Incredible Australian footage reveals new predator killing city rats
Jenna Bytheway, a senior researcher at Sydney University, led an investigation into the footage, telling Yahoo News she is excited to see the rakali is showing clear signs of actually hunting the smaller rodent as prey.
'Rakali tend to be ambush predators when they're hunting on land or at the water's edge," she said. "In the video, you see it sitting and waiting, and then ambushing. And that suggests it may have been a predatory attack.'
There's little chance that a fixed trail camera would have caught an attack like this unless it was happening regularly. And while it's not known if the rakali caught the black rat, a simple attack could impact the abundance of the pests.
'Given the size and aggressive nature of the rakali compared to the black rat, the impacts and the effects of fear can also reduce the number of rats in an area and change how they behave,' Bytheway said.
Could rakali help fight $390 billion invasive species problem?
The interaction was captured on the banks of Sydney Harbour in 2011 and then archived. But the researchers decided it was time to release the footage now because rakali are facing mounting threats, including the rapid spread of rat lungworm through Queensland and NSW, which originated in southeast Asia and is carried by introduced rats and snails.
Habitat destruction, pollution, and poisoning from common household baits commonly sold at hardware stores and supermarkets are also killing off this important species.
Despite being found in populated areas along Australia's east coast, very little is known about rakali. And more research would be required to determine how widespread their impact is on invasive species.
CSIRO research indicates invasive species have cost Australia more than $390 billion in the last 60 years to 2021. Rats alone continue to cause hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to the agriculture sector every year.
But using second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides to tackle them is killing off the nation's wildlife, including owls and eagles. And scientists are increasingly looking towards natural methods of control, like attracting owls to paddocks to eat rats.
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Bytheway is hopeful that one day, rakali could play a role too. But before that, funding would be required to confirm that what happened in the video wasn't a unique occurrence.
'If we can conserve rakali as a native species, not only will they be performing a vital role in the environment, they might be reducing the impacts of invasive species like black rats, cane toads and invasive fish. It's a win-win for everyone,' Bytheway said.
The research has been published in the journal Australian Mammalogy and featured in The Conversation.
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Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Measuring for success: innovation comes to ore screening
The mining industry is facing up to a new reality that has, for some time, been taking root: ore grades are declining, deposit complexity is increasing and becoming less economic, while competition for mineral resources such as water and energy is becoming tougher. 'How do we approach these challenges in a technological sense, is what many of us are asking,' says David Miljak, research programme director for sensing and sorting, mineral resources at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia's preeminent national science agency. For the energy-intensive ore screening and sorting part of the mining process, Miljak and his team, along with other start-ups and academics, are looking to provide the answer to this question. Rocks are usually sorted particle by particle using methods like X-ray transmission (XRT). However, there is significant scope for improving this process with advanced technologies that offer more informed and faster analysis and, ultimately, better data capture, according to experts like Miljak. He and his team are advancing radio frequency, X-ray and nuclear sensing instrumentation for high-throughput conveyor belt systems used early in the mining process that can 'interrogate' the rocks. 'What we want to know is how much copper, for example, is in the rocks; if we know that accurately and fast enough, we can divert them for processing and reject the rocks that are low in copper and aren't economic to mine,' he explains. 