Canada's Top 10 Influential Healthcare Leaders To Follow

Care through EI

Effective Ways to Know

Beer Health and a better way of life.

Editor’s Note

Trailblazing the Community with Healthcare Excellence

With the symbolic development of technological

upgrades, intellectual discourse and socioeconomic upliftment, human society has been transforming the globe with empathetic leadership. And, into this transgression, humans have been true carriers of visionary leadership. Moving ahead of the conventional approach, the community has been reinventing the existing science and coming up with novel solutions that have amazed global leaders worldwide.

Referring to the globe, one of the best sectors that is revolutionized at a skyrocketing speed is healthcare. And, with the zeal of technology leadership, inclusive approach, and resilience of healthcare leaders, the care community has glorified the crown of thought leadership. Standing at the helm of this transformation is a confluence of Entrepreneurs, Medico, paramedics, Research Enthusiasts, and many more.

Transforming through healthcare excellence, it is also important to look at the geostrategic merits that make the hustle easy and also support with an ecosystem where the thought leaders get guided through the vast opportunities.

One such region that immensely helps healthcare and its professionals through the transformation is Canada.

Being a region that nurtures innovation through research, technology, and thought leadership, Canada has been a harbor to healthcare organizations. Blessed with high immigration and surplus talent pool, the region is most favorable for technology entrepreneurs. This has facilitated a healthy ecosystem for leaders of healthcare sectors with social capital, growing market, care opportunities and research-based innovations.

Guided by the above metrics, healthcare leaders of Canada have been exemplifying the globe with fruition of thought leadership in care. And, known with the above development, we at Insights Care are excited to present you our latest edition, "Canada's Top 10 Influential Healthcare Leaders To Follow In 2022."

While you flip through the inspiring stories of influential healthcare leaders, ensure to read the insightful articles our In-house editorial team opined.

I hope you have a happy read!

- Bhushan Bhad

Li

Featuring

Organization

Albert Friesen

CEO and Founder

Alejandro Antalich CEO

Chris Perkin CEO

Medicure Inc medicure.com

Biomind Labs biomindlabs.com

Altasciences altasciences.com

Jean-Simon Diallo CEO Virica Biotech viricabiotech.com

Peter Lewis CEO

Peter Li CEO

Peter Ogutu Producer/Director

Rosetta Therapeutics rosettatherapeutics.com

Applied Biological Materials Inc. abmgood.com

Kenya Broadcasting Corporation

Richard Pierce

Board Chair and Founder

Seema Gupta CEO

GFR Pharmaceuticals gfrpharma.com

NanoSpeed Diagnostics Inc. nanospeed.ca

Sheldon Croome CEO

Brief

Albert Friesen started Medicure Inc., focusing on developing MC-1 and learning and innovating pharmaceutical marketing.

Focused on innovation, biotechnology, biomedical sciences and clinical research, Alejandro Antalich also leads Biomind Labs Inc., a Canadian publicly traded life sciences company specialized in fast acting psychedelics and tailored drug delivery systems targeting specific therapeutic indications.

Chris became CEO of Altasciences in 2010. He began his career at Huntingdon Life Sciences in England in 1975 as a toxicologist.

Under the leadership of Jean, Virica is using a biosensor that detects the interaction with the virus and its receptor which will allow them to rapidly test small molecules and drugs for their ability to block the virus which is crucial not only for this pandemic, but also in the future.

An accomplished biochemist, Dr. Lewis studies neurodegeneration, chromosome structure and function, gene regulation, and protein folding.

Under the leadership of Peter,ABM is driven by a team of passionate and talented scientists and is dedicated to empowering the scientific community with the latest innovations for life sciences research and drug development.

Mr. Peter Ogutu, Producer/Director at Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) believes in hard work and creativity.

Richard is well known in the natural products industry for creating and marketing the most successful brand of sport nutrition products in Canada.

Seema Gupta is a President, Founder, and CTO at NanoSpeed Diagnostics and she has a PhD from PGI Chandigarh.

Atlas Growers atlasgrowers.com

Sheldon has a successful track record of launching businesses and leading teams in a start-up environment.

Li CEO Applied Biological Materials

Peter

Leadership is a vital management function that helps to direct an organization's resources for improved efficiency and the achievement of the desired goals. Effective leaders provide clarity of purpose and guide the organization to realize its mission.

Successful leaders create a clear vision and mission of the firm to the subordinates, providing direction and helping the employees to act accordingly for the actualization of the objectives. The role of leadership is immense for smooth and better functioning and the importance of leadership is pivotal in accomplishing efficiency throughout the organization.

Successful leaders have inspired many with their effective abilities and skillset throughout history. The ability to influence people—to motivate, energize, and direct them in the quest for strategic goals—is so integral to the definition of leadership as to be virtually synonymous with it. One such personality is Peter Li , CEO, Applied Biological Materials

Founded in 2004, Applied Biological Materials (ABM) Inc. has been catalyzing scientific discoveries in Life Sciences and Drug Development for over a decade.

Under the leadership of Peter, the company is driven by a team of passionate and talented scientists; ABM is dedicated to empowering the scientific community with the latest innovations for life sciences research and drug development.

With a Spark to do Things

Peter commenced this company with a vision to develop and market ready-to-use biological materials so that scientists would not have to spend time and resources developing the materials themselves.

Peter's career began in China, where he was initially trained in medicine with a specialization in pathology. Then, in 1991, he joined the Pathology Department at the UCLA Medical Centre under a WHO fellowship program.

It was there that Peter saw the first successful applications of recombinant DNA technology not only in medical genetics but also in the work being undertaken by different labs at the UCLA Howard Hughes Research Institute for the ongoing human genome project at the time.

