Physiology

Kevin Kregel named permanent provost and executive vice president at University of Iowa – UI The Daily Iowan

Pending Board of Regents approval, current interim provost Kevin Kregel will fill the role permanently beginning Feb. 15.

The University of Iowa removed another interim title this week.

Kevin Kregel, the UIs interim provost and executive vice president, was named a permanent provost and executive vice president on Thursday. Kregel, has served in the interim since July 2020, when former provost Montse Fuentes stepped down from the position for a role as special assistant to the president. Kregel will start Feb. 15 with an annual salary of $439,000.

Its the second role the UI has upgraded to permanent since the start of the semester two weeks ago. The UI named Liz Tovar as the executive officer of diversity, equity, and inclusion after serving in the interim role since August.

Kregel graduated from the UI with a bachelors degree in biology and a doctorate in physiology and biophysics. In 1993, he joined the UI faculty and has since served as department executive officer in the Department of Health and Human Physiology before being appointed associate provost in September 2014 and to the executive vice provost and senior associate provost for faculty role in July 2019. Hes also participated in steering committees for two cluster-hire initiatives and in the role of acting associate provost for undergraduate education and dean of University College in 2018.

While serving as interim executive vice president and provost, Kevin has demonstrated strong leadership and collaboration that has helped carry the university through the challenging pandemic, said UI President Bruce Harreld, according to a UI media release. His long career at Iowa has provided him with unmatched knowledge and insight that position the university for continued excellence.

UI spokesperson Anne Bassett pointed the DI to Harrelds quote in the news release in an email asking for details on why the UI decided to appoint two current interims without searches in the last few weeks. The UI has used searches in the past to fill open administrative positions, including one in fall 2020 that led to the appointment of Amy Kristof-Brown as Tippie College of Business dean after serving as the interim since March.

The previous provost, Fuentes, was reassigned to a new position created within the presidents office in July, maintaining her $439,000 provosts salary. Per the universitys contract, she would hold that position until June 30, 2021.

Fuentes will take the helm of St. Edwards University, a private Catholic liberal arts university in Austin, Texas on July 1, 2021 as its president.

I am honored to serve as provost at Iowa, which has been such a meaningful part of my life since I was an undergraduate student, Kregel said, according to a UI press release. I look forward to building upon the relationships I have established during my time as interim and continuing to deliver an excellent educational experience to our students and improving the workplace experience for our faculty.

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Kevin Kregel named permanent provost and executive vice president at University of Iowa - UI The Daily Iowan

Physiology

As climate change cranks up the heat in the Mojave Desert, not all species are equally affected – Iowa State University News Service

AMES, Iowa Climate change doesnt affect every species equally.

Even among species that share the same habitat, some organisms adapt more readily than others to environmental fluctuations wrought by climate change. This realization has led biologists to try to predict which species are most vulnerable to climate change.

A new study published this week in the peer-reviewed journal Science shows how climate change is having a much greater impact on birds than small mammals in the Mojave Desert in the southwestern United States. The study, led by an Iowa State University scientist, utilized computer simulations to explore differences in how birds and mammals experience the direct effects of climate warming on their ability to maintain a stable body temperature.

The study could inform conservation practices and shed new light on how animals respond to changes in their environment, said Eric Riddell, lead author of the study and an assistant professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology.

We wanted to answer how physiology influences where animals can live and their vulnerability to climate change, Riddell said. We built these simulations that mimic how animals interact with their environment so we can identify which combinations of traits make species vulnerable to climate change and which ones dont.

Riddell contributed to the project as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. A UC Berkeley biologist named Joseph Grinnell collected copious amounts of data on wildlife in the Mojave region in the early 1900s. Biologists conducted surveys in recent years at the same sites visited by Grinnell, comparing todays wildlife populations to those of 100 years ago. The new study drew on data for 34 small mammal species at 90 sites and 135 bird species at 61 sites located primarily on protected lands in southeastern California. Previous analyses showed that, as the Mojave Desert grew hotter and drier as a result of climate change, bird populations collapsed while mammals held steady.

Steven Beissinger, a UC Berkeley professor of environmental science, policy and management and a researcher at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, said the extreme environment of the desert highlights the biological differences noted in the study.

Scientists tend to assume that most species in a region experience the same exposure to temperature or precipitation changes, and that they all respond in the same way, Beissinger said. But, we're finding now that animals have diverse strategies for reducing their exposure to hot and dry conditions that could kill them. You should see these differences most strongly in a harsh environment like the desert, where life is really on the edge.

Computer simulations conducted by Riddell for the study explain those changes by examining the biology and behaviors of the species in question. Riddell compared the way animals control their body temperature, similar to how houses control temperature. We devote energy to warm our houses in the winter or cool our homes in the hot summer months, all to maintain a comfortable temperature range. Similarly, animals must devote energy to regulating their temperature as well, Riddell said. The amount of energy animals have to devote to cooling themselves in hot conditions is called the animals cooling cost. Riddells computer simulations showed how birds in the Mojave region, such as the prairie falcon and the mountain chickadee, have higher cooling costs than the small mammals that live in the same region. The small mammals analyzed in the study include rodents such as the cactus mouse or the kangaroo rat.