'This can have enormous benefits in uplifting the ore grade, the economics and the sustainability of the operation.' In this way, low-grade rocks do not need to be crushed, meaning the overall process requires less energy and water usage. It also minimises the material entering tailings dams. Ore screening technology Miljak, who has almost 30 years' experience in radio frequency-based technology, was involved in developing, over 15 years, magnetic resonance technology (MRT) that was commercialised through NextOre, a company spun out of CSIRO in 2017. In March, NextOre announced its first solution for analysing ore transported by underground copper trucks, an adaptation of its conveyor belt application. MRT is a form of radio frequency spectroscopy that can be used to count the atoms of a target metal in a sample. It works by subjecting ore to pulses of radio waves set to the signature frequency of the target mineral. The resonating ore produces a radio field burst, known as a 'spin echo', which is quantitatively measured by the sensor. The data generated by the MRT analyser is presented as real-time weight measurements of the target metal which, combined with weightometer readings, provides real-time grade as weight per cent of the material. The technology can do this for 50 tonnes (t) of material in under a minute, according to NextOre, providing mining operations with real-time data that informs ore routing decisions. It has been demonstrated at several operations including First Quantum Minerals' Kansanshi mine in Zambia, Lundin's Candelaria mine in Chile and Capstone's Cozamin mine in Mexico, with a trial at Cozamin reporting a 7.5% increase in copper production without additional mining. This technology is related to magnetic resonance imaging machines used in medicine, but must be adapted to mining conditions that are harsh and dusty. 'These technologies have been around for decades, but what we are trying to do is tweak the physics to make it work in minerals, which is actually a huge undertaking; you have got to re reinvent how you transmit the radio waves onto the targets," says Miljak. Hyperspectral sensing technology Another spin-out innovating in this space is Hypermine, born from VTT, a Finland-based European research organisation. Its technology combines laser illumination, hyperspectral sensing and proprietary machine-learning algorithms, to sort the valuable minerals at the earliest stage of the mining process. The company, which in June announced a successful closure of its seed funding round, claims the technology helps cut energy use by 10% and can reduce ore flotation acids and water usage by 15%. It does this by making stockpiling decisions 100-times more accurate, says CTO Mikhail Mekhrengin. He adds that the company is already detecting alumina contamination in its iron mines and sulphate contamination in copper mines, with four systems implemented in customer operations in Brazil, Chile and South Africa. 'Hypermine enables actionable data for each shovel or truck load, as well as the potential of a 3–10% higher mining profitability due to fewer valuable materials being lost into waste, less gangue in the process and more consistent feed to processing plants,' Mekhrengin says. Similarly, Germany-based Steinert is providing sensor-based sorting technology to uncover ore's composition in real time, adopted by Terra Goyana bauxite mining operation in Brazil. Successful trials at the site showed the technology could remove contaminants at an improved rate. Multiple complementary solutions These solutions can work in tandem with to X-ray technology, experts say. The difference, Mekhrengin explains, is that X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is based on elemental analysis to provide ore-grade information, whereas laser spectroscopy or hyperspectral sensing are optical technologies that provides molecular content of the material, including mineral content and concentrations, lithologies, rock type and chemistry. 'Why is mineralogy/rock type important? Because metals are never presented in a pure form in nature. They are enclosed in minerals. It is hard to impossible to translate elemental information to mineralogical data. In the perfect case, you need both,' he says, adding: 'On top of XRF, mineralogy is crucial to understanding how to process the mined material.' A spokesperson for NextOre adds that XRT is applied only in rock-by-rock, or 'particle' sorting applications, is cost intensive and can become very complex and expensive for higher throughput applications greater than 200 tonnes per hour (tph). 'Conversely, magnetic resonance is particularly well suited for bulk applications, extending currently to 6,500tph and almost certain to go higher.' Improving processing plants In addition to sorting, CSIRO and Miljak are applying similar techniques to measure what is in flotation plants during the extraction process. Technology that can quantify the mineral phases changing in real time could help operators address or mitigate 'upsets' in the mineral processing that spoil the entire operation, says Miljak. It could lead to mitigating actions such as changing the feedstock to blend out the bad mineral actor. 'It could be a certain mineral that makes the recovery process go off; it is a disruption. We can pick these up very quickly with the technology we have – this is a unique capability we have developed in the last 5–10 years,' he says. "If operators are not privy to these big deviations, recoveries can drop, so stopping them earlier could lead to higher yields. Over a long period, increasing recovery by even a few per cent for a big mine can potentially provide thousands of tonnes of more products – a fortune depending on what commodity is being mined.' CSIRO is working with some companies to pilot its "robust bits of technology" but is also looking for additional mining partners. Innovations in screening Further down the sorting and crushing process, Weir recently launched the ETX250, which it says is the largest double deck banana screen in the world for separating big and small rocks. The company says the screen, which is run by only two exciters, could reduce energy consumption by 40%, further supporting miners sustainability targets and reducing rising energy costs. 