Lisa Kerr on why 95% of eligible patients never join a clinical trial | Pharma Prescribed

Lisa Kerr on why 95% of eligible patients never join a clinical trial | Pharma Prescribed

Lisa Kerr is Head of Patient Engagement at Evinova, AstraZeneca's health tech business — a PhD chemist who climbed to global project director, hit a cliff edge, and came back with a mission. In this episode Lisa talks openly about the divorce, the clinical depression, and the three months as an outpatient at the Priory that reshaped her career. She founded AstraZeneca's Safe Space employee resource group after one Workplace post she thought would end her career — and built mental health navigation tools that scaled globally. She then turns that lived experience on the industry itself: only 5–7% of eligible patients ever join a clinical trial, and that number has barely moved in a decade despite digitisation and healthcare transformation. Lisa explains the EACH framework, why patients are the real investors in a trial (time, health, trust — given for free), and why AI has just destroyed pharma's last excuse for not designing trials with patients. Honest, funny, and unusually direct. No soundbites, no spin. 🎧 LISTEN TO THE AUDIO Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7Ks5oLfSDf0u9F1I8GUjti Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/adam-walkers-pharma-prescribed-podcast/id1829715970 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1a43eb87-b83e-441d-9a87-321263e3f821/adam-walker%E2%80%99s-pharma-prescribed-podcast Podbean: https://pharmaprescribed.podbean.com Full transcript and episode notes: https://pharmaprescribed.com/episodes ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 0:35 Meet Lisa Kerr 1:30 A mission built on lived experience 2:50 From PhD chemist to global project director 4:20 The cliff edge: divorce, depression, the Priory 5:50 "Ask people how they are twice" — the colleague who saved her 8:50 The mental health access crisis 11:40 Building Safe Space at AstraZeneca 16:10 The navigation tools that scaled globally 20:10 Purpose, energy and humour 22:45 Lessons from the Priory 26:40 Patient engagement: being the voice in the room 29:10 The EACH framework and patients as consumers 30:50 Why only 5–7% of eligible patients ever join a trial 32:35 When the system fails even the well-informed 35:30 AI kills the industry's last excuse 38:10 Misinformation, hallucination and pharma's silence on social 41:50 Quick fire round 44:20 Where to find Lisa 👤 ABOUT LISA KERR Head of Patient Engagement at Evinova (AstraZeneca). PhD chemist, 20+ years across global pharma and health tech. Founder of AstraZeneca's Safe Space ERG and the Evinova I&D network. Advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights, neurodivergent communities and trauma survivors. Charity trustee. Singer in rock and pop covers band The Torrists. 💼 Search "Lisa Kerr" on LinkedIn 🎸 The Torrists — on Instagram and Facebook 🎙️ ABOUT PHARMA PRESCRIBED Pharma Prescribed is the podcast where leaders, innovators and hidden voices in healthcare open up. No soundbites, no spin. Just raw insight, one prescription at a time. Hosted by biometrics consultant Adam Walker. 🌐 https://pharmaprescribed.com ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@pharmaprescribedpodcast

Alen Hadzic on Engineering Clinical Trial Enrollment with Predictive AI | Pharma Prescribed