Riddells models account for how the animals bodies absorb or reflect sunlight, how insulated their bodies are and a range of other factors. The differences in cooling costs observed in the study accounts for the discrepancy in bird and mammal populations. Hotter conditions have a greater impact on birds because their cooling costs are higher, according to the study.

Riddell said studies like his can guide conservation policies. He said the study shows that basing climate change responses solely on the degree of warming in a region is unlikely to benefit all species in an area.

Rather, we may need to focus on predicting the unique experience of climate change for species to identify regions with the greatest potential to harbor the most species under climate change, Riddell said.

And monitoring species within affected areas might help scientists gauge the pace of climate change and how quickly mitigation strategies should be enacted, he said.

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As climate change cranks up the heat in the Mojave Desert, not all species are equally affected - Iowa State University News Service

Physiology

The soundscape of the Anthropocene ocean – Science Magazine

An anthropogenic cacophony

Sound travels faster and farther in water than in air. Over evolutionary time, many marine organisms have come to rely on sound production, transmission, and reception for key aspects of their lives. These important behaviors are threatened by an increasing cacophony in the marine environment as human-produced sounds have become louder and more prevalent. Duarte et al. review the importance of biologically produced sounds and the ways in which anthropogenically produced sounds are affecting the marine soundscape.

Science, this issue p. eaba4658

Sound is the sensory cue that travels farthest through the ocean and is used by marine animals, ranging from invertebrates to great whales, to interpret and explore the marine environment and to interact within and among species. Ocean soundscapes are rapidly changing because of massive declines in the abundance of sound-producing animals, increases in anthropogenic noise, and altered contributions of geophysical sources, such as sea ice and storms, owing to climate change. As a result, the soundscape of the Anthropocene ocean is fundamentally different from that of preindustrial times, with anthropogenic noise negatively impacting marine life.

We find evidence that anthropogenic noise negatively affects marine animals. Strong evidence for such impacts is available for marine mammals, and some studies also find impacts for fishes and invertebrates, marine birds, and reptiles. Noise from vessels, active sonar, synthetic sounds (artificial tones and white noise), and acoustic deterrent devices are all found to affect marine animals, as are noise from energy and construction infrastructure and seismic surveys. Although there is clear evidence that noise compromises hearing ability and induces physiological and behavioral changes in marine animals, there is lower confidence that anthropogenic noise increases the mortality of marine animals and the settlement of their larvae.

Anthropogenic noise is a stressor for marine animals. Thus, we call for it to be included in assessments of cumulative pressures on marine ecosystems. Compared with other stressors that are persistent in the environment, such as carbon dioxide emitted to the atmosphere or persistent organic pollutants delivered to marine ecosystems, anthropogenic noise is typically a point-source pollutant, the effects of which decline swiftly once sources are removed. The evidence summarized here encourages national and international policies to become more ambitious in regulating and deploying existing technological solutions to mitigate marine noise and improve the human stewardship of ocean soundscapes to maintain a healthy ocean. We provide a range of solutions that may help, supported by appropriate managerial and policy frameworks that may help to mitigate impacts on marine animals derived from anthropogenic noise and perturbations of soundscapes.

The illustrations from top to bottom show ocean soundscapes from before the industrial revolution that were largely composed of sounds from geological (geophony) and biological sources (biophony), with minor contributions from human sources (anthrophony), to the present Anthropocene oceans, where anthropogenic noise and reduced biophony owing to the depleted abundance of marine animals and healthy habitats have led to impacts on marine animals. These impacts range from behavioral and physiological to, in extreme cases, death. As human activities in the ocean continue to increase, management options need be deployed to prevent these impacts from growing under a business-as-usual scenario and instead lead to well-managed soundscapes in a future, healthy ocean. AUV, autonomous underwater vehicle.

Oceans have become substantially noisier since the Industrial Revolution. Shipping, resource exploration, and infrastructure development have increased the anthrophony (sounds generated by human activities), whereas the biophony (sounds of biological origin) has been reduced by hunting, fishing, and habitat degradation. Climate change is affecting geophony (abiotic, natural sounds). Existing evidence shows that anthrophony affects marine animals at multiple levels, including their behavior, physiology, and, in extreme cases, survival. This should prompt management actions to deploy existing solutions to reduce noise levels in the ocean, thereby allowing marine animals to reestablish their use of ocean sound as a central ecological trait in a healthy ocean.