It was such an exciting field that Peter made his decision to pursue formal PhD training in this direction. He was lucky enough to receive six offers with full PhD scholarships. He was most attracted by the opportunity to work in cancer gene therapy research in the Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto.

In the fall of 1994, Peter relocated from Los Angeles to Toronto to join the Department of Medical Biophysics for his PhD training. The department research labs were physically located in the Ontario Cancer Institute/Princess Margaret Hospital, a very prestigious facility in Canada and around the world.

Quite a few important discoveries and inventions had been made throughout its history, including establishing cancer radiation therapy and discovering human haemopoietic stem cells, T- cell receptors, and the tumor chemo-resistant PGP protein, to name just a few.

Peter was surrounded by many great scientists, and a lot of exciting research projects were going on in this department. In addition, his project on breast cancer gene therapy was very exciting and progressing beyond expectations.

It was such an exciting time that Peter often stayed at the lab very late – often until 4:00 am in the morning – before going home for an early breakfast and a few hours of sleep. His professor and the institute gave him complete freedom to design and test projects and experiments.

Even today, Peter considers those years the best time of his life. The solid training that he received from this program prepared him well to take on a career or be an entrepreneur in the biotech industry.

Embracing the Opportunities

After completing the PhD training, Peter entered the biotech industry in 1999 as a Scientist at Clontech Laboratory Inc. in the Bay Area, developing adenoviral vectors. After exactly one year, he served as a Research Scientist at Sangamo Biosciences Inc.

(NASDAQ: SGMO), developing therapeutic viral vectors for zinc finger protein therapy.

By 2003, Peter had been working in the Bay Area for almost four years, and he saw the biotech industry boom, inspiring Peter to start his biotech company.

After evaluating many different factors, he finally chose to relocate to Vancouver, Canada, and start Applied Biological Materials Inc. (ABM) with a vision to develop and market ready-to-use biological materials so that scientists would not have to spend time and resources developing the materials themselves.

Specifically, the company offers ready-made biological

materials under the following three categories: general biological materials (PCR enzymes, transfection reagents, and others), cellular materials (a curated list of specialized cell lines), and genetic materials (all cDNA, genes, siRNA, miRNA, and UTRs for each human, mouse, and rat gene).

The story of the company's founding is a very humble one: Peter only had access to $20K in start-up funding and a 500 sq. ft. laboratory. During the first year of operation, he was the sole employee, doing everything from product development, product production, and QC to business development, accounting, and shipping/logistics.

Later, with funding from Industry Canada's IRAP program (like the US small business innovation grant), he grew the company by +20% every year until the COVID-19 pandemic hit North America in 2020. Later, Applied Biological Materials created job opportunities for over 150 full-time employee's pre-pandemic, with a current employee count in excess of 120.

Exemplifying Contribution

As a provider of biological materials, Applied Biological Materials have provided enzymes that IVD companies can use to develop COVID-19 qPCR tests as well as developing its own COVID-19 qPCR products accredited with both CE and FDA EUA authorization to help its customers to surmount the adversities of the pandemic.

The company also offered basic research materials for studying the COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 virus, such as RNA, cDNA, and other products.

Pearls of Wisdom

Sharing opinions on the necessity for life sciences research and drug development service providers to align their offerings with newer technological developments , Peter said, the fundamental necessity for life science research and drug development service providers is to make research and drug development easier and simpler, i.e., to streamline their project workflow.

For example, there is a desperate need for COVID-19 cell lines and animal models to aid in COVID-19 research and drug development.

Moreover, in Peter's opinion, the COVID-19 pandemic will significantly impact future biotech research.

Emerging and hot areas of research and development, such as cancer immunotherapy, gene therapy, and CAR-T cell therapy, are bound to continue to be hot. But a significant amount of funding resources will be placed into research on the COVID-19 virus to better understand the virus's basic biology, epidemiology, and immunology and develop better therapeutics.

COVID-19 vaccine development will be one of the most important areas of development. Although the FDA has already approved several vaccines, there will be an ongoing effort to learn more and develop better vaccines.

Sharing his advice for the budding entrepreneurs as an experienced professional , Peter said, "The biotech industry is thriving and full of entrepreneurial opportunities, but it also happens to be a resource-intensive area (in terms of both human and capital resources), thus developing an R&D strategy that is focused and in-sync with market demands is key to anyone who wishes to succeed in this sector.”

Surmounting the Challenges

Peter's biggest challenge is to develop a longer-term and bigger picture perspective for the company – specifically when it comes to deciding the right product categories to focus on. As a scientist-derived entrepreneur, his interests are often too broad, leading to a lack of focus for his business operations.

However, he believes that the business could have been much bigger and better if he had come to this realization ten

years ago. Peter is still adjusting to this new mode of thinking and has been reflecting deeply on this to ensure his business operation is well focused in the future .

Embracing the Future Roadmap

Peter's hope and dream are to reach a stage where he can become less involved in daily business operations and instead focus more on developing the company's corporate strategy.

ABM is on track to be able to scale up in the next five years, and the key to a successful scale-up is strict product QC control and a good business development strategy.

Since its incepon, these tesmonials prove that Applied Biological Materials' significant and exponenal achievements are reaching greater heights.

"Although there are alternaves for custom lenvirus producon, I have found ABM to offer the best price and service to produce high ter lenvirus preps.

If I have any special needs or concerns, they are always dealt with by the Technical Support Team. I have always been pleased with the product and will connue to use this service for my research.”

Ÿ Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Custom Lenvirus Producon

"We are very glad to have enjoyed the lenvirus packaging services from Applied Biological Materials Inc.

When we received high ter lenvirus producon (10^10 IU/mL) from Applied Biological Materials Inc for in vivo experiment and then injected the sciac nerve of a mouse with viral parcles to the overexpression target gene in myelinated nerves.

