Uncategorized Archives

Claims Generate Claims. Lynx.MD Generates Answers.

Author: Lynx.MD

Real-World Evidence For MedTech and Life Sciences

The post-FDA approval environment is undergoing a transformative shift, driven by the increasing importance of real-world evidence (RWE). While randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been foundational in drug and device development, their limitations in capturing real-world patient experiences have become increasingly apparent. RWE, derived from real-world healthcare data, offers a vital perspective on product performance in the market, empowering medical affairs and market access teams to make informed decisions that benefit patients.

To fully realize the potential of RWE, it is essential to look beyond traditional structured data sources. While valuable, structured data such as electronic health records (EHRs) and claims databases often fall short of capturing the nuances of real-world clinical practice. The untapped wealth of unstructured data, including clinical notes, imaging reports, and patient-generated health data, holds the key to unlocking a deeper understanding on how well therapies perform after receiving FDA approval and in-market.

Here’s how RWE unlocks this potential:

Beyond Structured Data: The Power of Unstructured RWE

Unstructured data offers a rich, narrative-based perspective on patient experiences, treatment decisions, and outcomes. By leveraging advanced analytics and natural language processing (NLP), organizations can extract valuable insights that are often hidden within the text of clinical records. These insights can be used to:

Enhance Product Understanding: Unstructured data provides a deeper understanding of how products are used in real-world settings, including off-label use, treatment patterns, and patient adherence.
Identify Safety Signals: Early detection of adverse events can be facilitated by analyzing unstructured data for patterns and trends.
Inform Product Development: By understanding patient experiences and unmet needs, companies can identify opportunities for product improvement and innovation.

Driving Market Access and Medical Affairs Success

For market access teams, unstructured RWE can be used to:

Develop Compelling Value Propositions: Demonstrate real-world effectiveness and impact on cost of care to build robust value propositions for payers and healthcare providers. Uncover evidence of improved patient outcomes, quality of life, and resource utilization to differentiate the product.
Optimize Pricing and Reimbursement Strategies: Inform pricing and reimbursement strategies by demonstrating the product’s real-world value and impact on cost of care. Utilize unstructured data to quantify cost-effectiveness and support negotiations with payers.

Medical affairs teams can leverage unstructured RWE to:

Enhance scientific understanding: Delve deeper into product mechanisms of action, safety profiles, and real-world effectiveness through in-depth analysis of unstructured data.
Inform medical strategy: Identify emerging trends, unmet medical needs, and opportunities for clinical development by analyzing real-world clinical practice.
Support evidence generation: Generate high-quality real-world evidence publications to strengthen the product’s scientific foundation and inform healthcare decision-making.
Optimize medical communications: Tailor messaging and materials to address healthcare provider needs and concerns based on insights from real-world data.

Overcoming Challenges and Maximizing RWE Potential

To fully realize the benefits of unstructured RWE, organizations must invest in advanced analytics capabilities, data privacy and security measures, and skilled personnel. Collaboration between market access, medical affairs, and data science teams is essential for successful RWE initiatives.

By embracing the power of unstructured data, the pharmaceutical and medical device industries can unlock new opportunities for post-approval success, improve patient outcomes, and strengthen their market positions.

Harnessing the Power of AI and Machine Learning

While unstructured data offers a goldmine of insights, manually analyzing it can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. This is where the Lynx.MD platform comes in. With Lynx.MD artificial intelligence (AI), natural language processing (NLP), and computer vision, deep insights can be extrapolated efficiently from complex data sources.

AI and NLP can automate the extraction of key data points from unstructured sources like physician notes, PDFs, procedure/pathology reports, and patient surveys. This data can then be used to build robust value propositions for payers and healthcare providers. Imagine AI automatically highlighting sections of clinical notes that discuss improved patient outcomes or cost savings, or pathology finding, empowering teams to focus their efforts on these impactful areas.
- In a recent Lynx.MD use case, a drug manufacturer needed to identify patient care flow and unmet needs using information that could only be obtained from clinical notes. Lynx.MD’s AI was able to determine whether specific assessments were performed and what factors led to drug switches, providing crucial insights for the manufacturer’s strategy
Computer vision can analyze medical images to quantify disease progression and assess treatment efficacy in real-world settings. This data can be used to support product claims and demonstrate real-world value.
- Lynx.MD’s AI and computer vision has been instrumental in gastrointestinal health care. Analyzing colonoscopy imaging and associated reports to detect adenomas can only be done effectively with AI and computer vision. Lynx.MD’s advanced algorithms can extract these critical insights, enabling researchers to improve early detection rates and treatment outcomes

The Future of Medical Affairs and Market Access

The future of healthcare hinges on understanding the real-world impact of treatments. By harnessing the combined power of traditional data, rich patient experiences, and cutting-edge AI, medical affairs and market access teams can revolutionize how they assess medical devices and therapies.