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The soundscape of the Anthropocene ocean - Science Magazine

Physiology

Executive Hires: Walgreens Appoints New CEO, Cityblock Health, Innovaccer, Others – HIT Consultant

Walgreens appoints Rosalind (Roz) Brewer as the companys Chief Executive Officer, effective on March 15, 2021. Brewer will also join the WBA Board of Directors upon assuming the role. She succeeds Stefano Pessina who, as previously announced, will transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board of WBA. Brewer, 58, will become the first Black woman to lead a Fortune 500 company.

Former Livongo President, Jennifer Schneider, has joined Cityblock Healths Board of Directors.

Jeff McHugh, former senior Vice President of Sales at R1 RCM, has joinedInnovacceras Regional Vice President of Sales. In his new role, Jeff will focus on driving growth by identifying opportunities for healthcare organizations to leverageInnovaccers Data Activation Platform to improve care coordination, quality, and cost-effectiveness.

Dr. Steve Steinhubl, a leader in reinventing medicine through the convergence of healthcare and technology and an expert in physiology joins physIQ as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Steinhubl will help advance the adoption of physIQs artificial intelligence (AI)-based analytics for improved clinical outcomes and lower costs.

Vivante Health, a provider of digital medicine for gut health and disease appoints Dan Anolik as Chief Technology Officer.As CTO at Vivante Health, Dan will be responsible for implementing innovative solutions and continuing to propel GIThrive, making it a leading product in digital medicine and therapeutics.

Bardavon Health Innovations announces former Cerner executive Zane Burke has joined its board of directors. Burke brings extensive experience scaling healthcare technology enterprises with highly innovative and disruptive business models.

Fern Health, a digital health company pioneering virtual musculoskeletal pain programs and pain neuroscience education through employers, has named Brad Lawson as Chief Executive Officer. Prior to Fern, Lawson was an Executive In Residence at Avia Health Innovation and Abundant Venture Partners. Previously, he was Chief Growth Officer at The StayWell Company and spent eight years at WebMD Health Services as SVP of Employer Sales.

Conversion Labs, Inc., a direct-to-consumer telemedicine company, has appointedMarc Benathenas chief financial officer, effective March 1. He succeeds Juan Manuel Pieiro Dagnery, who will continue as chief revenue officer.

Virta names Alok Bhushan, a 15+ year finance exec with experience scaling global tech & consumer brands as Chief Financial Officer. Most recently, Alok served as CFO for Charlotte Tilbury, where he led the company through a period of hypergrowth in revenue, distribution, and headcount, as well as its sale to Spanish fragrance company.

Carevive Systems(Carevive), an oncology-focused health technology company has appointed Bruno Lempernesse as Chief Executive Officer. Lempernesse, a veteran health technology executive at the forefront of real-world patient data, joins the companys co-founder, Madelyn Trupkin Herzfeld, in leading Carevive. Herzfeld will continue to serve as Director, and take on the role of Vice Chairman, in which she will oversee oncology practice and health system network partnerships, and chair Carevives Strategic Advisory Board.

IMCS Group, the leading behavioral telehealth provider in workers compensation, has appointedAimee Peters in the newly created role of Chief Clinical Innovations Officer. Aimee brings a wealth of experience to the new role, including serving as Chief Clinical Officer at AbleTo.

Cognoa, a pediatric behavioral health company developing diagnostic and therapeutic solutions for children living with autism and other behavioral health conditions appoints Eric B. Mosbrooker as Chief Operations Officer. Mosbrooker will be responsible for overseeing and leading the global commercialization of the companys product offerings, expanding Cognoas operational capabilities and implementing scalable business processes.

ValueHealth, LLC, a nationally recognized, tech-enabled, data-driven healthcare services company with a surgical digital platform, is pleased to announce that ValueHealth President Don Bisbee has been named CEO of the company, effective January 1, 2021. He will succeed ValueHealth founder and Vice Chairman Dan Tasset, who will assume the role of Executive Vice Chairman and will work alongside Executive Chairman John Palumbo to promote brand awareness, influence relevant policy at the federal level, and continue to develop marquee relationships with payors, employers, and providers in both health systems and physician groups.

Lumeon, the leader in care journey orchestration appoints Tom Zajac to the Lumeon Board of Directors, effective December 20, 2020. Zajac will serve as executive chair, supporting Lumeon as it continues its growth in helping healthcare systems develop and scale new models of delivery. Zajac previously served as CEO of Population Health at Philips, president, and CEO of Wellcentive, chief customer officer at Elsevier, and CEO of CareScience.

Harmony Healthcare, a Tampa-based health care staffing firm, has namedRandy Verdinoits next CEO. Prior to joining Harmony, Verdino served as vice president at TEKSystems, a privately held information technology services firm, where he led operations and strategy for the organization and grew its division from $100 million to $600 million in annual revenue.