I am very surprised that the high ter lenvirus enables rapid and efficient overexpression of a target gene in infecng Schwann cells of wild type mouse.”

“The lenvirus packaging service is an excellent service that I highly recommend.”

Ÿ

Wayne State University, High-Titer Custom Recombinant Lenvirus

"Always amazed at the reasonable prices and breadth of selecon for genes of interest available on your site. Thanks very much!"

Ÿ

Washington University in St. Louis, CNNM1 Adenovirus (Mouse)

Albert D. Friesen CEO and Founder Medicure Inc

Innovations Augmenting the Healthcare Space

The major advancements in the healthcare industry with research and development that are being implemented significantly over the past few decades have introduced new platforms enabling reliability in the niche.

However, the cost of prescription drugs is growing at an unsustainable rate, making it difficult for patients to access the medicines they need. Comprehending this scenario, one of the progressive technology models that have evolved in the last few years is Telemedicine which has enabled accessibility in reaching renowned doctors to patients. The recent innovation that has positioned itself as an attractive model in the healthcare industry is e-pharmacy .

These pharmacies can effectively address multiple issues that healthcare consumers and the system face repeatedly.

It enables consumers to order medicines conveniently and aggregates supply with an efficient infrastructure that provides value-added information to consumers, such as drug interactions and their side effects.

Moreover, an online pharmacy model enables existing pharmacies to start online functioning and serve a broader set of customers . A network of pharmacies integrates into one platform and access a wider customer base while also ensuring that the inventory is consolidated. Enabling a plethora of such reliable services, Medicure excels in the limelight of the healthcare industry.

Under the leadership of Albert D. Friesen , CEO , and Founder , Medicure's sales force markets to physicians and other healthcare professionals. E-Commerce integration offers patients and providers direct online ordering and home delivery by providing a growing portfolio of products that improve patients' lives.

In an interview with Insights Care , Albert sheds light on Medicure's journey, its vision and core values, and his opinions on the company's future.

Albert, can you please tell us about your journey as the CEO and Founder of Medicure Inc.

With a PhD from the Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, I began a career in the pharmaceutical business as the first employee of the Winnipeg Rh Institute, where I led the development of WinRho. This drug prevents Rh Disease in the Newborn.

Over a 20-year career with the Rh Institute, as President, I led the development of several other plasma products and pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities. The Winnipeg Rh Institute became Cangene, and now Emergent BioSolutions.

In the 1980s 1990s, I started several biotech companies, the first ABI Biotechnology Inc., which became Apotex Fermentation and now Cronos. Other companies I started

communication.

Medicure can help bridge that gap between healthcare providers and patients using open and honest

Canada’s Top 10 Influenal Healthcare Leaders to follow in 2022

are DiaMedica Inc. and Novopharm Biotech, which became Viventia and now Sesen Bio.

In 1997 I started Medicure Inc., focusing on developing MC-1 and learning and innovating pharmaceutical marketing. My previous career had been in drug development and manufacturing believed that there would be interesting opportunities in innovating the marketing of drugs in the USA market.

What are the core values upon which your organization is built? Can you elaborate on the mission of Medicure Inc.?

We believe strongly that all patients should have access to affordable and life-changing medications. It's precisely why Medicure ventured into the online pharmacy world with the purchase of Marley Drug® in December of 2020.

Customers are longing for businesses to operate with integrity regarding drug pricing in the U.S. Integrity is one of our core values at Medicure. We say what we do, and we do what we say. Innovation is another of our core values at Medicure.

As a company, we find innovative ways to serve patients and healthcare providers; whether it's through developing new medications, like MC-1 to treat a rare form of epilepsy caused by a genetic Pyridox(am)Ine 5'-Phosphate Oxidase (PNPO) deficiency or strategically purchasing and promoting mature products in new ways, like Aggrastat® (tirofiban hydrochloride) injection, or by creating solutions to supply chain issues by purchasing Marley Drug and developing an E-Commerce solution for patients to bypass insurance company/pharmacy benefit manager middlemen for our other therapy Zypitamag® (pitavastatin) tablets and generic medication, as a whole.

Tell us more about Medicure Inc.'s vision and how it provides safe and cost-effective pharmaceutical products in the US market.

Medicure is a pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative and affordable therapeutics for the U.S. market.

Medicure's sales force markets to physicians and other healthcare professionals and with an E-Commerce integration offering patients and providers direct online ordering and home delivery without the need for insurance.

Our vision is to become a leading pharmaceutical company within the U.S., offering a growing portfolio of products that improve patients' lives.

We are actively developing new products (MC-1 and several generics), promoting our current portfolio (Aggrastat, Zypitamag), and creating innovative solutions for patients to enable them access to life-saving medications through our E-Commerce pharmacy platform Marley Drug.

Can you elaborate more on the benefits it is providing both patients and healthcare and how is it making an impact on the pharmaceutical industry?

The cost of medications affects patients' compliance and, ultimately, their overall health. No other industry would one provide a customer something, in this case, medications, without knowing how much they are paying for it, if they purchased it, and if they are using it.

We can help bridge that gap between healthcare providers and patients using open and honest communication. We work with healthcare providers to let them know if their patients are, in fact, filling their prescriptions. We also provide patients with transparent pricing with no hidden fees. It's a win-win for healthcare providers and patients.

Our Medicure model helps build trust with both healthcare providers and patients. Trust is so important in healthcare. It allows for open communication and better patient outcomes.

Being an experienced leader, what were the biggest challenges you faced in the pharmaceutical niche and what were the ways you opted to overcome them.

When we launched Aggrastat, we were selling to hospitals, a sell most of us could understand. The customer cared about the efficacy and safety of the medication as well as the cost. We did very well with Aggrastat growing its market share from 2% to 65% from 2014 to 2018.

