Targeting Genetic Kidney Disease

11/07/22 • 16 min

NBA great Alonzo Mourning returned home from the Sydney Olympics after winning the gold medal feeling ill. He surprisingly was diagnosed shortly after with kidney disease. Scientists have discovered his type of kidney disease is linked to having genetic variants of the APOL1 gene – ones that 13% of African Americans carry. Dr. Ogo Egbuna leads clinical development for the team researching APOL1-mediated kidney disease at Vertex where they’re investigating a potential therapy to target its underlying cause. Alonzo Mourning is a paid spokesperson for Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

Produced by Bloomberg Media Studios and Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

Featured guests:

Alonzo Mourning is a retired NBA player, the Vice President, Player Programs for the Miami Heat, an advocate for kidney disease research, and a beneficiary of a kidney transplant.

David Friedman is an Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and a Principal Investigator and Nephrologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He's researched and consulted for Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

Janice Lea is a Professor of Medicine and Clinical Director of Nephrology at Emory University School of Medicine.

Ogo Egbuna is Vice President, Clinical Development at Vertex Pharmaceuticals Read more about Vertex's approach to targeting kidney disease.

Produced by Bloomberg Media Studios and Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

Produced by Bloomberg Media Studios and Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

Featured guests:

Alonzo Mourning is a retired NBA player, the Vice President, Player Programs for the Miami Heat, an advocate for kidney disease research, and a beneficiary of a kidney transplant.

Janice Lea is a Professor of Medicine and Clinical Director of Nephrology at Emory University School of Medicine.

Ogo Egbuna is Vice President, Clinical Development at Vertex Pharmaceuticals Read more about Vertex's approach to targeting kidney disease.

Produced by Bloomberg Media Studios and Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

Previous Episode

Targeting Sickle Cell Disease

Terri Booker’s body burns with pain. She’s one of the 100,000 Americans living with sickle cell disease – a blood disorder that can cause severe pain, organ failure, and even premature death. The genetic condition came about to protect against malaria. Dr. William Hobbs leads clinical development for sickle cell disease at Vertex, and they are investigating multiple approaches to address the unmet needs that patients face.

Produced by Bloomberg Media Studios and Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

Featured guests:

Terri Booker is an attorney and sickle cell advocate based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Isaac Odame is the Haematology Section Head in the Division of Haematology/Oncology and the Medical Director of the Global Sickle Cell Disease Network at the Centre for Global Child Health at The Hospital for Sick Children.

Dr. David Altshuler is the Executive Vice President, Global Research and Chief Scientific Officer at Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

Dr. William Hobbs is the VP- Clinical Development, Hematology at Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

Read more about Vertex's approach to targeting sickle cell disease

Next Episode

Targeting Type 1 Diabetes

Madison Carter is a fearless investigative reporter. She takes no day for granted because she lives with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Dr. Doug Melton is a world-renowned stem cell researcher and distinguished fellow at Vertex – and his now grown children, Sam and Emma, live with T1D. Along with scientists like Dr. Felicia Pagliuca, who leads Vertex’s research into T1D, he’s been on a quest to help Madison, Sam, Emma, and others like them by investigating the disease at a cellular level.

Produced by Bloomberg Media Studios and Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

Featured guests:

Madison Carter is an investigative journalist with 11Alive News, an NBC affiliate in Atlanta, GA. She's living with type 1 diabetes.

Aaron Kowalski is the President and CEO of JDRF.

Felicia Pagliuca is the Disease Area Executive, Type 1 Diabetes, at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Doug Melton leads investigations into treatments for Type 1 Diabetes at Vertex Pharmaceuticals. He is renowned for his stem cell research at Harvard University. Read more about Vertex's approach to targeting type 1 diabetes

Produced by Bloomberg Media Studios and Vertex Pharmaceuticals.