Lynx.MD leverages advanced AI/ML and Computer Vision to break down data silos by providing a comprehensive platform that captures the full patient experience through both structured and unstructured data. This empowers medical affairs and market access teams to accelerate the delivery of life-changing treatments while optimizing for patient care.

Explore how Lynx.MD’s AI-powered platform can revolutionize your approach to life science research. Contact us today to learn more about our data resources and industry-leading platform.

175 Million Reasons to Be Excited: How Real-World Data Can Revolutionize Life Sciences

Author: Lynx.MD

The life sciences industry struggles to reconcile its innovative spirit with the slow, data-starved reality of bringing new treatments to patients. Traditional clinical trials, hampered by limited data access and restrictive settings, often lack the diversity and real-world experience needed to deliver unbiased results.

This is what Lynx.MD and our healthcare ecosystem have optimized a solution for. Imagine having access to anonymized information from over 175 million patient interactions, analyzed and enriched by the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and computer vision. This enables us to extract deeper insights from various sources, including electronic health records (EHRs), imaging, labs, videos, and more.

That’s the potential that researchers unlock with the Lynx.MD platform. With new data added daily, this rich tapestry keeps growing.

Lynx.MD goes beyond outdated data methods to supercharge life science and medtech research with real-world data (RWD):

Closing the Knowledge Gap: Real-world data can provide insights into how patients actually respond to treatments in their everyday lives, not just in a controlled setting. This can help bridge the gap between clinical trial data and real-world effectiveness.
Improved Trial Design: By analyzing RWD, researchers can predict and identify patient populations most likely to benefit from a new treatment, leading to more targeted and efficient clinical trials. This can save time and money, ultimately getting effective therapies to patients faster. Similarly, real-time access to unstructured data allows us to identify patients who meet technical inclusion / exclusion criteria on the spot, supporting site selection and patient recruitment
Unearthing Hidden Patterns: RWD allows researchers to analyze vast datasets, uncovering patterns and relationships that might be missed in smaller, controlled trials. This can lead to discoveries about drug interactions, treatment side effects, and even the identification of entirely new indications for existing medications.
Enhanced Patient Safety: By monitoring real-world use of medications and devices, researchers can proactively identify potential issues. This allows for quicker interventions when needed.
Personalized Medicine: RWD can be used to develop personalized medicine approaches by tailoring treatments to individual patients based on their unique genetic makeup, medical history, and lifestyle factors.

Data quality and standardization are important considerations, and patient privacy and ethics are paramount. However, the potential benefits of real-world data to improve healthcare for all are undeniable.

Here are some exciting possibilities for the future:

Faster development cycles for new drugs and devices
More effective and personalized treatments for patients
A more proactive approach to patient safety
A deeper understanding of disease progression and treatment response

The future of life sciences is awash with data. By harnessing the power of real-world data, researchers and developers can unlock a new era of medical discovery, ultimately leading to better health outcomes for all.

Explore how Lynx.MD’s AI-powered platform can revolutionize your approach to life science research. Contact us today to learn more about our data resources and industry-leading platform.

Beyond the Lab: Real-World Data is Vital to Medical Affairs And Market Access

Author: Lynx.MD

The secure sharing of real-world data (RWD) has emerged as a pivotal factor driving innovation and improving patient outcomes across the healthcare industry. For MedTech, life sciences, and biopharma companies, leveraging RWD can significantly enhance medical affairs and market access strategies, ultimately leading to more effective and cost conscious treatments and therapies. Let’s look at how secure data sharing can revolutionize these sectors, focusing on the critical roles of medical affairs and market access.

The Importance of Real-World Data

Real-world data encompasses information collected outside of traditional clinical trials, including electronic health records (EHRs), clinical notes, imaging, claims data, patient registries, and wearable devices. This data provides a comprehensive view of patient health and treatment outcomes in real-world settings, offering insights that are often not captured in controlled clinical environments.

