evolving landscape of clinical research.

Follow Maya Zlatanova: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayazlatanova/
Follow Angie Schwab: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angie-schwab/

• (00:00) - Introduction and Background
• (02:42) - The Importance of Thorough Planning
• (07:26) - Understanding the Local Standard of Care
• (12:38) - Passion for Startup and Problem Solving
• (17:44) - The Role of Automation and AI
• (22:41) - The Future of Clinical Trial Startup
• (25:53) - Moving Towards Digitalization and Standardization

Meet Begonya Nafria - Head of the Patient Engagement  in Research Department at Hospital Sant Juan de Déu Children’s Hospital, championing the cause of paediatric clinical research. In this eye-opening episode, Begonya and Maya delve into the unique challenges of conducting clinical trials for children, especially those with rare diseases. Begonya highlights the startling fact that 95% of rare diseases have no approved treatment, emphasizing the urgent need for increased research investment and improved access to cross-border clinical trials for children and young patients in Europe . This conversation underscores the importance of meaningful patient engagement in designing better trials and ultimately improving care outcomes for children and young people.

Follow Maya Zlatanova: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayazlatanova/

Follow Begonya Nafria: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bnafria/

Let’s help Begonya's project on language discrimination in cross-border trials: 

If you’re a parent of a child with a rare disease, please collaborate by responding to this survey (available in 22 European languages): https://bit.ly/Survey_Parents_CT

If you’re interested in getting involved as an AMBASSADOR for Begonya’s research project on language discrimination in access to paediatric cross-border clinical trials in Europe, please complete this form: https://bit.ly/CT_Ambassadors

 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

• (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

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

Follow our LinkedIn page for more insights from the world of clinical trials.

Maya Zlatanova, CEO of TrialHub

Stefan Schröder, Founder of Enroll With

• (00:00) - Intro
• (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
• (00:00) - Chapter 7

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

Follow the show on LinkedIn to connect with guests and learn first about new episodes.

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

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

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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

In this episode, Maya meets David Rosenbaum to talk about immigrants in clinical trials. David helps scatter the immigrant bias with clinical trials in Turkey and other Balkan countries. However, it’s an ongoing administrative effort. 

David is the Founder of Rosenbaum Group. It is a CRO operating since 2019 in the south-eastern Balkans and Turkey. The organization focuses on clinical trials in CNS, infectious diseases, and gastroenterology. It also supports BIOTECH research and medical devices with a patient-centric approach.

Maya and David discuss the following topics:

(2:30) Immigrant story from a clinical trial in Turkey

(7:12) What makes immigrants vulnerable patients

(9:50) The situation with immigrants and trials in the Balkans

(12:48) Ways to improve communication with authorities

(16:06) Tech portals vs direct communication with regulatory bodies

(19:40) What can ethics committees improve further

(23:02) The #1 thing to make trial patient-friendly

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

Maya Zlatanova, CEO of Trialhub

David Rosenbaum, Clinical Trial Manager @ Rosenbaum Group Ltd. 

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TrialHub

Rosenbaum Group Ltd. 

In this episode, Maya meets Dr. Leeza Osipenko. She is the founder and the CEO of a non-profit organization Consilium Scientific. It is dedicated to improving the integrity of clinical research.

Maya and Leeza discuss the following topics:

(2:18) The role of NICE in developing clinical standards

(6:23) Why did Leeza start Consilium Scientific

(9:35) How to avoid suboptimal clinical trials

(19:02) What are the mechanisms that improve clinical research integrity

(25:30) The ultimate goal of Consilium Scientific

(32:47) What is the biggest challenge in clinical trials at the moment

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

Maya Zlatanova, CEO of Trialhub

Leeza Osipenko, CEO of Consilium Scientific 

See More:

TrialHub

Consilium Scientific