We experienced significant challenges in market access when we purchased Zypitamag and entered the primary care market. We had more than just healthcare providers to convince, we also had patients and insurance companies/pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to convince.

We soon learned, especially for this medication, which is a pharmaceutical alternative to another expensive statin,

Livalo®, access is everything. If patients cannot access it or afford it, they won't buy it.

We launched Zypitamag at a price point of roughly 50% less than Livalo® expecting a quick adoption by insurance companies and PBMs. This was not the case, even when we offered the PBMs high discounts on top of this lower price.

We soon learned the fastest and most profitable way for us to get this medication to patients was to sell it to them directly.

So, what we did was we purchased a pharmacy, Marley Drug, which can sell Zypitamag directly to patients for just $1 per day. Since then, we've seen a 10-fold increase in our sales, and this continues to rise steadily each month.

As an industry professional, what would be your advice to the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts aspiring to venture into the pharmaceutical industry?

You always want to be solving a problem. What is the healthcare system missing, and can we help?

We are constantly consulting with patients and healthcare providers to understand what issues they are facing. They know best, and we rely a lot on their feedback.

So, my advice would be to never stop asking questions and always seek solutions to complex problems.

How do you envision further strengthening Medicure Inc.'s stronghold in 2022 and beyond?

One of Medicure's main focuses is carrying out a Phase 3 clinical trial with MC-1 for the treatment of a genetic disorder referred to as PNPO deficiency which is a rare neurometabolic disease that presents with severe neonatal epilepsy. The completion and subsequent approval can really accelerate our growth at Medicure.

The FDA has a Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Vouchers program, and Medicure has qualified that when MC-1 is approved for the PNPO indication, the FDA will issue us a voucher to accelerate the approval process.

These vouchers sell for between US$100 million and US$200 million, meaning that once we finish our Phase 3 trial and obtain approval, we will receive a voucher worth in excess of US$100 million that will provide us with further non-dilutive capital. In addition, we believe that our recently launched e-commerce site for Marley Drug has enormous potential and will be our most significant driver of growth and significant source of our profits moving forward.

Emotional Intelligence in the Landscape Healthcare

U

ntil decades ago, hospital

“But displaying emotions is merely a social convention for discussing behavioral intentions,” argues Deeba Hasan in a 2018 research study. In a healthcare setting, conventional ways of care are being questioned, debating over the need for emotion in delivering care. Even if emotions were essential, to what extent is it suitable to rely on emotions?

Taking instances from the Uk’s health services, the criticism points out that the healthcare professionals display a

lack of compassion and care, leading to adverse outcomes among patients. If so, is there an association between professionals' ability to care with their level of emotional intelligence?

Changing times have reflected that “emotional intelligence is the key to successful communication,” suggests Deepa. Patients today demand their rights as consumers. A priority is placed – not on having their physical needs met, but rather their emotional needs.

Let’s dive in to evaluate the role of emotional intelligence in healthcare.

What Do Patients Need?

A frequent level of complaints that patients hold – is not related to doctors’ clinical competence, but to their poor communication.

“Patients require care that is respectful and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values,” emphasizes Sanne Kuipers, in a 2019 study. But traditional forms of healthcare aren’t responsive to these needs, rather simply targeting a disease-oriented concern.

With regards to responding to patients, Yvonne Birks, a researcher at the Journal of Medicine suggests, “If clinicians were able to understand patients’ emotional reactions, then they’d be in a better position to understand why some treatments are more acceptable to patients, than others.” This makes sense as -- even though a doctor may be listening to the patient’s complaints, for the patient to know that the doctor understands his concerns, it could only be through responding effectively.

“Emotional Detachment” Is a Changing Norm

The shortage of compassion and empathy , the two aspects of emotional intelligence, has been intensely recognized by the Western medical culture. Similarly, attempts have been made to reintroduce compassion within the healthcare sector. However, the pre-established structure of care relies on “detachment” as an ethic, which has been admitted as an error.

But empathy is still about understanding the patient – a genuine emotional response that recognizes patients. “Patients are desirous and hungry for being understood and recognized,” highlights a 2021 study.

Despite evidence that highlight the need of emotional intelligence for effective patient care, attention must still be given to where the health care professionals stand. Otherwise, it would just be a neglect of their personal sense of being.

Physicians, nurses, and doctors – are healthcare professionals who are required to be both – clinically competent and emphatic towards patients. “In practice, however, accommodating both could be difficult,” says Angeliki Kerasidou, in a 2016 report in BMC Medical Ethics.

It makes sense, as they are required to be technically skilful and rational towards patients’ concerns while maintaining a detached emotional presence. This certainly inhibits them from not feeling patients' or their own feelings.

Addressing Patients’ Needs

Focusing on the debate over emotional intelligence, views go beyond the rigid boundaries of empathy and compassion yet interconnecting with empathic interactions. For this reason, Clarissa Guidi, in a 2021 study, proposes ‘empathic concern’ over ‘clinical empathy.’ She states that empathic concern would mean – an expression of genuine interest towards patients’ experiences.

Healthcare professionals are encouraged to incorporate emotional intelligence through ‘engaged curiosity’ where they demonstrate an emotionally engaged interest in learning about their patients' emotional points of view.

“However, such a concern is different from a ‘detached concern’ as it means – a commitment to validating patients' needs,” emphasises Clarissa.

Wrapping up

Situations arise where emotional intelligence would simply require the healthcare professional to acknowledge the patient as a human being – with feelings and self-worth. That being said, patients appreciate their doctors' curiosity over their health.

Despite the reference to understanding their patients better, Angeliki suggests, “ Emotional intelligence must not be something to be expected from healthcare professionals. Rather, it must be actively promoted, assisted, and cultivated within the healthcare profession .”