Enhancing Medical Affairs

Medical affairs teams play a crucial role in bridging the gap between clinical research and clinical practice. They are responsible for ensuring that healthcare professionals have access to the latest scientific evidence and that patient care is informed by the most current data. Secure sharing of RWD can significantly enhance the capabilities of medical affairs teams in several ways:

Improved Evidence Generation: By accessing diverse and comprehensive datasets, medical affairs teams can generate robust real-world evidence (RWE) that complements findings from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). This evidence can provide a more accurate picture of how treatments perform across different patient populations and in various clinical settings.
Enhanced Communication with Healthcare Professionals: RWD allows medical affairs teams to provide healthcare professionals with up-to-date, evidence-based information about the safety and efficacy of treatments. This can improve clinical decision-making and patient outcomes by ensuring that practitioners have access to the most relevant data.
Support for Post-Market Surveillance: Continuous monitoring of treatment outcomes through RWD can help identify potential safety issues and adverse events more quickly than traditional methods. This proactive approach to pharmacovigilance can enhance patient safety and ensure that treatments remain effective over time.

Facilitating Market Access

Market access teams are responsible for ensuring that new treatments and therapies are available to patients as quickly and efficiently as possible. Secure sharing of RWD can play a critical role in facilitating market access by:

Demonstrating Value to Payers: Payers, including insurance companies and government health programs, require robust evidence of a treatment’s value before agreeing to cover it. RWD can provide compelling evidence of a treatment’s real-world effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness, helping to secure reimbursement and market access.
Supporting Health Technology Assessments (HTAs): HTAs are used by payers and regulatory bodies to evaluate the clinical and economic value of new treatments. RWD can enhance HTAs by providing additional data on treatment outcomes, patient quality of life, and healthcare resource utilization, leading to more informed decision-making.
Accelerating Regulatory Approvals: Regulatory agencies, such as the FDA and EMA, are increasingly recognizing the value of RWD in supporting regulatory submissions. By providing real-world evidence of a treatment’s safety and efficacy, companies can expedite the approval process and bring new therapies to market more quickly.

Ensuring Data Security and Privacy

While the benefits of RWD are clear, it is essential to address the challenges associated with data security and privacy. Ensuring that patient data is protected and used ethically is paramount. Several strategies can help achieve this:

Data Anonymization and Tokenization: Techniques such as anonymization and tokenization can protect patient identities while allowing researchers to analyze data. These methods ensure that sensitive information is not exposed, reducing the risk of data breaches.
Secure Data Collaboration Platforms: Platforms, like Lynx.MD, enable secure data sharing and collaboration between stakeholders. These environments allow multiple parties to analyze data without directly accessing raw patient information and PHI, ensuring that data privacy is maintained.
Compliance with Regulations: Adhering to data protection regulations, such as HIPAA in the United States and GDPR in Europe, is crucial. Companies must implement robust data governance frameworks to ensure compliance and maintain trust with patients and healthcare providers.

Lynx.MD CTO, Ofir Farchy, addressed these concerns and more in his article for MedCity News, outlining best practices for secure data collaboration in the healthcare sector.

Secure sharing of real-world healthcare data holds transformative potential for these sectors. By enhancing medical affairs and market access capabilities, real-world data drives innovation, improves patient outcomes, and ensures new treatments reach those in need.

Fresh from DIA 2024: How Real-World Data is Supercharging Medical Affairs

Author: Collin Labar

Just got back from the whirlwind that is DIA! As a Business Development Lead in the healthcare data space, it’s always an energizing experience to connect with industry leaders and get a pulse on the latest trends. This year, one theme dominated conversations: real-world data (RWD) and its transformative impact on medical affairs.

It’s no secret that clinical trials, while crucial, have limitations. They’re expensive, time-consuming, and often lack the real-world context of how patients actually use our products. But DIA buzzed with dicussion about RWD, a treasure trove of information waiting to be tapped. Electronic health records, claims data, wearable devices – it’s all there, waiting to tell a more complete story.

Security First: Keeping Patient Data Safe

Now, data privacy is paramount. Security is at the forefront of every conversation. Stringent regulations like HIPAA are in place, and secure cloud platforms with robust access controls anonymize data while facilitating collaboration between healthcare providers and companies. Think of it like a high-security library – knowledge is shared, but patient confidentiality remains sacrosanct.