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Executive Hires: Walgreens Appoints New CEO, Cityblock Health, Innovaccer, Others - HIT Consultant

Physiology

Campaign urges people not to ignore signs of a heart attack – In Your Area

Photo: The cardiac Physiology team at Glan Clwyd Hospital, Bodelwyddan

A health campaign is reminding people who suffer with worrying chest pain symptoms of the importance of seeking medical attending during the COVID-19 crisis.

Throughout 2020 and into the new year there have been hundreds of people experiencing palpitations, chest pains and other symptoms of heart failure and staying at home rather than calling 999 to receive urgent medical attention.

Claire Gallagher-Harrison, Head of Cardiac Physiology at Glan Clwyd Hospital, Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire, says the new strain of the virus has increased concerns after confidence was slowly rebuilding following the initial national lockdown.

Reinforcing the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) and Welsh Government Help Us, Help You campaign, she assured the public it is safe to visit the department for vital treatment, including echocardiograms.

During the first wave of COVID-19 last Spring, even urgent patients would not attend the hospital as they were very frightened, it was unprecedented and unknown, said Claire.

We had to cancel all outpatient appointments but because we provide such a key role for wards across the hospital, we continued to provide urgent diagnostic tests.

Things had picked up again and the winter is usually by far our busiest time of year, but understandably there is uncertainty.

In fact, to not get checked out could cause damage beyond repair, so we need anyone who feels they are showing signs of heart problems or palpitations to seek help immediately.

In 1990, Glan Clwyd Hospital carried out around 500 echocardiogram ultrasound scans - known as an echo - every year.

Now, that annual figure is more than 8,500, and with people living longer and a rise in the number of heart attacks among adults under 50, Claire says it is vital the warning signs are not ignored.

Due to the challenges of COVID-19, the 23-strong Cardiac Physiology team is still working through the backlog of appointments but are committed to delivering the same level of service and care for patients.

Those words were echoed by Head of British Heart Foundation (BHF) Cymru Adam Fletcher, who said: If you think you're having a heart attack or stroke it's crucial that you call 999 immediately, as every minute counts and prompt treatment saves lives.

If your heart symptoms are getting worse, get in touch with your healthcare team so that they can reassess your situation. Delaying risks your life and you are more likely to suffer serious heart damage and spend longer in hospital, so don't hesitate in seeking medical help.

For more information on how best to access NHS services this winter, visit http://www.111.wales.nhs.uk #HelpUsHelpYou

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Campaign urges people not to ignore signs of a heart attack - In Your Area

Physiology

Developing a Weight Training Program for Greater Strength and Power – The Great Courses Daily News

ByMichael Ormsbee, PhD,Florida State UniversityEdited by Kate Findley and proofread byAngelaShoemaker, The Great Courses DailyAt the start of a weight training program, it is important to learn proper alignment and form, then develop a specific plan tailored to help you meet your individual goals. Photo By Jiri Hera / ShutterstockGetting Started

When developing a weight training program, you can refer to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) guidelines, which take into account the recommendations of experts across many disciplines, like exercise science, physiology, athletic training, and medicine. ACSM recommends lifting weights a minimum of two to three days per week if you use a fullbody workout.

However, if you really enjoy strength training, you can easily spread it out over four or more days per week and change up the order of the muscle groups you exercise each time. Training each major muscle group twice per week is sufficient.

To begin, ask yourself, what fits into your schedule now? If it is only one day per week, start there. Over time, you can add more days, time, and intensity to your training.

Professor Ormsbee recommends starting with one to three sets of exercises that target each major muscle group. Aim for 8 to 12 repetitions.

Often, beginning with machines instead of using free weights is your best bet because they help to reinforce proper alignment and form and may be safer until you feel more comfortable with the process. As you become more advanced with your program, and your goals become more specific, you can develop a specific plan tailored to help you meet those goals.

When designing a plan to build muscle mass or improve muscle quality, a few criteria are unique. Muscular strength is a measure of how much force your muscles can produce in one effort.

To improve strength, do five to eight repetitions at a weight that progresses up to 80% of your maximal strength for one repetition, or RM. Think higher weight and low to moderate reps for three sets.

For example, if you can lift 100 lb, or 46 kg, on the bench press, then you would start with about 6570 lb, or 2931 kg, and work up to using around 80 lb, or 36 kg, for five to eight repetitions. You would repeat this two more times before switching exercises.

The second type of muscular training is muscular endurance, which ultimately leads to hypertrophy, or the increase in muscle fiber size. For muscular endurance and hypertrophy, you would use a lower weight, roughly 6585% of your one RM, and 8 to 12 repetitions for one to three sets.

The third type of muscular training is called muscular power, which is the amount of work performed per unit of time. This is a quick movement involving two strategiesthe most traditional is to aim for a heavy load, typically over 90% of your 1 RM, with only one to four repetitions.

Again, using our example of one RM bench press of 100 lb, you would lift 9095 lb for just one to two reps. You would likely take long breaks between sets with this style of lifting.