Alen Hadzic — founder and CEO of Clinical Trial Scan, Olympic fencer and patent-pending inventor of Dyno AI — joins Adam Walker for one of the most data-driven conversations on the Pharma Prescribed Podcast. Alen's path to clinical trials started with Facebook ads, a friend called Artyom, and $5–7 million in advertising spend across 50 studies. When margins got squeezed, he didn't walk away — he took control of the funnel, built a predictive AI that calculates the true cost per enrollment before a study starts, and filed a patent on the methodology. His golden rule: just show up. Kobe Bryant said it best. 🎧 LISTEN ON YOUR PREFERRED APP Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/episode/3sRsBTqdRbRK7sTzhjSWi1?si=TQgkyijsS-WTX7OXGwoC0g [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3sRsBTqdRbRK7sTzhjSWi1?si=TQgkyijsS-WTX7OXGwoC0g] Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/alen-hadzic-on-engineering-clinical-trial-enrollment/id1829715970?i=1000775363752 [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/alen-hadzic-on-engineering-clinical-trial-enrollment/id1829715970?i=1000775363752]  Amazon Music → https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1a43eb87-b83e-441d-9a87-321263e3f821/adam-walker%E2%80%99s-pharma-prescribed-podcast Podbean → https://pharmaprescribed.podbean.com/ [https://pharmaprescribed.podbean.com/] Youtube → https://youtu.be/02tkkvXY4VU?si=-6PyzKLqEqWK-E-T [https://youtu.be/02tkkvXY4VU?si=-6PyzKLqEqWK-E-T]   📖 WHAT WE COVER - $5–7M in Facebook ad data across 50+ clinical trials — and what it revealed - Dyno AI: predicting the true cost per enrolled patient before you spend a dollar - The seven funnel steps from ad click to enrollment — and why each probability matters - Monte Carlo simulations for enrollment cost forecasting - Why a 10% deviation in one funnel step can double your cost per patient - Hot leads vs cold databases: why speed to call changes everything - 70% answer rate across nine calls — but only if you call in the evening - The Colombia call centre: American Colombians running three call blocks a day - Why most AI in clinical trials doesn't work — and how Alen's actually does - Olympic fencing, coach Alexey Cheremsky and waking up at 4am - Bosnian father, French literature PhD mother and never listening to advice - Recording a death metal album while scaling a clinical trial startup - Patent pending on the cost per enrollment methodology ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:00 Introduction & podcast mission 1:00 Meet Alen Hadzic — founder of Clinical Trial Scan 2:00 Former Olympic fencer, musician, writer, drummer 3:00 How sport and consulting gave him a unique perspective 4:00 Finding clinical trials through Spravato and COVID 5:00 Affiliate marketing: running ads for the biggest recruitment vendors 6:00 $5–7M in advertising data across 50+ studies 7:00 Margins squeezed — so he took control of the funnel 8:00 Understanding the real cost per enrollment 9:00 Why questionnaire design kills your ad performance 10:00 Cost per lead by city: $66 Detroit, $52 Miami 12:00 The algorithm, keywords and why simple ads outperform 13:00 Dyno AI: protocol upload to funnel prediction 14:00 The seven funnel steps — call to enrollment 16:00 Dropout, concierge and speed to call 17:00 Why cold databases fail and hot leads win 18:00 48-hour contact window — the critical threshold 19:00 End-to-end delivery and site-centric pricing 20:00 Small funnel deviations = massive cost changes 21:00 Colombia call team: bilingual, driven, three blocks a day 24:00 Initiation fees, difficulty scores and transparent pricing 25:00 AI hype reality check — "we are not an AI company" 26:00 Why small databases won't save your study 27:00 How Dyno's AI actually trains and improves 28:00 Monte Carlo simulations and confidence intervals 29:00 Expanding: Colombia, Brazil and LATAM 31:00 Mentors: coach Cheremsky, parents, the clinical trials community 34:00 Quick-fire: let life do the work — stop forcing outcomes 36:00 Show up, good attitude, bring yourself 37:00 Music: Iron Maiden changed everything — recording an album 38:00 Golden rule: show up — Kobe Bryant said it best 41:00 dyno.clinicaltrialscan.ai and closing thanks 👤 ABOUT ALEN HADZIC Founder and CEO of Clinical Trial Scan. Creator of Dyno AI (patent pending). Former Olympic fencer. Columbia University. Vlerick Business School. 🌐 https://dyno.clinicaltrialscan.ai 💼 Search "Alen Hadzic" on LinkedIn 🎙️ ABOUT PHARMA PRESCRIBED Long-form conversations with leaders in clinical research, digital health and mental wellbeing, hosted by Adam Walker. 🌐 https://pharmaprescribed.com 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-walker-2327951/ #AlenHadzic #ClinicalTrialScan #DynoAI #PatientRecruitment #ClinicalTrials #PharmaPrescribed #AdamWalker #CostPerEnrollment #MonteCarlo #DigitalAdvertising #FacebookAds #OlympicFencer #LifeSciences #ClinicalResearch #PatentPending

Dr. Pat Boulogne on Functional Medicine, Fasting Since 17 on Zero Medications @71 | Pharma Prescribed