The Medical Affairs Game Changer

This secure access to RWD has the potential to unlock a treasure chest of possibilities for medical affairs teams. Here’s what excites me the most:

Identifying Unmet Needs: Imagine analyzing claims data and discovering a higher-than-expected complication rate with a specific device. This intel can inform design modifications and future clinical trials, ultimately leading to safer and more effective products.
Speaking the Payer’s Language: Traditionally, value communication meant bombarding doctors with clinical trial data. But with RWD, we can show the real-world value proposition. Did our new device significantly improve patient outcomes? Can we demonstrate cost savings in a real-world setting? This data empowers us to have impactful conversations with payers, potentially leading to faster market access and wider adoption. Faster adoption means more patients benefiting from the latest advancements.
Precision Medical Affairs: Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all messaging. Analyzing electronic health records, lab notes, images, scans and more, allows us to identify patient subgroups who benefit most. We can then develop targeted resources for healthcare providers, leading to more informed treatment decisions. It’s about tailoring care, not just promoting products.

The Numbers Don’t Lie: The ROI of RWD

This isn’t just about innovation, it’s about ROI. Studies suggest RWD can cut clinical trial costs by 20% and increase the probability of favorable reimbursement decisions by 10-15%. McKinsey projected that an average top-20 pharma company could recoup more than $300 million annually by adopting advanced RWE analytics alone. That’s real money saved and more resources allocated to developing life-changing technologies.

The Future is Now: AI and the Power of Insights

But the sheer volume of RWD presents a challenge – analysis. That’s where the true potential for AI, machine learning, and computer vision exist. These technologies can automate data cleaning, identify trends, and unlock hidden patterns within massive datasets.

Imagine using AI to analyze X-rays and identify patients who might benefit from a new surgical device based on specific anatomical features. This not only saves us time but also allows us to uncover groundbreaking insights that could improve patient care.

The Next Chapter: A Data-Driven Medical Affairs Revolution

DIA left me with a sense of optimism. The use of RWD is revolutionizing medical affairs, paving the way for:

Predictive Analytics: AI can analyze historical data to predict treatment outcomes and identify high-risk patients. This empowers healthcare providers to personalize treatment plans, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes.
Engaging Patients on Their Terms: RWD can inform personalized communication channels for patients. Think about targeted educational messages and support groups delivered directly to patients using our specific treatment.

Real-world data, when used responsibly and securely, holds the key to unlocking a future where medical innovation thrives, fueled by the power of real-world information. It’s a future where the patient experience informs how we develop more effective treatments, get them to patients faster, and ultimately, improve lives. And that’s why I’m so excited to be a part of this transformative journey.

AI is Data-Starved: Big Data is the Fuel for the Future of Healthcare

In the past month, both The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and Reuters shed light on a critical but often overlooked hurdle in the race for artificial intelligence (AI) advancement: data acquisition. Artificial intelligence, across all industries, is facing a silent crisis: a lack of the fuel that propels progress – real-world data.

While the allure of “Big Data” has dominated headlines for years, the focus has often been on quantity, not quality. The reality is, AI models are only as good as the data they’re trained on. Biases, inaccuracies, and incomplete information within datasets can lead to flawed models that perpetuate existing problems or create entirely new ones.

The stakes are particularly high in healthcare, MedTech, and Life Sciences. Here, AI is poised to revolutionize diagnostics, therapeutics, and personalized medicine. However, without substantial real-world data (RWD) healthcare data – information collected during routine patient care, labs, notes and imaging – these advancements could falter.

RWD: The Missing Ingredient in Healthcare AI

Imagine developing a revolutionary Colorectal cancer treatment model, only to discover later that it performs poorly for specific patient demographics because the training data lacked sufficient representation. This is a very real possibility without RWD.

RWD offers a wealth of insights beyond the controlled environment of clinical trials. It captures the complexities of real-world medical practice, including patient adherence to treatment plans, unforeseen side effects, and interactions with other medications. This comprehensive picture is crucial for developing robust, generalizable AI models in healthcare.

