Bionow’s Oncology & Precision Medicine conference brings two key research areas together
Published on 13/12/2024
The Oncology & Precision Medicine Conference once again took place in Alderley Park over two days to encourage more in-depth discussion, with 132 delegates, exhibitors and speakers coming together to share ideas around these two areas of medicine.
The programme focused on Oncology on day one and Precision Medicine on day two, with a special conference edition of Biotech & Beers taking place on the evening of the first day.
Oncology
Day one of the conference examined early cancer detection and diagnosis, treatments of the future, patient perspectives and global expansion opportunities in western Switzerland (hosted by conference sponsor Innovaud) before closing with a “hot topics” panel discussion.
The first keynote speaker, Tim Maughan, Professor of Oncology at the University of Liverpool, discussed a strategy for cancer research for Liverpool by improving early diagnosis in areas of low income, applying research findings for the benefit of patients in this region, and implementing better screening and prevention measures. The benefits of data science and diagnostics were touched upon, including as a driver for discovery, producing high quality data, the use of AI in imaging, its applications in histopathology, radiology and natural language processing, and in the integration of current and next generation cancer diagnostics.
Caroline Phillips, CSO of Redx Pharma presented the second keynote on the challenges of and lessons learned from precision oncology, including the challenges for prospective patient selection for a colorectal cancer study conducted by Redx and their partners.
Particular attention was paid to patient recruitment in genetic subsets, with regulatory requirements for validated diagnostic tests leading to time consuming setup and potentially significant delays in recruiting first patients and despite a large eligible patient pool, difficulties in aligning site readiness with patients’ treatment timelines can result in slow enrolment.
In England, it was highlighted that seven “Genetic Hubs” are now up and running, and genes of interest might already be covered by tests at one or more of these, hence it might be feasible to work with the appropriate Hubs and sites they cover in future studies.
Day one closed with a fascinating discussion during the Hot Topics in Oncology panel, highlighting different treatments and how investment in these varies. Other key takeaways from the panel included the importance of building a strong relationship between your CDMO/CRO and the biotech, and how that can not only make or break the development of a drug but add value during the development of the molecule, giving the UK a competitive advantage over some lower-cost service providers.
Precision Medicine
The focus of day two of the conference included a state of the nation panel discussion, the role of precision medicine in chronic and rare diseases, and a technical presentation session hosted by conference sponsor QIAGEN.
Kicking off proceedings with a keynote on nanomedicines solutions for immunotherapy tumour targeting was Munitta Muthana, Professor of Immuno-Oncology at the University of Sheffield. The effectiveness of this innovative “bugs as drugs” treatment was presented, with some cancer patients who suffer major infections subsequently going into remission, examples of bugs used successfully as gene therapy vectors, and their ability to precisely target cells highlighted.
The presentation also showed that, by tapping into the power of microbes, cancer treatments that are natural and gentler on the body could be created, with microbial synthesis offering a green alternative by reducing the need for harmful solvents, lowering energy consumption and producing biodegradable by-products, promoting sustainable drug development.
The final keynote presentation of the two-day conference, by Paul Fisher, Head of Policy, Programmes and Compliance at BIVDA, looked at the future of diagnostics in precision medicine and the NHS ten-year plan. There are three key shifts on the agenda for the NHS: moving care from hospitals to communities, making better use of technology, and focussing on preventing sickness, not just treating it, which could be achieved by adopting personalised care for all, harnessing health data and testing for the future by building and leveraging testing capacity.
It was proposed that, by implementing fast next generation DNA sequencing into the current NHS Diagnostic pathway (21 days for work up, biopsy, histology and genomics to decision to treat), the percentage of patients meeting turnaround time requirements would increase from the current level of 60% to 97% without reduction in diagnostic yield, with the possibility of delivering genomic results within 24 hours.
Key takeaways from the State of the Precision Medicine Nation panel discussion included the welcome news that funding was returning to the sector although targeted medicines continue to come at a high price; there are highly innovative drugs coming from SMEs but there is also a need for a closer connection between universities, industry and the NHS, as well as early stage training in commercialisation, involving patients in clinical discussions (as highlighted in the Patient Perspective session) and using genetic testing as a preventative tool; and a thought-provoking point was raised: Are Precision Medicines just for countries that can afford them?
Commenting on the success of the event, Geoff Davison, CEO of Bionow, said: “It was great to hear from experts in these innovative fields, especially in how the two disciplines can work together to improve patient outcomes, with plenty of examples of case studies and success stories. It was also exciting to hear what the future might hold for oncology and precision medicine research and development, and the conference has sparked lots of conversations and potential collaborations, which is one of the key aims of these events.”