Dr.Pat Boulogne — performance optimisation strategist, functional medicine expert and bestselling author — joins Adam Walker for one of the most practical wellbeing conversations on the Pharma Prescribed Podcast. Dr.Pat is 71, takes zero medications, works 14-hour days with full mental clarity, and has spent 30+ years helping high performers close the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Her father wanted her to be an electrical engineer. She chose to become an engineer of life and health instead. Her approach is pharma unprescribed. 🎧 LISTEN ON YOUR PREFERRED APP Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Xda2P6nkvkSzHwKyRr02f?si=8sT0tSfNQf-E1m6MApUnwQ Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/dr-pat-boulogne-on-functional-medicine-fasting-since/id1829715970?i=1000774232267 Amazon Music → https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1a43eb87-b83e-441d-9a87-321263e3f821/adam-walker%E2%80%99s-pharma-prescribed-podcast 📖 WHAT WE COVER - 71 years old, zero medications, 14-hour days — how she does it - Root cause medicine vs symptom masking: the sleep medication story - Intermittent fasting since age 17 — before anyone called it that - How to pair foods so your body isn't stressed — and why timing matters - Alkaline tide: why you crash after lunch and what to do about it - The three brains: lizard, mammalian and conscious — and how they talk - Why affirmations only work if you ask "why" at the end - The organic broccoli dating analogy — and the woman who stole it - "If it's brown, don't eat it in the morning" - Adam's back surgery, the body keeping score and the V-shaped trees - Be true to yourself — the golden rule ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:00 Introduction & podcast mission 1:00 Meet Dr.Pat Boulogne — performance optimisation strategist 2:00 Mission: saving lives through physical, mental and emotional health 3:00 From electrical engineering to engineer of life and health 4:00 71, zero medications, sharp brain — how 5:00 University of Michigan and the question that got her uninvited 6:00 Outside-the-box medicine and why she never looked back 7:00 85% of headaches are metabolically involved 8:00 The sleep medication story: first full night in weeks 9:00 Intermittent fasting since 17 — one meal a day 10:00 Water intake calculated by body weight 11:00 Brain performance: when to study, eat and exercise 12:00 Alkaline tide: why food makes you crash 13:00 In-a-Gadda-da-Vida: exercise to a heartbeat 14:00 Bread, self-regulation and pushing away from the table 15:00 Scarpetta la piatra: how Italians eat bread right 16:00 Microbiome, labels and knowing your food sources 17:00 Corn syrup, ultra-processed foods and why labels lie 18:00 Injured gut: probiotics won't save you 19:00 Dairy: raw milk vs dead milk — source matters 21:00 Body signals: bloating, cramps and what they mean 22:00 Foot adjustment: five days pain-free after 20 years 23:00 Adam's back surgery and the body keeping score 25:00 Three brains: lizard, mammalian and conscious 26:00 Affirmations plus "why" — rewiring the mammalian brain 28:00 The V-shaped trees, the ring and Adam's daily ritual 30:00 Golfer's pickup and protecting your pelvis 32:00 "I open the fridge and look in the medicine cabinet" 34:00 Organic broccoli is like dating — the story 36:00 Food as medicine: lifestyle not diet 37:00 "Play with your grandkids or watch them?" 39:00 Quick-fire: go to school sooner, say what you think 40:00 Honesty, integrity, action — and cooking 41:00 Golden rule: be true to yourself 👤 ABOUT DR. PAT BOULOGNE Performance optimisation strategist. Functional medicine expert. Author of Why Are You Sick, Fat, and Tired? 30+ years clinical experience. 📚 Amazon UK and US 💼 Search "Dr Pat Boulogne" on LinkedIn 🎙️ ABOUT PHARMA PRESCRIBED Long-form conversations with leaders in clinical research, digital health and mental wellbeing, hosted by Adam Walker. 🌐 https://pharmaprescribed.com 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-walker-2327951/ #DrPatBoulogne #FunctionalMedicine #PerformanceOptimisation #PharmaPrescribed #AdamWalker #IntermittentFasting #RootCause #Wellbeing #Nutrition #ThreeBrains #Affirmations #OrganicFood #Microbiome #GutHealth #HealthyAging

Andy York on AI, Data Science & Why 80% Accuracy Isn’t Good Enough | Pharma Prescribed

Adam Walker sits down with Andy York — statistician, clinical data science leader, and former VP of Clinical Data Science at Novo Nordisk — for a masterclass in where pharma's data revolution has been, where it's heading, and why the AI hype needs a reality check. With over 30 years spanning Roche, Covance, and Novo Nordisk, Andy now advises Verisian, a company building next-generation AI and traceability tools for clinical reporting. He brings rare historical depth and hard-won perspective to one of the industry's most pressing questions: can we actually trust AI with patient safety? In this episode: Why 80% AI accuracy equates to a process out of control — and what the Six Sigma reality check means for drug development The journey from paper CRFs and carbon copies to EDC, CDISC standards, and AI-assisted programming SAS vs R vs Python — what the shift to open source really means for regulatory submissions How guardrails, not raw AI, are the key to hitting 95%+ accuracy in clinical reporting The future of statistical programming: from code developers to validators Why pharma's AI revolution will realistically take a decade — and what to do in the meantime Career advice for the next generation entering clinical data science Whether you're a statistical programmer, data scientist, biometrician, or simply curious about AI's real role in drug development, this conversation will challenge your assumptions and sharpen your thinking. 🎙️ Pharma Prescribed is hosted by Adam Walker, biometrics consultant and independent voice in clinical research and healthcare leadership. 🔗 Listen on all platforms: pharmaprescribed.com 📧 Connect with Adam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-walker-2327951/ ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 01:00 Meet Andy York — Career & Mission 02:00 Why Pharma? The Noble Cause Behind the Data 04:30 Lessons From 30 Years — Advice for Newcomers 05:30 From Paper CRFs to EDC: How Data Collection Evolved 07:00 Standards, CDISC, SAS & the Programming Revolution 08:30 AI in Pharma — The Reality Check 10:00 The 80% Problem & Six Sigma Thinking 11:00 Guardrails: How to Make AI Reliable in Clinical Reporting 13:00 Human in the Loop — The FDA's Stance on AI Submissions 15:00 Parallel Streams & Freeing Up Resource Through Automation 17:00 Expanding Drug Indications With AI Efficiency 18:00 Conference Trends — The Move From SAS to R 20:00 Open Source vs Validated Systems — Regulatory Perspectives 23:00 SAS, R, Python — The Right Language for the Right Job 24:30 Future Roles: From Programmer to Data Scientist 27:00 The Next Generation — Gamers, AI Natives & Skills for Tomorrow 29:00 Science Fiction Becoming Science Fact 30:30 Verisian's Roadmap — What's Coming Next 32:30 Andy's Closing Advice for Programmers at Every Stage 🏷️ TAGS clinical data science, statistical programming, AI in pharma, drug development, clinical trials, SAS vs R, open source pharma, CDISC standards, regulatory submission, FDA AI, Novo Nordisk, Verisian, biometrics, data science careers, pharma podcast, clinical research, Adam Walker, Pharma Prescribed, Andy York, EDC, SDTM, ADaM, PharmaVerse, R consortium, double programming, AI accuracy, patient safety, pharmaceutical industry, clinical data management, real world evidence, pharma careers