Here’s how RWD empowers AI in healthcare:

Model Development: RWD provides a vast training ground for AI algorithms, allowing them to learn from the nuances of real-world medical scenarios.
Health Equity: One of the key shortfalls of AI, as we’ve recently seen in areas outside of healthcare is bias. In healthcare, this problem is amplified by the small number of examples representing each condition, and the unique characteristics of every patient in a given population. By tapping into orders of magnitude more data when compared to clinical trials, RWD helps identify and address disparities in AI in healthcare, as well as access and treatment outcomes for different populations. By feeding this rich data into AI models, we can develop solutions that promote equitable healthcare delivery.
HEOR Research: Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) utilizes RWD to evaluate the cost-effectiveness and real-world impact of new treatments. This data is essential for ensuring AI-driven healthcare solutions are not only effective but also financially sustainable.

Addressing the RWD Challenge

The road to unlocking the full potential of RWD in AI for healthcare is not without obstacles. Data privacy concerns, fragmented healthcare systems, and the lack of standardized data collection formats are all significant hurdles.

Here are some key steps to overcome these hurdles:

Privacy-Preserving Technologies: Implementing techniques like anonymization and trusted research environments can significantly reduce the risk to patient data and patient privacy while enabling data utilization for AI development.
AI-Based Data Standardization: Garbage-in, garbage-out as is widely claimed. That said, the massive investment into data standardization as it applies to claims doesn’t apply to precision medicine and advanced research, these require different approaches. And the attempt to standardize data collection will always fall short of the data needed for cutting edge analysis. Advanced data cleanup methods, made possible by AI, are here to help.This is a real opportunity to use quality data by leveraging AI to reduce the high operational cost in data collection.
Collaboration: Fostering collaboration between healthcare providers, researchers, and AI developers is crucial for creating a robust RWD ecosystem.

The Crucial Role of Responsible Data Sharing

However, unlocking the full potential of RWD in AI for healthcare requires going beyond simply acquiring data. Responsible data sharing practices are essential for harnessing the power of RWD while safeguarding patient privacy and trust. Here’s why responsible data sharing is essential for unlocking the potential of RWD in healthcare AI:

Privacy and Trust: Responsible data sharing practices ensure that patient-provider trust is maintained. Techniques like anonymization and pseudonymization can be used to protect patient identities while allowing data utilization for AI development.
Data Quality and Transparency: Responsible data sharing frameworks emphasize data quality and transparency. Data sources and collection methods are clearly documented, allowing researchers and developers to assess potential biases or limitations within the data.
Collaboration and Innovation: Responsible data sharing fosters collaboration between healthcare institutions, researchers, and AI developers. Secure data repositories and data access protocols can facilitate joint research efforts and accelerate innovation in healthcare AI.

The Future of AI in Healthcare Depends on Real-World Data

The potential of AI in healthcare is undeniable. However, this potential can only be realized if we address the data challenge head-on. By prioritizing RWD collection, ensuring responsible data governance, and fostering collaboration, we can pave the way for AI to truly transform healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.

Investing in a robust RWD infrastructure is not just about feeding AI – it’s about unlocking a future of personalized, effective, and equitable healthcare for all.

Learn more about Lynx.MD‘s unique real-world data ecosystem.

AI Is Doomed Without Data

Recapping Lynx.MD CEO Omer Dror ViVE 2024 Tech Talk

Omer Dror, co-founder and CEO of Lynx.MD, presented “Data & AI: How to Overcome Data Gaps To Deliver on the Promise of AI in Healthcare.” at ViVE 2024. Dror argued that while the promise of AI in healthcare is significant, there are substantial challenges with data fragmentation, availability, and a lack of collaboration that hinder progress.

Key Takeaways

Data fragmentation and scarcity hinder the development of accurate AI models in healthcare.
Collaboration and data sharing across healthcare providers are crucial for overcoming this hurdle.
Secure data-sharing platforms like Lynx.MD‘s Trusted Data Environment can facilitate collaboration while ensuring privacy.
Widespread participation in data sharing is essential to achieve AI’s potential in healthcare and ensure health equity.

Data: The Fuel for AI Innovation

Dror highlighted the vast amount of data collected in healthcare, emphasizing that 30% of the world’s data originates from this sector. However, a significant portion of this data is unstructured and not leveraged due to fragmentation across various healthcare providers and healthcare platforms. This fragmentation makes it difficult to aggregate data for analysis and make available for AI model development.

The Challenge of Data Fragmentation

Dror explained that the fragmented nature of the US healthcare system creates challenges in collecting data across a patient’s journey. Each healthcare provider collects data specific to their touchpoint, resulting in a scattered data landscape. This fragmentation makes it challenging to create accurate predictions for various patient populations because a single healthcare system often lacks sufficient data to inform for specific conditions.