The Oncology & Precision Medicine 2024 Conference was sponsored by Appleyard Lees, Bruntwood SciTech, Innovaud and QIAGEN.
The programme focused on Oncology on day one and Precision Medicine on day two, with a special conference edition of Biotech & Beers taking place on the evening of the first day.
Oncology
Day one of the conference examined early cancer detection and diagnosis, treatments of the future, patient perspectives and global expansion opportunities in western Switzerland (hosted by conference sponsor Innovaud) before closing with a “hot topics” panel discussion.
The first keynote speaker, Tim Maughan, Professor of Oncology at the University of Liverpool, discussed a strategy for cancer research for Liverpool by improving early diagnosis in areas of low income, applying research findings for the benefit of patients in this region, and implementing better screening and prevention measures. The benefits of data science and diagnostics were touched upon, including as a driver for discovery, producing high quality data, the use of AI in imaging, its applications in histopathology, radiology and natural language processing, and in the integration of current and next generation cancer diagnostics.
Caroline Phillips, CSO of Redx Pharma presented the second keynote on the challenges of and lessons learned from precision oncology, including the challenges for prospective patient selection for a colorectal cancer study conducted by Redx and their partners.
Particular attention was paid to patient recruitment in genetic subsets, with regulatory requirements for validated diagnostic tests leading to time consuming setup and potentially significant delays in recruiting first patients and despite a large eligible patient pool, difficulties in aligning site readiness with patients’ treatment timelines can result in slow enrolment.
In England, it was highlighted that seven “Genetic Hubs” are now up and running, and genes of interest might already be covered by tests at one or more of these, hence it might be feasible to work with the appropriate Hubs and sites they cover in future studies.
Day one closed with a fascinating discussion during the Hot Topics in Oncology panel, highlighting different treatments and how investment in these varies. Other key takeaways from the panel included the importance of building a strong relationship between your CDMO/CRO and the biotech, and how that can not only make or break the development of a drug but add value during the development of the molecule, giving the UK a competitive advantage over some lower-cost service providers.
Precision Medicine
The focus of day two of the conference included a state of the nation panel discussion, the role of precision medicine in chronic and rare diseases, and a technical presentation session hosted by conference sponsor QIAGEN.
Kicking off proceedings with a keynote on nanomedicines solutions for immunotherapy tumour targeting was Munitta Muthana, Professor of Immuno-Oncology at the University of Sheffield. The effectiveness of this innovative “bugs as drugs” treatment was presented, with some cancer patients who suffer major infections subsequently going into remission, examples of bugs used successfully as gene therapy vectors, and their ability to precisely target cells highlighted.
The presentation also showed that, by tapping into the power of microbes, cancer treatments that are natural and gentler on the body could be created, with microbial synthesis offering a green alternative by reducing the need for harmful solvents, lowering energy consumption and producing biodegradable by-products, promoting sustainable drug development.
The final keynote presentation of the two-day conference, by Paul Fisher, Head of Policy, Programmes and Compliance at BIVDA, looked at the future of diagnostics in precision medicine and the NHS ten-year plan. There are three key shifts on the agenda for the NHS: moving care from hospitals to communities, making better use of technology, and focussing on preventing sickness, not just treating it, which could be achieved by adopting personalised care for all, harnessing health data and testing for the future by building and leveraging testing capacity.
It was proposed that, by implementing fast next generation DNA sequencing into the current NHS Diagnostic pathway (21 days for work up, biopsy, histology and genomics to decision to treat), the percentage of patients meeting turnaround time requirements would increase from the current level of 60% to 97% without reduction in diagnostic yield, with the possibility of delivering genomic results within 24 hours.
Key takeaways from the State of the Precision Medicine Nation panel discussion included the welcome news that funding was returning to the sector although targeted medicines continue to come at a high price; there are highly innovative drugs coming from SMEs but there is also a need for a closer connection between universities, industry and the NHS, as well as early stage training in commercialisation, involving patients in clinical discussions (as highlighted in the Patient Perspective session) and using genetic testing as a preventative tool; and a thought-provoking point was raised: Are Precision Medicines just for countries that can afford them?
Commenting on the success of the event, Geoff Davison, CEO of Bionow, said: “It was great to hear from experts in these innovative fields, especially in how the two disciplines can work together to improve patient outcomes, with plenty of examples of case studies and success stories. It was also exciting to hear what the future might hold for oncology and precision medicine research and development, and the conference has sparked lots of conversations and potential collaborations, which is one of the key aims of these events.”
The Oncology & Precision Medicine 2024 Conference was sponsored by Appleyard Lees, Bruntwood SciTech, Innovaud and QIAGEN.