Alternatively, because muscular power is based on how fast the movement can be completed, you can also use a light loadit could even be your body weightor a load that is somewhere around 50% of one RM and then perform the movement fast. Of course, the style you choose is based on your goals, and working with a coach is highly recommended given the technical aspects of doing this safely. The main idea is to move the load as fast as possible.

Thus, in order to increase your muscle mass, effort is required when youre at the gym. If you like to lift and to do aerobic exercise, then dont worry too much about whether you do cardio or resistance training first when you work out.

Lets assume you want to lift weights. You might think you should do a total body routine or split the body segments into working your legs one day and your upper body on a second day.

However, many other variations exist like chest and triceps on day one, then back, biceps, and shoulders on day two, and legs on day three. It can be confusing without proper guidance.

To settle this argument, researchers recruited 20 resistance-trained young men and had them perform two to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions for a total of 18 sets per session for eight weeks. They used either a one-day-per-week, split-body routine where multiple exercises were done for two to three muscle groups per session, or a three-day-per-week, total-body routine where one exercise was performed per muscle group per session with all muscle groups trained.

The researchers tested the upper and lower body strength and muscle size. After eight weeks, they noted no differences except for greater increases in the size of the forearm flexors in the total-body routine compared to the split-body routine.

In the end, Professor Ormsbee recommends developing a weight training program that you like and that you can stick to.

Michael Ormsbee is an Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences and Interim Director of the Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine in the College of Human Sciences at Florida State University. He received his MS in Exercise Physiology from South Dakota State University and his PhD in Bioenergetics from East Carolina University.

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Developing a Weight Training Program for Greater Strength and Power - The Great Courses Daily News

Physiology

Lack of touch: Carleton University professor on what it means to our well-being – CTV News Ottawa

OTTAWA -- No handshakes, no hugs, for many, especially our elderly, no physical contact from loved ones; this is the collateral pain of COVID-19.

Visits through panes of glass, or no visiting at all, is the imagery defining this pandemic. Keeping us safe from a virus has kept us physically apart.

We count on technology to stay in touch with loved ones, but can tech compare with touch?

Carleton University professor in neuroscience Alfonso Abizaid says tech is not touch, and the lack of touch is hard on our health, both mentally and physically.

"Like hunger for food, humans have evolved mechanisms that produce cravings for social interactions and depletion of social interactions lead to stress," explains Abizaid.

If you cannot be with the ones you love, Abizaid suggests having something of theirs to hold.

"I think of my lovely mother-in-law, Julie, who is an amazing knitter. She knits sweaters and blankets for our kids," said Abizaid.

A lot of the time when you look at my kids, and theyre snuggling, they always grab those blankets because they have, in addition to being comfy and warm and fuzzy, they were made by their grandmother, so it makes them think of their grandmother.

When asked about grandparents missing physical contact, Abizaid suggests:

"Maybe if the families, the children and the grandkids can bring a teddy and send a nice message, 'hug it and when you hug it think of us will be hugging you back.'"

Abizaid says it is so interesting that a physical object can offer comfort.

"Its not only texture and how a material feels on the skin; its the association being made between that object and a particular person," says Abizaid.

We are creatures that do benefit from vicarious experiences, and having some item to hug that is clearly associated with those we love may provide for respite."

Abizaid explained the importance of touch to our physiology, and psychology, on CTVs News at Noon and how our pets, our therapy animals, he explains, play a role in our health.

"Pets like cats and dogs, who incidentally also benefit from the interaction, can provide the sensory information that can help mitigate the pandemic isolation effects on mental health."

Abizaid refers to decades old psychological studies illustrating the importance of physical affection and contact.

"To attain the full positive effects of social interactions we require the sense of touch. Our skin transmits touch information to brain centers that stimulate hormones like oxytocin, which are important for the formation of social bonds and the development of brain regions that allow individuals to socialize and form as they grow and integrate with their social group," said Abizaid.

Being deprived of this important sensory information is highly aversive, and over prolonged periods of time, it could lead to disruptions on how the brain works."

Abizaids lab work looks at how the brain attains what biologist's term homeostasis, which refers to a state in which we are at a comfortable balance.

When discussing homeostasis, people often use body temperature or energy as examples of homeostasis and I do study these mechanisms in detail, specifically how the brain works to attain temperature or energy balance.

It has become increasingly obvious, according to the professor, especially with the pandemic, there are also mechanisms that are associated with "social homeostasis", a sort of balance in the way we interact with others and that when imbalanced, it can lead to diseases.

"Because getting out of any of these homeostatic comfort zones leads to stress and prolonged episodes of stress can lead to all kinds of physiological and psychological pathological states."

Professor Abizaid on how we know this:

Professor Abizaid says hug those you can, when you can.

Cuddle your pets, or even your cozy blankets.

"Having support care takers that hug those that are socially isolated is also helpful, as long as measures that prevent transmission are taken, and finally support animals can also provide a source of comfort."