'Having only two exciters [rather than three] reduces the amount of inventory the customer has to keep, as well as maintenance, while giving better fine screening efficiency because we can run the exciter at a higher speed,' explains Corné Kleyn, global product manager at The Weir Group. The company recently sold 12 to a high profile mining operation in Pakistan. Incorporating AI into minerals screening and sorting The next step for data-driven technologies is coupling them with AI and machine learning (ML). While this is not Miljak and his team's focus, he says there are "big overlays". 'There is a beautiful train of data here that can be paired with AI ML, neural nets, and so on, that can be used to improve process based on historical data and to predict problems,' he explains. 'I think part of our problem is people aren't used to having mineral phase data in real time. So, it would be a new research endeavour to try and make the best of the data flows to improve it even further.' Nicolaas Steenkamp, an independent consultant who is a geologist by training, says AI could be valuable for improving these processes. 'Today, X-ray transmission technologies used in the mining industry do thousands of millions of calculations for each individual grain and that data is just discarded, it doesn't feed into production, but this could be processed in the cloud to give a much better insight into production,' he says. 'That can inform your processing plant in terms of the type of material it can expect to come through, enabling them to regulate the agents they will need to add to a specific processing cycle.' However, this is mostly "blue sky or proof of concept" technology right now, he adds. Vision for the future Steenkamp says the key driver for adopting these technologies is ultimately processing less ore, so a project is using less water, power and leaching agents to get a higher grade, while reducing the tailings. Wheaton Precious Metals president and CEO Randy Smallwood, a proponent of innovation in the mining industry, agrees these are important drivers for technology adoption. The company's Future of Mining Challenge awarded ReThink Milling $1m (C$1.37m) for its innovative milling technologies, which are estimated to reduce the energy use in comminution by more than half. However, as Steenkamp notes, for the bigger players, investing in cutting-edge technology is not a high priority as most are still operating at margins that mean they don't need to invest in high-cost equipment. For the small and medium operators, the cost often precludes them from adopting it. Although some industries, such as the diamond sector, are more used to using different types of technology and will therefore likely have more confidence to adopt, he adds. 'At the end of the day, you have got to have someone that is willing to be a participant and then be willing to share that data into the market, which can then convince your larger players to start adopting it,' he says. Miljak acknowledges there is general "inertia" within the industry when it comes to piloting and adopting new technologies but says there are "some really good innovation teams and individuals that are really trying to make a difference in the industry". 'My view is it will be an important lever for the future, if we can get a whole raft of technologies and innovators into this mining space to transform mining into manufacturing-type process, where real-time data can keep people safe and productivity high. That is the longer-term vision of CSIRO,' he concludes. "Measuring for success: innovation comes to ore screening" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. 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Drug Farm Announces First Patients Dosed in Phase 1b Clinical Trial Evaluating ALPK1 Inhibitor, DF-003 in ROSAH Syndrome
Trial will evaluate DF-003, a first-in-class ALPK1 inhibitor that specifically targets the genetic root cause of ROSAH syndrome ALBANY, N.Y. & SHANGHAI, August 04, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Drug Farm, a private biotechnology company utilizing genetics and artificial intelligence technologies to discover and develop innovative, immune-modulating therapies, today announced that the first human participants have been dosed in a clinical trial (NCT06395285) of DF-003 in patients with ROSAH syndrome. DF-003 is a first-in-class, immune-modulating alpha-kinase 1 (ALPK1) inhibitor that targets ALPK1 mutants causing ROSAH syndrome. The trial is evaluating the safety, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of orally administered DF-003 at sites in the USA and Australia. "We are happy to offer patients with ROSAH syndrome the opportunity to participate in a clinical trial using a new precision-targeted drug to treat the root cause of their disease," said Dr. John Grigg, Professor of Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, Save