Health Advances

Leaders from our #diagnostics and #precisionmedicine practice will be at the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM) annual meeting in Chicago, July 28 - August 1. We love connecting with #labs, #OEMs, #CDMOs, and stakeholders across the clinical diagnostics industry and look forward to staying on top of the latest trends in IVD products and services. Reach out to chat about how we can be your partner in building winning diagnostics development and commercial strategies.

Since Health Advances founding, community service has been at the heart of what we do, and we remain committed to expanding and deepening its role within our organization. With this history and our vision in mind, we established our Pro Bono Consulting Initiative in 2022. By providing #probono consulting services to mission-driven organizations, we hope to amplify their impact and support equitable access to affordable, high-quality healthcare. Want to learn more? Check out our Pro Bono Practice website: https://bit.ly/3xsN4wk #HealthAdvancesGivesBack

Throughout #PrideMonth, Health Advances has been raising money for A4TE (Advocates for Trans Equality) an organization that fights for the legal rights of transgender people in America. Join us in supporting #A4TE and fighting for #TransEquality because #TransVoicesMatter! Donate Here: https://lnkd.in/eRT-vcSx

MEDPAC recently put out a report and dedicated a whole chapter (number 4) to "Paying for Software Technologies in Medicare".   It is a great summary of how Medicare can pay for software (SaMD and SiMD), how it defines as software (it may not be what you think), and offers perspectives on what software is currently reimbursed and what future reimbursement may look like.   TL/DR..... Indirectly through this report, Medicare is worried about the expense of paying for software technologies, but.... I think it recognizes the value of software and is looking for ways to capture value for patients.   The report strikes a balance of pragmatism while keeping the door open for expanding Medicare coverage and reimbursement for digital health technologies. It isn't overly optimistic, but still hopeful.     Preliminary Highlights   1. There are two types of software SaMD ( to CMS / MEDPAC) Software as a Service (SaaS) and Prescription Digital Therapeutics (PDTs)   2. If it isn't FDA approved or cleared, it isn't appropriate for Medicare   3. Products and services needs to fit into an exisitng benefit category and payment scheme ( IPPS / OPPS etc) 4.Sublte but important thing. Where as someone may have called AppliedVR's (which has its own HCPCS code, yay Liesl Oldstone, PhD, MBA, RPh, Emily Judge, and AppliedVR) RelieVRx SiMD, the document states that it is a PDT, but "the medical software and the device in which it is housed are integral to each other". PDTs are SaMD.... interesting....   5. Medicare is covering and reimbursing SaaS today and it will continue to do so 6. MEDPAC is nervous about the potential financial implications due to the proliferation of SaMD entering the market. They seem to be open to expanding coverage and reimbursement but are looking for innovative solutions to drive competition, value, and cost controls. https://lnkd.in/gmE9pngB

Health Advances beat the heat this week with rainbow treats for #PrideMonth from the That's So Cool truck at our Newton Office!  #SummerTreats #SummerInterns Masha Dumanis, Sheela Hegde, Kelly Cockerill, Kristen Turner, CPA, Greg Chittim, Brandon Wade, Sarah Cannon, Peter Crisano, Risa Pollak, Olivia Richey, Hope Shue

Health Advances' consultant Sydney Upah, attended the "Future of Wearables" talk led by Will Ahmed, CEO of WHOOP. We are excited to learn more about the latest cutting-edge advancements in #wearables and #remotepatientmonitoring that enable healthier lifestyles.

Today on our #HealthAdvancesGivesBack series, we are featuring our #HongKong office's Founders Day. We had the opportunity to visit Crossroads Foundation and contribute to their Global Distribution department. Our team engaged in sorting donated items and redistributing used furniture, with the goal of improving the living conditions of those in need.

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) remained in the spotlight at #ASCO2024 -- from DESTINY-Breast06 showing improved PFS of trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) over chemo in HR+,HER2-low mBC patients to AbbVie showcasing positive Phase I and II data from their ADC platform across solid tumors. However, Dr. Patricia LoRusso’s insightful overview of the ADC landscape provided a sobering perspective and highlighted the significant challenges in developing these therapies for solid tumors. The key challenge, as Dr. LoRusso emphasized, is that solid tumor antigens are often "tumor-associated" rather than "tumor-specific." This, combined with the heterogeneity of cancer cells, makes it extremely difficult to develop effective and safe ADC therapies. Despite the hurdles, we remain optimistic about the potential of ADCs. Vivek Mittal, Ned Wydysh, Gary Gustavsen, Earl Gillespie, Monica Schroll, PhD

The #diabetes market has been heating up and Sheela Hegde will be at the upcoming American Diabetes Association #ADASciSessions in Orlando to catch all the latest insights! #ADA2024

Gary Gustavsen and Earl Gillespie recently attended the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in Chicago (#ASCO2024). As representatives of Health Advances #Oncology practice, they were thrilled to be apart of this premiere event, and their anticipation was met with groundbreaking research. This year’s meeting brought encouraging Phase 3 data that could reshape treatment paradigms across various cancers. Lung #cancer took center stage, but there were also exciting pivotal readouts in breast, GI, and heme. These data highlight the progress being made in cancer treatment across multiple tumor types and stages. The emergence of novel targeted therapies, antibody-drug conjugates, and immunotherapy combinations is providing new hope for improved outcomes and quality of life for patients. We continue to witness a shift towards more personalized treatment approaches tailored to specific molecular profiles. Read some of the pivotal readouts ⬇