Collaboration is Key

Dror emphasized the importance of data sharing and collaboration between healthcare providers, organizations and industry. He cited research from OpenAI demonstrating the exponential increase in data size required for marginal improvements in AI model accuracy. To achieve the necessary level of accuracy for AI in healthcare, collaboration and the secure sharing of structured and unstructured data is essential.

The Role of Lynx.MD

Lynx.MD offers a Trusted Data Environment that facilitates data sharing while maintaining control and privacy. The Lynx.MD solution enables data ingestion, modeling, and de-identification to ensure secure collaboration within the healthcare ecosystem. This approach allows researchers and AI developers to access data for analysis without compromising patient privacy.

Call to Action: Collaborate with Data

Dror concluded his talk by urging the audience to participate in data collaborations. He emphasized that sharing data securely while preserving patient privacy is crucial to unlocking the true potential of AI in healthcare. Without real-world data AI is doomed to provide inadequate results. He acknowledged the challenges of data cleaning and bias inherent in data collection but stressed that collaboration is necessary to address these issues and achieve health equity through widespread AI deployment.

Finding insights in the under examined middle gray areas

As a gastroenterologist, I’ve witnessed firsthand the profound impact that effective communication can have on patient care. In our field, where every symptom and detail holds significance, the art of asking the right questions is paramount. Traditional binary inquiries, ie. do you feel better today, fall short in capturing the complexity of gastrointestinal issues and their broader implications for patient health and potential to inform research.

Consider a patient presenting with symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Asking a binary question such as “Do you have abdominal pain?” merely scratches the surface of their experience. By delving deeper and probing for details about the nature, severity, and triggers of their symptoms, I can glean invaluable insights that inform diagnostic evaluations and guide personalized treatment plans.

Moreover, the broader context of a patient’s health is equally essential in managing gastrointestinal conditions effectively. Binary inquiries about diet and lifestyle habits overlook the intricate interplay of factors influencing digestive function. engaging in open-ended conversations and exploring the patient’s dietary preferences, stress levels, and medical history, I can uncover underlying triggers and develop targeted interventions that address the root cause of their symptoms.

Importantly, these non-binary conversational insights are not only critical for individual patient care but also hold significant implications for advancing research in gastroenterology. By capturing the rich nuances of patient experiences, we can identify patterns, trends, and novel therapeutic targets that drive innovation and improve outcomes for all individuals affected by gastrointestinal conditions.

In this era of technological advancement, artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) have emerged as powerful tools in harnessing the wealth of data generated through patient-provider interactions. Natural language processing algorithms enable researchers to analyze unstructured conversational data, uncovering hidden insights that may have otherwise gone unnoticed. By leveraging AI and LLMs, researchers can accelerate the pace of discovery, facilitate knowledge dissemination, and ultimately, transform the landscape of gastroenterological care.

As an industry we have to recognize the imperative of moving beyond binary questioning and embracing a more nuanced approach to patient-centered communication. Harnessing the insights gleaned from these conversations and leveraging cutting-edge technology, we can enhance individual patient care and drive meaningful advancements in gastroenterological research. Navigating the gray areas between black-and-white answers, we can lay the groundwork for a future where every patient is provided with personalized, evidence-based care tailored to their distinct needs and experiences.

Transforming Crohn’s & Colitis Care Through Data-Driven Insights

A future of personalized care

As a gastroenterologist and co-founder of the healthcare data company, Lynx.MD, I’ve witnessed firsthand the daily challenges faced by both patients and providers navigating the complex world of Crohn’s and Colitis. These chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are estimated to affect over 3 million Americans (1) incurring an estimated annual cost of $31 billion to the US economy. And, according to a report by the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (2) people with IBD incur $2,213 (3) in out-of-pocket costs per year on average, with some estimates placing this closer to $16,000 per year. While we, as providers, strive to provide the best possible care, there’s always room for improvement. And that’s where data becomes an invaluable tool, poised to revolutionize gastroenterology treatments.

Traditionally, treatment often involved assumptions based on best practices and trial-and-error using expensive medications, leaving patients in a cycle of dosage adjustments, treatment modifications and frustration. But data is changing that.