Sight Institute Faculty of Medicine and Health at The University of Sydney. "The initiation of this trial is a critical step forward in our goal to provide a therapeutic option in disease indications with unmet medical need that are mediated by excessive ALPK1 activation," said Henri Lichenstein, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Drug Farm. "We are optimistic about the potential of DF-003 to make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients with ROSAH, and together with our collaborators, are committed to thoroughly investigating the safety and efficacy of DF-003 in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease as well." About DF-003 DF-003 is a proprietary, first-in-class drug developed by Drug Farm that inhibits the activity of ALPK1 and variants of ALPK1 which cause ROSAH syndrome. DF-003 has therapeutic potential for ROSAH syndrome, as well as heart and kidney diseases, as the drug has shown efficacy in preclinical models of these indications. DF-003 has completed a Phase 1 clinical trial (NCT05997641) in normal healthy volunteers and is now accruing patients with ROSAH syndrome in a Phase 1b trial (NCT06395285). About ROSAH Syndrome ROSAH (retinal dystrophy, optic nerve edema, splenomegaly, anhidrosis and headache) syndrome is a rare, autosomal dominant autoinflammatory genetic disease named according to the characteristic symptoms exhibited by affected patients (1, 2). Disease-causing mutations in ALPK1 lead to ROSAH syndrome. The most common presenting symptom is a progressive decline in visual acuity that typically begins before 20 years of age, with ophthalmologic examination often revealing optic disc elevation, uveitis, and retinal nerve degeneration (2, 3). Most ROSAH patients also exhibit inflammatory features such as non-infectious low-grade fevers, arthralgia, headaches, and persistently elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-1β (3). 1. Tantravahi SK, et al. An inherited disorder with splenomegaly, cytopenias, and vision loss. Am J Med Genet A. 2012;158(3):475-81. 2. Williams LB, et al. ALPK1 missense pathogenic variant in five families leads to ROSAH syndrome, an ocular multisystem autosomal dominant disorder. Genet Med. 2019;21(9):2103-15. 3. Kozycki CT, et al. Gain-of-function mutations in ALPK1 cause an NF-κB-mediated autoinflammatory disease: functional assessment, clinical phenotyping and disease course of patients with ROSAH syndrome. Ann Rheum Dis. 2022;81(10):1453-64. About Drug Farm Drug Farm is a private biotechnology Company developing innovative treatments targeting innate immunity for hepatitis B, heart and kidney diseases, and ROSAH (retinal dystrophy, optic nerve edema, splenomegaly, anhidrosis and headache) syndrome. Drug Farm's unique IDInVivo platform combines breakthrough technologies in genetics and AI to discover new treatments. IDInVivo technology allows the direct assessment of gene targets in living animals with intact immune systems. Using the IDInVivo platform, Drug Farm has identified novel innate immunity pathways and targets and is now rapidly advancing multiple first-in-class drug candidates into clinical development. For more information please visit: View source version on Contacts United States:Henri Lichenstein, Executive OfficerEmail: hlichens@ China:Tony Xu, and Chief Operating OfficerEmail: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Medscape
12 hours ago
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Lp(a): Aiming at a Moving Target, Waiting for Ammunition
The evidence implicating high levels of lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), as a risk predictor for heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular conditions has outpaced the science of what to do about the marker. But recent studies may be challenging the prevailing thinking about Lp(a) by showing it may also be predictive of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) away from the heart, such as carotid artery stenosis and peripheral artery disease, and that follow-up testing may benefit people with borderline levels of the blood fat. Before clinicians do anything about elevated Lp(a), however, they must first test for it. And experts in interventional cardiology have acknowledged that testing for Lp(a) as part of the cardiometabolic lipid panel lags far behind where it should be. Nishant P. Shah, MD, a specialist in cardiometabolic intervention at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, led a retrospective study last year of five large US health systems. He and his colleagues found that only 0.4% of patients with ASCVD had been tested for Lp(a). Nishant P. Shah, MD 'Lp(a) testing is extremely low across the country, even in patients who have had established cardiovascular disease or established cardiovascular events,' Shah told Medscape Medical News .'There are disparities in who is getting tested for Lp(a). Our study showed that patients of the Black race, older patients, those with high BMIs, and women are less likely to be tested than others.' In other words, testing lags even further behind in at-risk groups. The lack of testing Shah's group reported among people with ASCVD has been confirmed by other studies. A 2023 study from Germany found similarly low rates, and a US database study the same year reported rates of 0.7% in patients on lipid-lowering therapies for secondary prevention of ASCVD. As a result, the American Heart Association launched a nationwide program, called the Community Health Centers Discovery Project, to bring Lp(a) testing to 20 community health centers across the country. Kaavya Paruchuri, MD 'Research shows that individuals from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds are both more likely to have elevated Lp(a) levels and to experience disproportionate rates of heart disease,' said Kaavya Paruchuri, MD, a preventive cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and an American Heart Association volunteer. 