- Saloni Agarwal

Chris Perkin

A Forward Thinker in the Research Space!

John C Maxwell rightly said, "A leader is the one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”

This quote goes very well for Chris Perkin, the CEO of Altasciences .

Despite being part of a very regulated industry that prefers to stick to the status quo, Chris is a leader focused on innovation and out-of-the-box thinking. Even though faced with a lot of skepticism, he managed to implement a new vision for outsourcing, by creating a unique and truly integrated one-stop drug development solution for biopharmaceutical companies worldwide.

While in a conversation with Insights Care, Chris describes his journey and the flexible solution provided to sponsors by Altasciences.

Below are the interview highlights:

Chris, please give us a brief overview of your journey as the CEO of Altasciences.

I joined Altasciences in 2010. I have been in the CRO industry for almost 50 years, with a quick stop in pharma along the way. I started my career as a Preclinical Study Director in 1975 in England at Huntingdon Research Centre before moving to Bioresearch in Montreal in 1988. From there, I

worked my way up to Director of Toxicology and then to General Manager, and then Chief Operating Officer.

When I joined Altasciences, I assembled a team to implement a new vision for outsourcing which was to create a unique paradigm, so that drug development sponsors could partner

with ONE truly integrated and fullservice CRO/CDMO to move a drug from the preclinical phase to clinical proof of concept, and beyond — seamlessly.

And that's what we've done; we created a truly integrated, end-to-end drug development solution company!

What are the core values upon which Altasciences is built, and what is the mission of the organization?

Our mission is straightforward: we help sponsors reach critical drug development decision-making milestones faster by improving the speed and ease of the overall process. We bring all the traditionally separate early phase drug development steps under one CRO/CDMO — with teams and systems that actually talk to each other, and centrally coordinated operations. Hence, clients never have to repeat themselves as they move their new drug through the development process. This removes the need for multiple service providers and, in turn, helps our clients get better drugs to the people who need them, faster.

At Altasciences, our projects with clients are not just transactions — they are partnerships. We are here to help them bring their drugs to market; their goals are our goals. We believe in communication, transparency, dependability, honesty, and good science. And because we often collaborate with sponsors on more than one phase of a program, we really get to know them and every detail of their projects, and are better positioned to

Don't be afraid to change things and question the status quo – to innovate, to take chances, to choose your own path.

Chris Perkin CEO Altasciences

support them through the various stages of early phase drug development. We call this moving in unison to deliver a big impact with a personal touch.

Tell us more about Altasciences, its vision, and how it provides research, manufacturing, and analytical services to biopharmaceutical companies.

We look at drug development as a single continuum instead of a series of steps. And our vision is to be (and, in fact, we are!) the one-stop solution for early phase drug development. We offer the full spectrum of solutions within one CRO/CDMO: preclinical research, clinical research, bioanalysis, drug manufacturing and formulation, medical writing, regulatory guidance, biostatistics, program management, data management, and so much more, all of which are tailored to a client's specific study requirements.

And we provide these services whether for one study, a suite of services, or an end-to-end program — we offer sponsors complete flexibility. And all these services can be provided to a client with the support and guidance of a single project manager – no handoffs.

Elaborate on the solutions and services that Altasciences has provided under your leadership.

I'll give you three words: Proactive Drug Development. These words encapsulate our approach and our promise to our partners. We handle all early phase CRO and CDMO activities for sponsors; we synchronize our services for optimal communication and collaboration to mitigate risk, condense timelines, and save our clients' money.

As part of the Proactive Drug Development solution, activities occur in parallel rather than sequentially, ensuring a smoother and faster transition into the next stages. With the efficiencies produced by using Altasciences for all early phase drug development, we can reduce R&D timelines by up to 40%, without cutting corners. We have built a whole new, seamless, more proactive outsourcing experience for the industry with these three words.

Chris, being an experienced leader, what were the initial challenges that you encountered following the biggest challenges on the way ahead, and what were the ways you opted to overcome these?

Challenges change depending on where you are in your career. As you

gain experience, often through the school of hard knocks, you either learn and move on to new challenges or you don't, which is okay if that's what you want.

I encountered a lot of resistance to new ideas in the early days of my career, and still do, to a lesser extent, but obviously, the title of CEO helps these days. For me, perseverance and patience were key factors. I have only worked at four companies in over 50 years; I left the first two because I had progressed as far as I could and learned all that I could.

I left the third company because, although I was an executive, the company was pushing me in a direction that I did not feel was where I wanted to go. So, at 59 years of age, I moved to what was to become

Altasciences, and we built a whole new approach to drug development. That's what I mean by persevering and making the right decisions for you to get where you want to be.

At Altasciences, the challenges over the last 12 years have been to instill belief in our managers, staff, and investors that we have truly created a different kind of CRO/CDMO. I overcame that resistance by being the face and voice of the new approach, not just to staff and investors but to anyone who would listen.

It was also by making the plan logical, ensuring everyone, especially those at Altasciences, understood what we were doing and why. Over the past 10 years, I have increasingly used communication in all its forms to

change our culture so that everyone, at every level, feels part of the plan and shares in the success.

As an established industry leader, what would be your advice to the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts aspiring to venture into the research space?

Don't be afraid to change things and question the status quo – to innovate, to take chances, to choose your own path. Change is slow in an industry like ours, and the proven, established standard is often preferred over out-ofthe-box thinking. When I started on my vision for Altasciences, we received a lot of raised eyebrows, questions, and skepticism because "no one had done it before", but through passion, determination, and innovation, we

were able to prove that there is another way to outsource contract research; we don't have to settle for the status quo.

How do you envision further strengthening Altasciences' stronghold in 2022 and beyond?