Data as a Beacon: Shining Light on Individualized Paths

Imagine being able to predict a patient’s disease course, identify early warning signs of flare-ups, or tailor treatment based on their unique genetic makeup. Data makes this possible. By analyzing vast datasets encompassing medical records, patient experiences, and even genetic factors, we can:

From Guesswork to Informed Decisions: Gone are the days of relying solely on intuition and experience. Data and analytics enable physicians to identify what works and what doesn’t, empowering them to make data-backed decisions tailored to each patient’s unique needs.
Predicting Outcomes and Tailoring Treatments: Data can help anticipate the course of a patient’s disease, allowing for proactive interventions and adjustments in treatment plans. Imagine detecting early markers of severe symptoms and customizing therapy accordingly, offering patients a better chance of remission.
Treating the Whole Person, Not Just the Disease: Data paints a holistic picture, revealing sub-types of Crohn’s and Colitis with distinct characteristics. This allows for targeted interventions, potentially avoiding unnecessary medications for certain patients, particularly young individuals who may not require aggressive treatment, yet. Regular monitoring ensures timely intervention if needed, saving patients from long-term drug use and its associated risks.
Precision Medicine: Biologics and Beyond: Data holds the key to unlocking the potential of biologics. By analyzing genetic and physical markers, we can predict which biologics are most likely to benefit each patient, maximizing treatment efficacy and minimizing side effects.

Beyond Medications: A Holistic Approach

Treating Crohn’s effectively goes beyond just addressing the disease itself. We must also consider the impact of social determinants of health, cultural background, and individual preferences. This is where data takes on a truly holistic role:

Understanding cultural nuances: By analyzing data with a cultural lens, we can provide care that respects and honors individual beliefs and values, leading to better adherence and overall well-being.
Addressing social disparities: Socioeconomic factors like access to healthcare can significantly impact disease outcomes. Data can help us identify and address these disparities, ensuring equitable care for all gastro patients.
Patient-centered decisions: Data empowers patients to be active participants in their care journey. By understanding their own data and risks, they can make informed decisions alongside their doctor, choosing treatment options that align with their values and lifestyle.

The Future is Bright: Data-Driven Solutions for Better IBD Care

The power of data is undeniable. By harnessing its insights, we can move away from trial-and-error and towards a future of personalized, data-driven Crohn’s care. This translates to:

Reduced reliance on unnecessary testing and medications: Saving both patients and the healthcare system time and money.
Improved treatment outcomes: With targeted therapies and early intervention, patients can experience fewer flare-ups and a better quality of life.
Empowered patients: Individuals become active partners in their care, making informed decisions about their health.

This data revolution is still in its early stages, but the potential is immense. By harnessing the power of information, we can move towards a future where Crohn’s and Colitis patients receive personalized, effective treatment, minimizing unnecessary interventions and maximizing their quality of life. This journey starts with embracing data as a powerful tool, not a replacement for, but a valuable partner in the hands of skilled healthcare providers and researchers. Together, we can transform the lives of millions living with Crohns’ and other gastroenterology conditions such as IBS, Fatty Liver Disase, GERD and more.

Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider for any questions or concerns you may have regarding your individual health.

Media Alert: Lynx.MD Leveraged for Study on Infliximab Optimization for IBD to be Presented at Crohn’s & Colitis Congress

Study real-world outcomes of IBD infliximab patients with the Anser TDM Test: Presentation by Prometheus using the Lynx GI data library

Lynx.MD, a provider of a comprehensive medical data intelligence platform, is honored to support our partner, Andrew Shim, Medical Affairs, Prometheus Laboratories Inc, poster presentation at the upcoming Crohn’s & Colitis Congress 2024 demonstrating the potential of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) to positively impact patient outcomes with infliximab dose optimization.

Poster Session: Comparing Real-World Outcomes… Using TDM vs. Unoptimized Control Group

Presenter: Dr. Andrew Shim, Prometheus Laboratories Inc., University of Minnesota

When: Friday, January 26th, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Pacific

Venue: Bellagio, Las Vegas

Key points of interest:

Large-scale study conducted in real-world community-based practices.
TDM-guided infliximab optimization linked to reduced rates of IBD-related surgery compared to standard dosing.
Findings add to growing evidence supporting personalized, TDM-driven treatment for improved outcomes and reduced healthcare costs.