'By expanding access to Lp(a) testing in these settings, we can help identify patients at increased risk and support more informed conversations about prevention and risk-reduction strategies.' Barriers to Testing The barriers to more widespread testing are 'multifactorial,' Shah said. The relevance of Lp(a) has only emerged in the past decade or so, leaving generations of cardiologists and primary care providers lacking education about the marker. No Lp(a)-lowering drug has been approved, and while no fewer than six investigational agents are in clinical trials, none is on the brink of approval. The 2018 clinical guidelines from the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology recommended selective screening; that is, people who have severe high cholesterol, ASCVD, or a family member who's had early ASCVD. In Europe, clinical guidelines recommend Lp(a) screening for all adults to identify those with high levels of the substance. 'Unfortunately, awareness of Lp(a) as a cardiovascular risk factor remains low amongst both patients and clinicians,' Paruchuri said. 'Furthermore, clinicians may be hesitant to order Lp(a) as there is no clearly defined treatment available to lower Lp(a), and they are unsure how to optimally handle abnormally elevated Lp(a) results.' Shah also noted that some health insurance plans do not cover the test. 'Providers may not know if the test is covered by insurance or not,' he said. The 2018 US guidelines noted that Lp(a) is a modified form of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) that appears to possess atherogenic potential. The consensus among researchers who have investigated Lp(a) is that it is a genetic biomarker. As such, levels may not vary from one test to the next unless Lp(a) is targeted with a drug. Lp(a) levels ≥ 50 mg/dL are considered to be elevated. Despite the lack of a treatment, experts said one case for the cost-effectiveness of Lp(a) testing is that it would be a once-and-done assay in most patients with risk factors for ASCVD. Emerging Revelations About Lp(a) 'I don't have the Lp(a) test repeated for patients, as I have not seen any strong evidence supporting that it being reduced or increased changes cardiovascular disease or other health issues,' Robert C. Block, MD, MPH, preventive cardiologist at the University of Rochester Medical Center, in Rochester, New York, told Medscape Medical News . 'Not repeating it also is more cost-effective. My point when seeing patients is that this makes sense until we have clinical trial data supporting that lowering it via an agent changes risk.' Robert C. Block, MD, MPH But a just-published study of almost 12,000 adult patients at three Mayo Clinic locations may upend that thinking. The Mayo researchers said that after one Lp(a) test, normal or high levels typically do not change: 96.4% of people with normal Lp(a) and 89.9% with high levels in the study had the same levels of the molecule when they were retested. However, the study did find that almost half of the people with borderline Lp(a) — a range of 30 to 50 mg/dL — changed their category (normal, borderline, or high) after retesting, and a quarter of them had a change greater than 10 mg/dL. Women, patients who had ASCVD, those with LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) levels of ≥ 100 mg/dL, or those on statin therapy had higher odds of a change in Lp(a) of > 10 mg/dL. 'These findings highlight that patients with borderline Lp(a) levels may require more than one Lp(a) measurement for a comprehensive ASCVD risk assessment,' the authors of the study wrote. Also adding a dimension to the understanding of Lp(a) is a large database analysis in the UK that has linked high Lp(a) to peripheral artery disease and carotid artery stenosis, among other extracoronary ASCVDs. Patients in the study — which used > 70 mg/dL (or 150 nmol/L) as a threshold for predicting ASCVD complications — with peripheral artery disease and elevated Lp(a) were at 57% greater risk for having a major adverse limb event than patients with normal concentrations of the molecule. Those with carotid stenosis and high Lp(a) had a 40% greater risk for stroke than patients with normal levels. According to the researchers, lowering Lp(a) concentrations by 35 mg/dL (75 nmol/L) would reduce the risk for incident peripheral artery disease by 18% and for incident carotid stenosis by 17%. 