Dr. Abizaid is interested in how the brain deals with stress. This is the Carleton University project he, and his colleagues, published relating to COVID-19.

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Lack of touch: Carleton University professor on what it means to our well-being - CTV News Ottawa

Immunology

Capital Markets Day 2021: Sanofi progresses on its strategy to drive growth across its businesses and innovation with emerging leadership in…

Capital Markets Day 2021: Sanofi progresses on its strategy to drive growth across its businesses and innovation with emerging leadership in immunology

PARIS February 5, 2021 Today, Sanofi holds a virtual investor event with key members of the Sanofi leadership team to share and discuss the overall progress in implementing the strategy in core parts of the business as well as the transformation of R&D. Capital Markets Day 2021 provides a comprehensive update on Sanofis General Medicines and Consumer Healthcare strategies as well as Dupixent (dupilumab) and multiple new immunology assets.

Since announcing our new strategic framework in December 2019, we have been relentlessly driving forward our actions to accelerate R&D efforts, building one of the industrys most differentiated pipelines in Specialty Care, including our work in immunology which has the potential to transform patient care across this therapeutic area, said Paul Hudson, Chief Executive Officer, Sanofi. We are tracking ahead of schedule on our plans for growth, efficiencies, and cutting edge science in our pipeline. The reshaping of our General Medicines and Consumer Healthcare business units will enable both to become even more significant contributors to Sanofis growth and profitability.

Key highlights to be presented at Capital Markets Day 2021

Financial Update: Sanofi confirms its target to expand its business operating income (BOI) margin to 30% by 2022, with the ambition for its BOI margin to exceed 32% by 2025. The company is tracking toward its 2022 target as planned, with the BOI margin up 120 basis points in 2020. Sanofi plans to announce today its expectation that Dupixent will become accretive to BOI margin by end of 2022.In 2020, Sanofi achieved around 1.7 billion of savings almost 85% of the 2022 target announced at Capital Markets Day 2019. Today, Sanofi is increasing its cost savings target by 500m to 2.5bn by 2022, to be derived from continued operational excellence. These extra 500m savings are intended to be fully reinvested to further drive top line growth and fund the pipeline.

General Medicines Update: Sanofi has prioritized core medicines with differentiated and/or established profiles that have significant opportunity for growth in key markets. Some of these well-established medicines are the standard-of-care for patients living with diabetes or cardiovascular disease.

We are focusing on our differentiated core brands in key markets to fully realize their volume potential, compensating for price erosion, and aimed at generating todays level of sales in 2025.1 This objective will be supported by the ongoing implementation of our innovative go-to-market model, while we continue to streamline the tail of the portfolio to improve profitability, said Olivier Charmeil, Executive Vice President, General Medicines.

Consumer Healthcare Update: Sanofi has advanced on its plan to establish a standalone business to unlock the value of brand equity and outperform the global market.

With the ongoing implementation of our fully integrated standalone model, we look forward to being more agile and reducing the complexity of our portfolio to drive growth with our consumer-centric, data-driven marketing approach, said Julie Van Ongevalle, Executive Vice President, Consumer Healthcare. We continue to make progress in bringing two potential over-the-counter switches to the market in the coming years that could lead to a blockbuster opportunity in combined sales.

Transformational Culture: Sanofi is engaging its workforce in a cultural shift towards Play to Win behaviors, including accountability, productivity, and increased focus. Sanofis 2025 People Ambitions are based on four key pillars and put patient lives at the center of the companys business purpose.

Our teams have embraced our Play to Win strategy and are confident to leave our old ways of working behind, said Natalie Bickford, Executive Vice President, Chief People Officer. A topic that is close to my heart is establishing a culture of diversity and an inclusive environment that reflects different patient populations. This includes better representing the diversity of our patients in clinical trials and involving all local leadership teams in their community projects.

R&D Update: Sanofi has taken a unique approach to transforming its R&D efforts and expanding its capabilities based on three pillars pathways, patients, and platforms. In 2020, 12 Specialty Care projects in the R&D pipeline entered Phase 3, demonstrating significant progress in moving forward a pipeline of potentially innovative medicines to address unmet patient needs.

Since I took on the leadership of Sanofi R&D, we have transformed our approach to the discovery and development of medicines with a focus on deep understanding of disease pathways informed by patient insights, while leveraging our expanding repertoire of unique research platforms, said John Reed, M.D., Ph.D., Global Head of Research & Development at Sanofi. Today, I look forward to sharing the breadth and depth of Sanofis rich immunology pipeline, which positions us to bring practice-changing innovation to patients.

Due to the current virtual environment, Sanofi intends to keep the investor community updated on its ongoing progress through brief and comprehensive events throughout 2021.

Capital Markets Day 2021 event details

Capital Markets Day 2021 will be held today from2:30-5:00 p.m. CET / 8:30-11:00 a.m. EDT, following the fourth quarter and 2020 full year results analyst call. For background slides and webcast (audio only) please refer to the following link: https://www.sanofi.com/en/investors/financial-results-and-events/investor-presentations/capital-markets-day-2021.