Altasciences has evolved and will continue to evolve because we are continuously looking for ways to improve the drug development journey for our clients. We're not afraid to ask what they need from us. With that, we've sought to fill gaps in our services and expertise through acquisitions and organic growth.

Since 2010, we've built Altasciences into a full-service solution with eight locations, coast to coast. We'll continue to develop our portfolio in North America and will be building the same model in Europe by acquiring facilities that align with our vision and culture. And we will continue to invest in ourselves with the latest equipment and expansions (like the one we completed at our bioanalytical lab in Laval, Quebec, and at our CDMO site in Philadelphia just last year). And we'll continue to invest in our team through employee development initiatives; our Altascientists (as we like to call them) are the best in the business, and they truly make all the difference.

Every move we make is a step toward further streamlining the outsourcing paradigm to provide our partners with an even more comprehensive and proactive drug development journey. And as we continue to grow, we will maintain our company culture of collaboration, integration, and customer focus.

In this article, we will discuss all you need to know about the immune system, that is; how the immune system works, types of the immune system, part of the immune system, a weak immune system, and how to boost the immune system. Kindly pull a chair, a pen, and a book as you read on.

How does the immune system work?

Memory cells are two various subtypes of white blood cells (B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes) that the immune system uses to keep a log of every pathogen it has ever eliminated. If the microbe enters the body again, it will be immediately recognized and destroyed before it has a chance to grow and make you sick. If you are not in good health, your immune system might be unable to defend against foreign invaders.

Additionally, the immune system may continue to attack even in the absence of an outside intruder or after an outside invader has been killed, which can cause allergic reactions and autoimmune illnesses.

What are the types of immune systems?

There are two types of immune systems: The active immune system and the Passive immune system.

Ÿ

Active Immune system

This type of immune system is triggered to produce antibodies to tackle a particular disease organism when the body is exposed to it. The active immune system can be acquired through vaccinated immunity or natural immunity.

Ÿ

Vaccinated immunity

This is acquired through the introduction of a killed or weakened form of the disease organism through vaccination.

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Natural immunity

This is acquired through exposure to a disease organism through infection with the actual disease. So if the body is exposed to a foreign invader(disease organism), the immune system recognizes it and produces the antibody that will fight it. Active immunity lasts long in the body. Ÿ

Passive immune system

With this kind of immune system, antibodies are given to a person based on the disease organism present in their body. Instead of being produced by the immune system itself, this sort of immune system is supplied.

While the immune system takes some time to create active immunity, passive immunity can be given or administered right away.

Parts of the immune system

The main parts of the immune system include Bone marrow, lymphatic system, tonsils and Adenoids, thymus, white blood cells, and spleen.

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Bone marrow

This spongy tissue, which is located in the bone, creates various immune cells, including white blood cells, platelets

Author Bio Author Bio

OLUWASOLA SAMUEL

Oluwasola is a health content writer. In addition to this, he works as a financial sales associate (Insurance sales associate). His experience in the insurance industry has made him more aware of the careless and dismissive ways in which some people have approached health issues.

As a health advocate and educator, Oluwasola uses well-researched information to guide the audience in making wise health decisions that improve their quality of life.

Oluwasola possesses communication, research, adaptability, and originality skills. All of these help him craft great content that resonates, sweeps his audience off their feet, and communicates effectively. He also crafts content that addresses the pain points of his audience.

that aid in blood clotting, and red blood cells that carry oxygen. Every day, the bone marrow creates billions of red blood cells.

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Lymphatic system

This is a collection of lymph nodes, lymphatic veins, and white blood cells that are found throughout the body. They all cooperate to control the body's fluid balance, absorb dietary fat in the intestine, kill bacteria, and deal with cancer cells.

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Tonsils and Adenoids

The nasal tube and throat contain this immune system component. It prevents bacteria from entering the body through the nose or mouth. When a virus or bacteria enters the body through the mouth or nose, it is immediately

trapped, and immune cells start producing antibodies to fight the invaders.

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Thymus

Above the heart, in the upper part of the chest, is where you can find this white blood cell. Its main duty is to become more familiar with, identify, and remember an invader so that it can rapidly deal with the invader.

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White blood cells

These are vital components of the lymphatic system, and the immune system depends on them. They circulate through the body's bloodstream in search of foreign invaders (bacteria, parasites, or viruses), and when they encounter any invader, they launch an urgent and immediate attack.

Spleen

Red blood cells are filtered by the spleen, which also damages and eliminates any damaged old red blood cells. Additionally, it houses the white blood cells necessary to defend against outside invaders.

What is a weak immune system?

This means your immune system can no longer launch an attack on foreign invaders(bacteria, viruses, and fungi) in your body. A weak immune system means you are prone to frequent infections, and you are immunocompromised.

A weak immune system can be caused by the following:

Health condition

Lifestyle

Aids

Diabetes

Cancer

Immunosuppressive drugs

Organ transplant

Cancer

Additionally, your immune system can deteriorate over time due to aging. People aged 70 and older begin to experience immunodeficiency.

Signs that your immune system is weak.

People who suffer from a weak immune system encounter frequent and different signs such as:

Ways you might be harming your immune system:

Smoking

More than 7,000 chemicals and chemical compounds in cigarettes affect the immune system. The CDC estimates that smoking causes almost 500,000 American deaths per year. At least one significant disease brought on by smoking affects 16 million additional Americans. Avoid smoking if you desire a healthy lifestyle. Ÿ

Stress and Anxiety

We live in the jet age, where everything moves fast. You constantly want to be aware of both work and personal events. As a result, you might find out you are tense and stressed. Stress increases catecholamine and suppressor T cell levels, which suppress the immune system making you more susceptible to infections. It makes persons who are overweight more likely to develop diabetes mellitus.