'Participants with established extracoronary atherosclerotic vascular disease and elevated Lp(a) concentrations are at high risk for progression to major atherosclerotic complications,' they reported. Again, however, how to reduce Lp(a) is unclear. Consistent intake of niacin is one strategy for reducing Lp(a), the UK researchers stated, but only 77 (0.02%) of the 460,544 participants in the analysis were taking the nutrient. Niacin has had its own star-crossed history as a risk-reduction strategy in ASCVD. Both the 2011 AIM-HIGH trial and the 2014 HPS2-THRIVE study found that people who took niacin supplements did not reduce their risk for ASCVD, although participants in AIM-HIGH on niacin had a 25% reduction in Lp(a) levels. These studies moved the consensus away from niacin therapy. Another recent revelation about Lp(a) is its apparent independence from LDL-C. Lowering LDL-C with statins does not affect cardiac risks associated with elevated Lp(a), said Sotirios Tsimikas, MD, who was the corresponding author for a 2024 meta-analysis on the question. Sotirios Tsimikas, MD 'Lp(a) is an independent risk factor at all levels of achieved LDL when you treat somebody with an LDL-lowering agent,' said Tsimikas, a cardiologist at the Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center and director of vascular medicine at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) Health. 'The implication is you have to treat it as your own independent risk factor and not assume that when you treat the LDL-C, even at very low levels, that you reduce Lp(a)-mediated risk.' In a study, patients with Lp(a) > 50 mg/dL but in the lowest quartile of LDL-C after treatment — in the 3.1-77 mg/dL range — had a 38% greater ASCVD risk than those with Lp(a) levels below the 50 mg/dL threshold. Tsimikas said this study built on research his group published in 2018. 'What this paper showed with more granularity was that the LDL level that was achieved in the statin trials did not reduce the Lp(a) risk,' he said. The State of Clinical Trials Block and his group have reported on clinical trials of six investigative therapies targeting Lp(a). Three subcutaneous therapies are in phase 3 trials: Pelacarsen, an antisense oligonucleotide that has demonstrated an 80% reduction in Lp(a); and two small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), olpasiran and lepodisiran, both of which have demonstrated up to a 98% reduction in Lp(a). Likewise, three agents are in phase 2 trials: Zeriasiran, a subcutaneous siRNA agent that has shown up to a 98% reduction in Lp(a); and two oral agents, muvalaplin, an Lp(a) inhibitor that has demonstrated up to an 85% reduction in levels of the molecule, and obicetrapib, a cholesterol ester transport protein inhibitor that has shown up to a 57% reduction in the substance and is used in conjunction with evolocumab. Deeper in the pipeline is at least one potential one-time gene therapy, CTX320, which is in preclinical stages. The pelacarsen trial is scheduled for completion early next year. The olpasiran trial is scheduled for completion at the end of 2026. 'We're right on the cusp of knowing if we lower Lp(a), do we get a benefit that's clinically meaningful?' Tsimikas said. Modify What You Can — Wait for the Calvary Despite the lack of commercially available therapies, providers can employ several interventions to manage ASCVD risks in patients with elevated levels of Lp(a). 'The theme here is to modify what you can modify until we have more directed therapy with good clinical trial outcomes,' Shah said. 'Drop LDL as low as you can. Consider starting aspirin therapy, especially if patients have multiple risk factors — and absolutely they should be on aspirin therapy if they've had a prior cardiovascular event. Then I look to modify other things. Are they hypertensive? Can I get them better? Are they obese? Can I reduce their weight? Do they have diabetes? What can we do to control this more?' First-degree relatives of people with high Lp(a) levels should get their Lp(a) levels tested, he added. Motivated patients could be encouraged to enroll in a clinical trial. 'As more people understand that there are changes you can make today, they may be more likely to test for Lp(a),' Shah said. Until clinical trial results are reported, clinicians are in a 'gray zone,' Tsimikas said. To get through that 'gray zone,' more education of providers and patients is needed, healthcare systems need to support more widespread Lp(a) testing, and insurance companies need to cover testing, he said. 'What I'm seeing is that a lot of physicians have become aware of Lp(a), and I'm seeing a lot of testing that normally I wouldn't,' Tsimikas said. 'I think the tide is already turning on this.' Block has no relevant relationships to disclose. Paruchuri reported having financial relationships with Allelica, Amgen, Apple, AstraZeneca, Boston Scientific, Genentech/Roche, Ionis, Novartis, and NewAmsterdam Pharma. Shah reported having received research grants from Amgen and Janssen and is a consultant/advisor for Esperion, Amgen, and Novartis. Tsimikas is a co-inventor and receives royalties from patents owned by UCSD. He is also a cofounder and holds equity in Oxitope and Kleanthi Diagnostics and has a dual appointment at UCSD and Ionis Pharmaceuticals.