About Sanofi

Sanofi is dedicated to supporting people through their health challenges. We are a global biopharmaceutical company focused on human health. We prevent illness with vaccines, provide innovative treatments to fight pain and ease suffering. We stand by the few who suffer from rare diseases and the millions with long-term chronic conditions.

With more than 100,000 people in 100 countries, Sanofi is transforming scientific innovation into healthcare solutions around the globe.

Sanofi, Empowering Life

Quentin VivantTel.: +33 (0)1 53 77 46 46mr@sanofi.com

Sanofi Investor Relations Contacts North AmericaFelix LauscherFara BerkowitzSuzanne Greco

IR main line:Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 77 45 45investor.relations@sanofi.com

1 Excludes Industrial Affairs third party sales.

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Capital Markets Day 2021: Sanofi progresses on its strategy to drive growth across its businesses and innovation with emerging leadership in...

Immunology

Infant Diet, Eczema and Caesarean Section Birth All Impact the Gut Bacteria of Children – PR Web

Since there is a relationship between the type of bacteria in the gut and the development of eczema, we now need to find ways to manipulate the gut bacteria in early life to reduce the likelihood of eczema in babies predisposed to develop it.

MILWAUKEE (PRWEB) February 04, 2021

According to research published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI) that examined the interactions between gut bacteria, diet and atopic disease, gut bacteria is impacted not only by eczema and infant dietbut also caesarean section birth.

The Enquiring About Tolerance (EAT) study examined 1,303 exclusively breastfed infants from three months of age. Stool samples were collected at baseline and additional sampling was done during month six and 12. Baseline samples that were obtained demonstrated that gut microbiota varied even before differences in diets. Researchers continued to examine each participant for eczema and food allergies up until they reached age three.

Infants at three months and one year of age who had eczema had a higher number of bacteria called Clostridium sensu stricto than infants who did not have eczema. Infants introduced early to allergenic foods such as cows milk, egg, and peanut starting at three months of age developed a larger variety of gut bacteria at a faster pace than infants exclusively breastfeeding. On the other end of the spectrum, infants born via caesarean section showed less diverse gut bacteria compared to infants born with a more traditional birth.

The study was funded by the British Skin Foundation and led by a group of researchers from Kings College London and Guys and St. Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, along with collaborators from the National Institute of Health (USA), St, Georges London, and the University of Manchester.

Professor Carsten Flohr, PhD, the papers first author, commented on the study results. Our study has found a higher risk of eczema in infants with a higher abundance of Clostridium sensu stricto in their gut, and weaning from three months of age alongside breastfeeding speeds up the maturation of the gut flora. Since there is a relationship between the type of bacteria in the gut and the development of eczema, we now need to find ways to manipulate the gut bacteria in early life to reduce the likelihood of eczema in babies predisposed to develop it."

You can learn more about food allergy and eczema on the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology website, aaaai.org.

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) represents allergists, asthma specialists, clinical immunologists, allied health professionals and others with a special interest in the research and treatment of allergic and immunologic diseases. Established in 1943, the AAAAI has more than 7,100 members in the United States, Canada and 72 other countries. The AAAAIs Find an Allergist/Immunologist service is a trusted resource to help you find a specialist close to home.

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Infant Diet, Eczema and Caesarean Section Birth All Impact the Gut Bacteria of Children - PR Web

Immunology

Cancer patients weren’t responding to therapy. Then they got a poop transplant. – Livescience.com

For some cancer patients, a "poop transplant" could boost the positive effects of immunotherapy, a treatment designed to rally the immune system against cancer cells.

Not all cancer patients respond to immunotherapy drugs. For example, only about 40% of patients with advanced melanoma, a type of skin cancer, reap long-term benefit from the drugs, according to recent estimates. In trying to pinpoint the differences between patients who respond well to immunotherapy and those who don't, scientists have zeroed in on a likely suspect: the microorganisms living in their guts.

Now, a new study, published Feb. 4 in the journal Science, adds to the growing evidence that having the right gut bugs can improve a patient's response to immunotherapy, helping to stop disease progression or even shrink tumors.

In the study, scientists collected stool from melanoma patients who responded well to immunotherapy and then transplanted their feces (and microbes) into the guts of 15 patients who had never previously responded to the drugs. After the transplant, six of the 15 patients responded to immunotherapy for the first time, showing either tumor reduction or disease stabilization that lasted more than a year.

Related: 7 odd things that raise your risk of cancer (and 1 that doesn't)

"The microbes really appear to drive the immunological changes we see in patients," said study author Dr. Hassane Zarour, a cancer immunologist, co-leader of the Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman and a professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. The team linked the changes in gut bugs to changes in both tumor growth and the immune system; for instance, some of the participants showed an increase in specific immune cells and antibodies that appeared in their blood.