Lack of Exercise

The likelihood of getting sick regularly is increased among people who rarely exercise. Obesity, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol levels are all risks for people who don't exercise regularly.

Dehydration

Since water makes up between 50 - 70 percent of the weight of an adult human, it is vital to our health. To remain active and perform as intended, our cells and organs require water. Dehydration and lightheadedness can result from not drinking enough water. According to the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the following amounts of fluid should be consumed each day:

About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men.

About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women. Ÿ

Unhealthy Diet

Body pain

Inflammation of internal organ

Growth and development in children

Cough

Fever

Children that eat well grow up, stay healthy and have stronger immune systems. It lessens their vulnerability to illness. A nutritious diet helps adults avoid becoming obese and lowers their chances of developing chronic diseases.

Those with existing medical issues benefit from a healthy diet. It aids them in controlling their illness.

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Lack of Sleep

Your immune system might be harmed by lack of sleep. Lack of sleep promotes the production of inflammatory cytokines, which raises your risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attack, heart failure, and stroke. Ÿ Alcohol

Alcohol abuse damages the immune systems over time. A weakened immune system increases a person's vulnerability to pneumonia, flu, and other infections. In the United States, from 2015 to 2019, excessive alcohol use caused more than 140,000 deaths and 3.6 million years of lost potential life annually, shortening the lives of those who died by an average of 26 years, according to the CDC.

How to boost your immune system?

The following are the ways you can boost your immune system: Ÿ

Exercise regularly

Maintain a healthy lifestyle

Get vaccinated

Reduce stress

Get enough sleep

Stay hydrated always

Summary

The immune system serves as the first line of defense against external intruders (viruses, bacteria, and fungi). It investigates, finds, and attacks the outside invader. A healthy individual who engages in regular exercise consumes a nutritious diet, and abstains from smoking and binge drinking will not frequently contract illnesses.

For your immune system to combat and kill foreign invaders in your body, you must make sure you lead a healthy lifestyle.

Please contact an immunologist if you have immunodeficiency (deficiency of the immune system). An immunologist is an expert in immunodeficiency disorders.

References:

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National institute of health(NIH)- Immune System https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancerterms/def/immune-system

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Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care- How does the immune system work? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279364/

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Centers for disease control and prevention(CDC)Immunity type https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/immunity-types.htm

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What's immune system-National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10759/defitem/A2921/

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Immunocompromised-National institute of health(NIH) https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancerterms/def/immunocompromised

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Encarnacion Montecino-Rodriguez, Beata Berent-Maoz, and Kenneth Dorshkind-Causes, consequences, and reversal of immune system aging https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3582124/

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC)Smoking and overall health. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/50thanniversary/pdfs/fs_smoking_overall_health_508.pdf

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Mohd. Razali Salleh- Life event- Stress and illness. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3341916/

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Centers for disease control and prevention(CDC)Physical inactivity https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/ factsheets/physical-activity.htm

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC)-Poor nutrition https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/ factsheets/nutrition.htm

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC)Sleep and the immune system https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/work-hour-training-fornurses/longhours/mod2/06.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Alcohol use and your health https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm

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Leadg the Modern HealthCa System

Ideating minds combined with experimenting hands is

what may be the key that leads the journey of becoming a leader from the crowd. This concoction has empowered the masses to rise above the ordinary and has transformed the world in a myriad of positive ways.

Talking of transformations, one segment in the limelight is the healthcare sector which has witnessed many eminent personalities of yesterday as well as of the present who have infused their leadership skills in this niche to give a better life to the global population. And speaking about leaders, well who could forget the efforts of Florence Nightingale or Edward Jenner or Srushuta or Hippocrates, and others in the endless list, who have upgraded the health ecosystem.

These leaders changed the luck of many lives by striving hard to provide innovative inputs in the healthcare world and surely has inspired many, even today, to opt for medical sciences or aspire to be a guiding force in the industry. Who knows!

But one would definitely pause and ponder upon the question – What exactly made them a leader and how can I be a driver of change in healthcare?

If this is what has exactly brushed past, then this is the article to stop at and read.

This insightful piece brings some effective ways in which one can practice to lead the dynamic modern healthcare system, and flood it with innovative transformations!

Let us dive straight into the article and know the How!

Effective Ways to Know

Build and Train the Mindset

The cycle of cognition, actions and behaviors is intertwined as one affects the other. Therefore, it becomes essential to build a mindset that will ensure discipline, consistency and intrinsic motivation in the path of becoming a leader.

It is also important to do so because the healthcare sector is posed by a variety of challenges every single day. The most recent example would be the scenes of emergency, and scare caused by the COVID pandemic.

As a leader, in such scenarios, it is important to maintain the calm within so as to manage the situation in a better way and guide fellow doctors and patients to peace and assure them relief soon by at least handling the situation with empathy.

These traits can only be developed when one has trained the mind enough to effectively regulate emotions and display effective body language that people in crucial situations can trust.

One way to train and build such a mindset is to read about the experiences of other leaders or practice it during the initial years.

Inculcate Words, Learn by Experiences

Books are human's best friend and practice translates one's abilities into perfection – are the common phrases that fall on the ears every now and then. And hence, inculcating them would be one of the best ways of leading the modern healthcare system.

The ever-evolving nature of parasitic infections, or modern viruses have the potential to tamper with the balanced world, like the bubonic plague, or the recent monkeypox virus. But what made global citizens sail through and live longer was the interventions by leaders.

Now how did they achieve this, even when it was a totally new event?

The answer lies in the phrases quoted above – books, and practice. Inculcating the habit of reading apart from the normal course material will upgrade and enhance textual knowledge. While practicing it would activate learning processes that hit the long-term memory and advance one to act instantaneously when abrupt situations arise.