Dermot Whelan on Burnout, Anxiety & the Science of Mindfulness | Pharma Prescribed

Dermot Whelan — broadcaster, comedian, bestselling author and certified meditation teacher — joins Adam Walker for one of the most personal and practical conversations on the Pharma Prescribed Podcast. This episode holds a special place — meeting Dermot in Prague in early 2025,  in the middle of my own grief, was one of the moments that led to this podcast existing. Dermot left his radio show at Today FM at the height of its ratings to dedicate himself full-time to making mindfulness accessible. In this conversation, he shares the panic attack in 2007 that changed everything, why stress has terrible marketing, and the simple tools — including Navy SEAL box breathing — that can shift your nervous system in just 16 seconds. Adam opens up about his own breakdown following his father's stroke, and how meeting Dermot at a conference in Prague in early 2025 became a turning point. Raw, warm, and full of practical frameworks you can use today. 🎧 LISTEN ON YOUR PREFERRED APP Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/episode/2wcigm9yKnpbvD86nGPRRV Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pharma-prescribed-with-dermot-whelan-broadcaster/id1829715970?i=1000771679527 Amazon Music → https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1a43eb87-b83e-441d-9a87-321263e3f821/adam-walker%E2%80%99s-pharma-prescribed-podcast Podbean → https://pharmaprescribed.podbean.com/ 📖 WHAT WE COVER - Why Dermot walked away from radio at the peak of his career - The 2007 panic attack that woke him up — and what he learned from it - Why stress has terrible marketing (and the study that proves it) - The 'busyness badge of honour' and how modern society got addicted to overwhelm - The DRAMA framework: a science-backed filter for choosing hobbies that actually reset you - Box breathing: the 16-second Navy SEAL technique for immediate calm - Why your heart is a better compass than your brain - What Everest Base Camp taught Dermot about values and simplicity - The moment Adam asked Dermot for a hug — and why vulnerability changes everything ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:00 Meet Dermot Whelan 3:40 Audience Softening and Curiosity 7:20 Early Anxiety Signs 11:00 Adam Shares His Breakdown 14:40 Reframing Stress as Helpful 18:20 Modern Busyness and Noise 22:00 Everest Base Camp Reset 25:40 Advice to a Younger Self 29:20 Skateboards and the DRAMA Framework 33:00 Protect Your Reset Rituals 36:40 Heart as Compass 40:20 16-Second Box Breathing 44:00 Gratitude and Farewell 👤 ABOUT DERMOT WHELAN Dermot Whelan is one of Ireland's most recognised broadcasters and the author of the bestselling books Mind Full and Busy and Wrecked. A certified Masters of Wisdom and Meditation teacher, he hosts The Mind Full Podcast and has helped thousands reframe stress and reclaim their wellbeing. 🌐 https://www.dermotwhelan.com 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dermotwhelanofficial/ 🎙️ ABOUT PHARMA PRESCRIBED Pharma Prescribed is the podcast for people who want the conversations the life sciences industry rarely makes time for — hosted by biometrics consultant Adam Walker. New episodes every week covering clinical research, digital health, mental wellbeing and leadership. 🌐 https://pharmaprescribed.com 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-walker-2327951/ #DermotWhelan #Mindfulness #BusyAndWrecked #MentalHealth #Meditation #Burnout #BoxBreathing #PharmaPrescribed #Wellbeing #StressManagement