Despite the positive changes seen in some patients, fecal transplants likely won't help all patients whose cancer resists immunotherapy, Zarour said. In the new study, for instance, nine of the 15 patients did not benefit from the treatment. As part of their research, the team began to sift through the differences between those who improved after the transplant and those who didn't.

The idea for combining fecal transplants with immunotherapy first came from studies in mice with tumors, in which the rodents responded differently to the drugs depending on which gut microbes they carried, according to Science Magazine. By tweaking the mice's gut microbiomes the collection of bacteria, viruses and other microbes in their digestive tracts scientists found that they could improve this response, but they weren't sure which microbes made the difference.

That said, mice's responses to immunotherapy improved after they were given fecal matter from human cancer patients whose tumors had shrunk under immunotherapy. "When they took non-responding mice and gave them the right bugs they could convert non-responding mice into responding mice," Zarour said.

Other research showed that when human patients took antibiotics, which alter the gut microbiome, they were less likely to respond to immunotherapy, providing more evidence that gut bugs make a big difference in people, too.

Having seen the positive effects of fecal transplants in mice, scientists began testing the treatment in humans, starting with a few small clinical trials.

In two such trials, led by researchers at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel, patients received both fecal transplants and oral pills containing dried stool. The patients then took immunotherapy drugs called "checkpoint blockades," which essentially rip the brakes off of immune cells and help amplify their activity against tumors. A subset of these patients, who had previously not responded to the drugs, suddenly began responding.

The new study by Zarour and his colleagues echoes these positive results, but it also starts to address a crucial question: How do gut bugs boost the effects of immunotherapy?

To answer this question, the team closely analyzed the microbes present in the donor stool samples and the recipients, before and after fecal transplants. The team also collected blood and tumor cell samples to assess the patients' immune responses over time, and computed tomography (CT) scans, to track tumor growth. They then used artificial intelligence to find connections between all these data points.

Out of the 15 patients, nine still didn't respond to immunotherapy after their transplant. But of the six who did respond, one showed a complete response to checkpoint blockade drugs, meaning their tumors shrunk so much they were no longer detectable; two others showed a partial response, meaning their tumors shrunk but did not disappear, and three have shown no disease progression for over a year. In all six of these patients, the microbes from the donor's stool quickly colonized their guts, and several of the newcomer bugs that were previously linked to positive immunotherapy outcomes increased in number.

Related: 11 surprising facts about your immune system

This change in gut bacteria triggered an immune response in the six patients, as their bodies began building antibodies that recognized the new bugs; these antibodies showed up in their blood. While the link between bacteria-specific antibodies and cancer is not well understood, it's thought that some of these antibodies can help prime the immune system to hunt down tumor cells, Zarour said.

"The bugs that increased in the responders were really correlated with positive immunological changes," he said. These patients also built up a larger arsenal of activated T cells immune cells that can target and kill cancer cells while substances that suppress the immune system decreased. For example, a protein called interleukin-8 (IL-8) can summon immunosuppressive cells to tumor sites and therefore blunt the effects of immunotherapy; but IL-8 decreased in the six responsive patients.

By comparison, cells that secrete IL-8 increased in the nine patients who didn't respond to the fecal transplant. Based on this new data, "IL-8 seems to really play a critical role in regulating patients' responses" to the two-part treatment, Zarour said.

Compared with the six responsive patients, the nine others also showed less pronounced immune responses to the transplant and lower levels of the noted beneficial bacteria; some even had dissimilar gut microbiomes to their fecal donors, suggesting the bacteria didn't take over their guts as seen in responsive patients.

In general, "the gut microbiome may be just one of the many reasons we don't respond to a specific treatment," Zarour said, so fecal transplants wouldn't be expected to work for everyone. That said, the immune changes seen in the six responders, including the decline in IL-8, provide hints as to why it works for some people.

In the future, these results will need to be validated in larger groups of melanoma patients, as well as other cancer patients whose disease resists immunotherapy, Zarour said.

Though small, the new trial provides "firm evidence that manipulating the microbiome can yield benefit when added to immunotherapy for cancer," said Dr. Jeffrey Weber, a medical oncologist and co-director of the Melanoma Research Program at New York University Langone Health, who was not involved in the research. Assuming these results hold up in other patients, though, fecal transplants may not be the best way to deliver helpful microbes into the gut, Weber said in an email.

The future may lie in ingesting the bacteria orally, after they've been freeze-dried, Weber said. This approach could include something similar to the oral pills used in other trials, for example. Either that, or scientists could isolate specific metabolites produced by the helpful bacteria and use those as drugs, Weber said. "The big question is, what metabolites from the 'favorable' bacterial species are actually responsible for benefit," he said.

Originally published on Live Science.

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Cancer patients weren't responding to therapy. Then they got a poop transplant. - Livescience.com