Bridging the gap between cancer research and patient care
Brigitte Sonier-Ferguson discusses the need for research to be clinically informed in light of the Covid-19 pandemic (650 words, 3.5 minutes)
NPC Healthbiz Weekly is presented to you in cooperation with Peak Pharma Solutions
The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for research to be clinically informed, a practice Brigitte Sonier-Ferguson and her team at the Atlantic Cancer Research Institute is striving to implement in the cancer space.
Sonier-Ferguson is the Acting CEO of the Atlantic Cancer Research Institute (ACRI), a research organization focused on understanding cancer biology.
“I think the Covid-19 pandemic showed us how important [clinically informed research] is, in the most explicit way possible,” she said. “We had to rapidly evolve as a health system to new information, new knowledge that was generated because we were doing real-time research at the point of care of Covid-19 patients. Then, we had to adapt and uptake this knowledge to adjust the care that we were giving to our patients.”
Sonier-Ferguson (photo below) discussed the impact of research on clinical care during a recent episode of the NPC Podcast, a program for Pharma executives hosted by Peter Brenders. Brenders is the General Manager of BeiGene Canada (listen to the episode here.)
The Moncton, N.B.-based non-profit organization started with three people in 1998 and has grown to 60 employees over 20 years, focusing on helping the local health system develop its capacity for diagnostics by sharing platforms, sharing equipment, and sharing expertise.
The goal at ACRI is to directly impact patient care and the access and quality of patient care that is available in New Brunswick, said Sonier-Ferguson.
ACRI’s research began as a more discovery-based operation and has evolved to include more precision medicine. The organization’s focus is now to make a specific and original contribution to the development of liquid biopsies.
“A lot of our researchers have been working on identifying biomarkers for cancer,” Sonier-Ferguson explained. “They’re looking for [biomarkers] in bodily fluids so blood, urine, saliva and other bodily fluids. They’re looking for little packages released by cancer cells called extracellular vesicles (EV).
“By detecting these EVs and blood and isolating them, with technology that was developed in house at ACRI, it’s allowing us to use minimally invasive methods to try and identify the presence of cancer in a person, or even be able to monitor disease progression in people that are affected by cancer by looking at these markers that are circulating in the blood.”
ACRI’s research in the liquid biopsy space area to a partnership with Exosomics Siena, a division of the Italian company Lonza. Together the companies have developed and marketed EV isolation kits that can be used in a clinical context.
The takeaway: With the pandemic emphasizing the importance of research, Sonier-Ferguson believes the healthcare system is on the cusp of something special.
“There’s a paradigm shift in health research,” she said. “‘Learning health systems’ is a big buzzword, patient-oriented research. So I think it’s just great that we’re finally going to see [a change]. We all talk about evidence-based care, quality care, [but] it can only be achieved if we implement best practices that are evidence-based and that come from clinical research.
“That research needs to be informed by the users of the system and the workers of the system of the health system.”
Further reading: While Real World Evidence has been used for decades, recent advances in technology and analytics are allowing Pharma to use the evidence in new ways. A recent McKinsey report looked at how Pharma is using advanced analytics and RWE. (Link here.)
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YOUR HEALTHBIZ WEEK 06/15/21
Health Canada issued an Interim Order authorization for Roche Canada’s casirivimab and imdevimab (REGN-COV2) to be administered together to treat mild to moderate Covid-19 in adults and adolescents (12 years of age and older who are at high-risk for requiring hospitalization and/or death. The interim authorization is based on interim results of the Phase I/II/III REGN-2067 adaptive trial that showed a reduction in the number of patients with coronavirus-related hospitalization or all-cause death in non-hospitalized patients with Covid-19 symptoms who were treated with the combination of casirivimab and imdevimab compared to placebo.
AbbVie announced that Health Canada approved upadacitinib,15 mg, for treating psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in adult patients who have had an inadequate response or intolerance to methotrexate or other Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs. Upadacitinib is an oral, once-daily selective and reversible JAK inhibitor. The Health Canada approval was supported by data from two Phase 3 studies across a broad range of more than 2,000 patients with active PsA.
The U.S. FDA’s recent approval of aducanumab for treating Alzheimer's disease has the Alzheimer Society of Canada hopeful that the treatment will soon be available to Canadian patients. Under the FDA approval, Biogen must complete an additional clinical trial to verify the treatment’s benefit. However, the Alzheimer Society of Canada is optimistic that Health Canada will complete its review process quickly so that aducanumab can be made available to Canadians living with the disease.