This study was made possible through a powerful collaboration between Prometheus Laboratories Inc. and Lynx.MD, a leading real-world medical data platform. Leveraging Lynx.MD‘s rich repository of de-identified clinical data within the Lynx.MD Trusted Data Environment, Prometheus researchers gained unparalleled access to real-world treatment patterns and outcomes in a diverse patient population. This unique partnership exemplifies the power of data-driven research in advancing personalized medicine and ultimately improving patient lives.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about this potentially transformative approach to IBD care at the Crohn’s & Colitis Congress. Attend Dr. Shim’s presentation to discover how data-driven insights can inform IBD treatments.

Additional Information:

Crohn’s & Colitis Congress 2024 website: https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/events/crohns-colitis-congress-2024
Prometheus Laboratories Inc. website: https://prometheuslabs.com/

#CCCongress24

Celebrating Growth and Embracing the Future

A letter from our founders

As we approach the end of the year, it is a time for reflection, gratitude, and hopefulness. Despite the ongoing challenges and uncertainties in the world, we at Lynx.MD have much to be thankful for.

This year has been marked by growth, resilience, and a steadfast commitment to our values. We have expanded our reach, strengthened our partnerships, and made significant strides in innovation. (And, even had some fun along the way.) We are proud to share some of our more significant milestones from 2023.

Business

Achieved 3.7x year over year growth in available data
Welcomed 8 talented individuals to our team
Redesigned the Lynx.MD platform interface
Achieved SOC 2 Compliance

Product Advancement

At Lynx, we continuously enhance our platform based on valuable user feedback. In 2023, we introduced the ability to share dashboards, empowering users to collaborate seamlessly and derive insights from structured data visualizations across the organization while ensuring data security. Additionally, we’ve enhanced custom study environments for a more flexible remote machine experience.

Partnerships, Media and More

In 2023 Lynx.MD shared big customer news and industry insights. Both Ofir and Omer contributed articles to MedCity News. In May, Omer was interviewed for The Scope Forward podcast, one of the leading podcasts for Gastroenterology business leaders.

Lynx.MD and Baptist Health Innovations Collaborate to Advance Medical Research and Development

Lynx.MD announced it is collaborating with Baptist Health Innovations at Baptist Health South Florida by establishing a secure framework to share clinical data that will catalyze medical research and development. The collaboration begins with the Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute. Its robust cardiovascular clinical and imaging data will be followed by Miami Cancer Institute, Miami Neuroscience Institute, and Baptist Health Orthopedic Care. This collaboration will provide academic and industry researchers with privacy-preserved real-world clinical data to develop, test and validate data-driven solutions that have the potential to revolutionize patient care.

Lynx.MD Partners with Prometheus Labs and Gastro Health to Leverage Medical Data Intelligence Platform for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research

Lynx.MD announced our new partnership with Prometheus Laboratories Inc. and Gastro Health to securely unite real-world clinical data for retrospective analysis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) biologic treatment. The partnership brings together 10-years of de-identified IBD clinical laboratory data and patient data, using the Lynx Trusted Data Environment, to research and demonstrate the value of the Prometheus Anser® IFX therapeutic drug monitoring test to improve patient clinical outcomes and reduce overall healthcare costs in IBD patient management.

It’s Time for Healthcare Orgs to Get Serious About Data Governance

Ofir Farchy contributed an insightful article to MedCity News underscoring the importance in data governance. Instead of pushing data out into the world, it’s possible to invite selected partners into trusted data environments where they can safely harness your data — without ever directly viewing your datasets. Though not designed for clinical care functions, having records safely sequestered in a trusted data environment can help organizations to restore compromised data systems more rapidly.

Data as a New GI Ancillary

Omer Dror joined Praveen Suthrum of The Scope Forward Show for an enlightening discussion about the value locked away in gastroenterology data. Data holds the key to improving operations for long-term healthcare industry viability and improving care for all people. Unlocking the insights hidden in large data sets will help GI providers improve the quality of care, reduce variability in care, and lead to better outcomes.

Just For Fun

Maya Harel said “I do” with the entire Lynx.MD office there to celebrate. 💍
Volunteering – because when life gives you lettuce, you pack it. 🍃
Group Culinary tour at Shouk HaCarmel 👨‍🍳
500+ Daily Coffee Runs for the Palo Alto team. ☕

Cheers to 2023

Please reach out to us if you would like to learn more about our growth in 2023. We look forward to exploring new opportunities and data in 2024.

Thank you.

Omer, Rob, Ofir, and the entire Lynx.MD Family

Contact Lynx