Author Interviews, Eli Lilly, Gastrointestinal Disease / 03.11.2023

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Lotus Mallbris, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Immunology Development Eli Lilly MedicalResearch.com: Would you briefly describe the condition of Crohn's disease and who is most susceptible to this disease? Response: Crohn's disease is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that can cause systemic inflammation manifested as abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever and weight loss. It can lead to intestinal obstruction, fibrosis and other complications. Approximately 900,000 patients in the U.S. and 1 million patients in Europe are currently suffering from Crohn’s disease, and 70% of those have moderate to severe disease. Although the majority of patients are started on conventional therapy such as corticosteroids and immunomodulators, many will unfortunately progress to having moderate to severe disease. Furthermore, current therapies to treat Crohn’s disease often fail to achieve remission for a majority of patients, and of the patients who do achieve remission, a substantial proportion lose it within the first year. (more…)
Author Interviews, Biomarkers, Gastrointestinal Disease / 26.11.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Iquity IncChase Spurlock, PhD, CEO of IQuity Inc. and Thomas M. Aune, PhD, Co-Founder of IQuity Inc. MedicalResearch.com: Why did you develop IsolateIBS-IBD? Response: Isolate IBS-IBD arose from work started at Vanderbilt University, which found that autoimmune diseases exhibit distinct RNA patterns in blood and that these patterns often are specific for a particular disease. In our longitudinal and cross-sectional studies of many human conditions that span both autoimmune and non-autoimmune disease categories, we found that differences detected at the level of RNA can provide an accurate snapshot of a person’s disease. Using RNA, we can tell at a very early stage if a pattern exists that indicates a specific disease. With this information, providers can initiate treatment plans sooner and have an additional tool in their toolbox when making diagnostic determinations. We developed this test because the symptoms of IBS and IBD are very similar, which can make it difficult and time-consuming for doctors to achieve an accurate diagnosis. IsolateIBS-IBD helps providers distinguish between the two conditions. It shouldn’t be viewed as a replacement or stand-alone test — doctors still need to use it in conjunction with clinical observation combined with traditional tests and procedures like a CT scan or endoscopic examination of the colon — but it can dramatically speed the diagnostic process. IQuity delivers results to providers within seven days of receiving the patient’s sample in the laboratory, allowing doctors to begin discussing a course of treatment as soon as possible.  (more…)