NATIONAL PHARMA CONGRESS SUMMER WEBINAR
“Post-Covid Countdown” is the theme of the National Pharma Congress Summer Webinar, scheduled for Tuesday, June 22, 2021. The event follows the recent NPC Spring Webinar, attended by 400 registrants. Faculty for the Summer 2021 event are Ronnie Miller (Roche Canada), Patrick Forsythe (Eisai Canada), and Brian Canestraro (Intercept Pharma). Your hosts are: Ben Parry (Pangaea Consultants) and Mitch Shannon (Chronicle Companies.) Be sure to watch the NPC HealthBiz Weekly for updates on the event.
CANADIAN HEALTHCARE MARKETING HALL OF FAME
The Canadian Healthcare Marketing Hall of Fame awards were established in 2002 to honour healthcare marketers who have contributed to our avocation and inspire others.
More than 100 honourees have been selected during the past 18 years. In the selection committee's view, they stand for a representative cross-section of the qualities that make our business unique and fulfilling. Each week, NPC Healthbiz Weekly will acknowledge one past Hall of Fame Honourees.
2011 Inductee
Steve Green
Novo Nordisk Canada Inc.
Mississauga, Ont.
Editor’s note: Steve joined Novo Nordisk in 1997 and was appointed Director of Victoza Marketing in 2008 - a role he currently holds.
Armed with a Bachelor of Science from Montreal’s Concordia University and a Master of Business Administration from McGill, Steven Green had a solid educational background to forge a successful career in the pharmaceutical industry. Recruited from McGill in the spring of 1990, Green started his career as a sales representative for Parke-Davis, now a subsidiary of Pfizer. He was responsible for products from various specialties, including cardiology, women’s healthcare, and CNS. He then moved to the company’s head office in Scarborough, Ont., where he conducted market research and was later involved in product management.
In 1995, Green went to Wyeth-Ayerst Canada Inc., where he served as Product Manager for Premarin, then Canada’s most prescribed product, with more than four million total prescriptions. He held that position for two years and was involved with joint promotions of Fosamax and Prometrium.
Green then switched to Novo Nordisk in 1997, a company where his career has flourished and where he has had wide-ranging experience. Among other duties, he was assigned the responsibility to launch and manage NiaStase, a specialized hematology product.
Although a niche product, under Green’s leadership NiaStase reached sales well above everyone’s expectations.
“It was a change to go from managing the most highly prescribed drug in Canada [Premarin] to a product that is prescribed for less than 100 patients in Canada,” says Green.
He also assumed responsibilities for women’s healthcare at Novo Nordisk, working on an international task force for the global launch of Activelle, a hormone replacement therapy.
Green went into sales management in 2000, becoming District Business Manager for the largest district in Canada in terms of sales and profitability. He managed 11 sales representatives based in Western Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.
“It was great seeing people develop in pharma,” says Green, whose district was selected for the District of the Year Award in 2000. “There is nothing more rewarding than hiring someone new to pharma and watching them develop. It is great to know that I played a small role in that.”
Green then took on the role of Associate Director, NiaStase Sales and Marketing, from 2002 to 2004, where he also was responsible for marketing Vagifem.
In 2004, Green joined the executive management team at Novo Nordisk Canada, holding the title of Director, NiaStase Sales and Marketing.
Looking for an experience different from previous responsibilities, Green became Director, New Business Development. “I needed a change, and this was a new area of the company,” says Green, who was given the mandate to build partnerships, explore the potential for acquiring products, and developing products in the pipeline.
One of the products that merited a high profile was Victoza for diabetes, the first product in a new drug class. As a result, he became Director, Victoza Marketing, in 2008.
“We put together a cross-functional team and launched the product in May 2010,” says Green.
A father of seven children, Green has managed to balance his professional life and family life and has been very satisfied with his choice to work in the pharmaceutical industry.
“It is always changing and always challenging,” says Green. “Working with talented people on challenging assignments is what I have enjoyed the most.”
A NEW PODCAST
“NPC Podcast Presents: Next in Pharma” is available now. The first episode, “AI-Powered Analytics,” is hosted by Michael Cloutier. Mike’s guests are Martin Booth, Director of Analytics and Data Excellence at AstraZeneca; Omer Ariburnu, Affiliate Head of Customer Excellence and Operations at Biogen; and Shawna Boynton, Omnichannel Marketing Manager at Novo Nordisk. “NPC Podcast Presents: Next in Pharma” is presented in co-operation with our friends at ODAIA.ai
NEXT WEEK
The 06/22 edition of NPC Healthbiz Weekly will feature Dr. Len Walt, the VP of Medical at SSI Strategy, about the role of the medical science liaison, the relationship between medical affairs and physicians and the united front of medical and commercial. It’s easy to get your no-charge subscription and have the issue sent to your phone or inbox each Tuesday at 6:00 a.m. sharp.
Stay safe, stay sure, and stay on your game. We’ll see you again next Tuesday.