Jun 6, 2020
Shawn Patrick O’Brien, chief executive officer of Genomind (genomind.com), discusses anxiety, mental health, and genetic connections.
Before his work began at
Genomind, O’Brien founded Key BioPharma Partners, LLC, a private
consulting firm focused on biopharma, and he served as president
and CEO of multiple influential pharmaceutical and bioscience
companies.
Podcast Points:
- How can genetic testing help improve drug treatment outcomes for mental health patients?
- How many people suffer from mental health issues over their lifetime?
- Do some drugs work better than
others for a particular patient?
O’Brien discusses the background of Genomind, and why the company was created. He talks about the company’s founder, Dr. Ronald Dozoretz, MD, who sadly passed away recently due to Covid-19. Dr. Dozoretz’s career as a psychiatrist focused on building mental health centers, working to improve patient outcomes, and decrease costs.
O’Brien states that according to
the CDC, by the end of the decade, depression will be the largest
healthcare cost. Genomind seeks to bring real solutions to mental
health care. As O’Brien explains, as many as 50% of the total
population will need mental health services at some point in their
lives.
Genomind has developed a system of testing that can eliminate the
trial and error of care, by providing genetic testing of 24
different genes which can elucidate which drugs are suitable for
the individual and which will be ineffective, how they will
metabolize a type of drug, and how that drug will be distributed
throughout their body, etc. This valuable information can assist
health care practitioners to prescribe medications that will work
for their patients, and eliminate the long journey of trial and
error that many patients go through en route to finding a
successful path to treatment through medication.
The Genomind CEO talks about the
ways they have adapted their company’s models to facilitate the
current Covid-19 period. He discusses particular drugs and drug
profiles, detailing therapy and treatment.
O’Brien explains that many patients may be currently taking drugs
that will simply never work for them, but genetic testing will help
correct this. Wrapping up, O’Brien provides an overview of new
emerging data in his field, and how drugs are incorporated with
cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), etc., and he talks about his
personal story with his son that motivated him to work with
Genomind helping others improve their lives.