To initiate this process, one can follow the pointers mentioned below,

This practice will also keep one abreast of the latest happenings in the segment and never know it could lead to ground-breaking innovative ideas and discover a new hidden leader!

Mentor Yourself as well as for Others

Amongst the traits that define a leader, the trait of empathy and mentorship would top the list. Being able to convey what one has to say and communicate with the audience effectively is a good way to guide the masses in the right direction.

In the health ecosystem, patients are mostly confused or grasped by fear and anxiety or are overwhelmed by the outof-pocket expenditures. In such cases, prior experience of mentoring and guiding a bunch of juniors or any group would prove to be beneficial as it fills one with ideas and ways to communicate while being calm, empathetic and also delivering effectively and rightly.

Climbing the Success Ladders

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Start small with reading new material for five minutes every day and pace up every day by increasing the reading time Ÿ

Be curious and take advantage of the modern telephonic devices to solve the puzzles of information and quick research works Ÿ

Be disciplined, take new patients, diagnose the care thoroughly and apply the theoretical knowledge learnt so far Ÿ

Be one's own mentor – keep teaching and keep learning Ÿ Read autobiographies of personalities, learn from their experiences and try to imbibe the same attitude with the needed customizations

Apart from this, it is also essential to practice a healthy lifestyle that would inspire others to do so and keep one away from any unwanted circumstances in their journey of becoming a leader.

Another way to inculcate this is with the help of networking. Use social media to connect with present medical leaders, watch their inspiring interviews, or infuse their magical success chants into the journey.

In order to lead the modern healthcare system, one has to delve in deeper, to understand how the system actually works and responds. Learning about the ground realities and the surrounding clouds of socio-economic factors could initiate a new wave of thinking strings that could have the potential to guide the technologically advanced, and dynamic medical world.

The world awaits more leaders, and you definitely can be st the one to upgrade the face of 21 century healthcare!

- Drishti Gaikwad

A Progressive Leader in the Global Broadcasting Niche

Passion and hard work are the elements that, once mixed, initiate the solution to success. For the achievement of it, one requires absolute devotion and strong will. A will that is possessed by everyone, but only some have the ability to see and use. The spirit of never giving up is the key to the door that has been shut for ages.

Breaking the ordinary benchmark and opening the doors that have been the roadblock to success is an extraordinary and multitalented person— Mr. Peter Ogutu , Producer/Director at Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) who believes in hard work and creativity.

KBC has a goal to provide leadership in the transmission of objective, informative, educative, and entertaining content to the public through high-quality broadcasts and with the progressive leadership of its Director.

Mr. Ogutu learned about his skills and potential at a very young age, and since then, he has never looked back. He has been using his strengths as a shield to eliminate the obstacles that have been in his way.

What could be the primary strengthening elements?

Let's merge into the interview to find out:

Please shed some light on your leadership journey as a Producer/Director.

No Journey in life is ever smooth, and mine is not different because I have risen in the ranks from being an intern, sound boomer, scriptwriter, and actor then to finally being a producer/ director. I am living proof that hard work, patience, and creativity really pay off.

What was the inspiration that prompted you to venture into the media niche?

Media is one of the most powerful instruments of communication. I have always believed in making change and empowering people. I believe in the power of one, that one person, one action, can have a ripple effect that can make a difference.

Being a Producer/Director at Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, how do you envision growing your network operations into the broadcasting niche?

Being a state corporation, KBC enjoyed monopoly status for over six decades. However, liberalization of the airwaves in the 1990s saw the licensing of more broadcasting stations thus introducing competition and growth in the industry, and this growth has given rise to various digital TV shows and online stations, as KBC we are bridging the gap by also going digital via our website and YouTube channel to retain our audience who switched to the various platforms.

How does your medium of Kenya Broadcasting Corporation help spread healthcare awareness and thus positively impact the healthcare space in Kenya?

As the National broadcaster, it is our mandate to educate and spread awareness on healthcare and we do this through our various TV and Radio health shows like Health talk, and Health Tuesday, just to mention a few hence making the nation aware of the current health situations or pandemics and how to manage and cope with them.

From the initial times of your career, what were the challenges you faced, and enlist us the professional hacks that helped you become the grand success that you are today?

I started my career in an era where young people were never heard because people believed in the older generation, I had to prove my worth before I was finally

Peter Ogutu Producer/ Director Kenya Broadcasting Corporation

given a chance, I hacked all these by learning from others, accepting my flaws, taking corrections, training as much as I could, believing in myself, having a target, not giving up, being at your best even when everything is not working out for you.

Can you share how KBC provides leadership in transmitting objective, informative, educative content and how it has made you ramp up your growth curve?

KBC is the oldest and first station in Kenya, It has seen nearly 85% of the professionals in the current media industry in Kenya, and it's the best media training ground in the country, I am the best because KBC took me in and turned me inside out to be where I am today.

As a successful leader in the media space, what is your opinion on integrating technology with healthcare, which is currently grabbing the global spotlight?

Yes, we are in a digital era, but when it comes to healthcare I am of the opinion that we keep it old school and go back to hospitals because nowadays people are dying slowly because they are busy googling their sickness and diagnosing themselves and it's not good because you may end up treating something that's not even ailing you.

Please give us your valuable input about the future of the broadcasting niche for budding enthusiasts aspiring to venture into the media space

Broadcasting is going digital and online, so I would like to tell anyone who wants to join this Industry not to start this journey thinking of how much money you are going to make in this industry because it is not a walk in the park, you have to work hard, have the passion to do this, be open to changes because of the current trends.

I had to prove my worth before I was finally given a chance. I hacked all these by learning from others, accepting my flaws, taking corrections, training as much as I could, believing in myself, having a target, not giving up, being at your best even when everything is not working out for you.