Life Sciences Ontario’s Post

🌐 Curious about the must-attend clinical research conferences of 2024? Explore our latest article where we unveil the most anticipated conferences of the year that offer unparalleled insights, networking, and growth opportunities within the industry. Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/g-MuwSxE

#France has a great ecosystem for #health #innovation! And that’s what I was happy to elaborate on during the FACCNE ⎮ French-American Chamber of Commerce, New England Life Science Panorama panel discussion dedicated to the French ecosystem of innovation.   The health chapter of the France 2030 stimulus package not only puts €7.5Bn on the table, but more importantly it brings additional dynamics and ambition to R&D activities throughout the country: ✅ Academic research gets a €3.5Bn ticket for Priority Research Programs (PEPR), technology platforms, and up to 50 Chairs of Excellence which will soon be open to application from international talented scientists ✅ Universities further closes the gap with hospitals through the selection and funding of 12 thematic institutes (IHU) ✅ 5 thematic bioclusters get about €200M each in governmental and industrial funds to boost innovation and company creation in cancer, neurosciences, immunology, infectious diseases and genomics. Although life for a public or private researcher is not easy everyday, France is getting increasingly better in innovation, with an improved articulation between public and private worlds, more high profile and ambitious projects, and an enhanced appetite for translational processes that bring academic excellence in new companies, which are supported by a large range of early stage actors, which include Medicen Paris Region, France Biotech, Choose Paris Region and Business France. Servier, committed to improving the life of #patients, is very happy to contribute to these innovation dynamics, being a recognized partner of a range of academic and clinical institutions, investing in our new world-class R&D center in #parissaclay, and supporting early stage companies with #Spartners, a building in our Paris-Saclay campus where companies can connect with the Servier experts and thrive with the BioLabs France team. I was honored to be invited to this stimulating discussion with my co-panelists Stéphanie Allassonniere, Camille Tribout and Peter Cornelius, under the excellent moderation made by Gigi Shafai, Pharm.D.! It was great to connect with the US community on this topic! Université Paris-Saclay, Gustave Roussy, Institut Curie, Institut Pasteur, Institut du Cerveau – Paris Brain Institute, PSL Research University, PariSanté Campus, Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, INSERM, Centre national de la recherche scientifique Ludivine Wolczik, Charlotte Buttelli, Claude Bertrand, Christophe Thurieau, Celine Triquel, Agnes DEVOIS, MD, Stephen Lequet, Anne-Claire Julienne, Damien Catoir, Christophe Charpentier, Arnaud Lallouette

🔍 Exploring the Depths of Clinical Research: Unveiling the Importance of Blinding 🔍 Embarking on a clinical research study or trial is a journey to unravel the mysteries of biomedical and behavioural interventions. 🌐 As we delve into the pursuit of knowledge, one crucial methodological feature stands tall - "Blinding" or "Masking". 🤔 🌟 Definition: Blinding involves withholding information about treatment allocation from participants, ensuring an unbiased evaluation of safety and efficacy in clinical research. 🧐 Why is blinding indispensable? 🤷♂️ Because it serves as the guardian of validity, preventing biases that could sway research outcomes. 🛡️ Imagine a scenario where participants are aware of their treatment - their expectations alone might influence their responses, leading to skewed results. 😲 By keeping participants and sometimes even investigators in the dark about who receives the intervention and who gets a placebo, blinding creates a level playing field for unbiased assessments. 🌈 In the pursuit of scientific excellence, blinding becomes our ally, helping us paint a clearer picture of the true impact of interventions. 🎨 Let's celebrate the meticulous craftsmanship behind clinical research methodologies, where blinding is the brushstroke that ensures authenticity and reliability. 🤝💡   Reference: David, S. and Khandhar, P.B. (2023). Double-Blind Study. [online] PubMed. Available at: https://lnkd.in/gNqZGJMt. Cancer Research UK. (2014). Randomised trials. [online] Available at: https://lnkd.in/ghCSYuey. #ClinicalTrials #ClinicalResearch #ClinicalSolutions #CRO #Australia #NewZeland #Blinding

Life sciences companies are poised for expansion. While the rapid growth during the pandemic has since normalized, the industry continues to evolve as it adapts to a renewed emphasis on wellness paired with rapid scientific advancements. Executives in the Lehigh Valley, which sits amid a life sciences supercluster stretching from Massachusetts to North Carolina, recently sat down with Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation to talk about the dynamic industry and its future as part of the interview series Lehigh Valley Suite Spot. Here are some excerpts from those conversations: https://ow.ly/eoNt50PNs0C

🔍 Investigating Endometriosis Research Funding in the EU 💡 🌐 Background: #Endometriosis is considered one of the conditions that receives disproportionately low research funding relative to its burden. To shed light on the European Union's (#EU) commitment, the authors delved into the funding landscape over the last decades. 📊 Method: Using the COmmunity Research and Development Information Service (CORDIS) database, the authors identified EU projects dedicated or partially related to endometriosis from inception to 2023. 📈 Main Findings: Out of a total of 145,983 projects in CORDIS, only 27 (0.018%) were related to endometriosis. Among them, 10 were endometriosis-specific projects and 7 were partially related. Specific projects received approx. 15M EUR (FEMaLe project alone 6M EUR), with a focus on diagnostic biomarkers (4 projects) and a broader approach to diagnostic and therapeutic measures (3 projects). 🤔 Conclusions: Despite the substantial economic and societal burden of endometriosis, EU investments in research have been limited. Advocating for increased research funding is crucial for comprehensive advancements in understanding and combating this challenging condition. Let's work together to elevate endometriosis research funding on the EU agenda! 💙🌐 #EndometriosisResearch #EUHealthcare #ResearchFunding #EndometriosisAwareness #letsmakelifebetter #1in10  #fempowerment #findingendometriosis #femtech #womenshealth Andrew Horne Philippa Saunders Lone Hummelshoj Dorte Rytter Mette Nyegaard Axel Forman Krina Zondervan Liv Juul Nielsen Attila Bokor Camilla Fabricius Gabriella Márki Boglárka Wanderscheid Nilufer Rahmioglu Dmitrijs Bļizņuks Sebastiaan Meijer Jayanth Raghothama Gert L. Møller Simon Beaulah Veronique Bouchet Steve Gardner Mintu Nath Nemanja Todić Adrienn Salamon Health - Aarhus University SURGAR Horace Roman Engin Oral Francesco Mureddu Central Denmark EU Office (CDEU) FemTechnology Summit Linda Griffith Medicon Valley Alliance Novo Nordisk Foundation Shannon Cohn Ida Vogel Felicity Davis Henriette Svarre Nielsen Bharati Shivalkar https://lnkd.in/dGFjhfcw

We know that #endometriosis receives disproportionally low funding for research compared to other diseases with the the same prevalence (~190 million worldwide). This study by Paola Viganò et al shows that of almost 146,000 EU funded projects, less than 0.018% are funded for #endo. What do we need to do to change his disparity? Suggestions below, please! #womenshealth #womenshealthmatters #researchchangeslives

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the 2024 ADDF-Harrington Scholar Award, a joint initiative by the Harrington Discovery Institute Center for Brain Health Medicines at University Hospitals and the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation. About the Award: The ADDF-Harrington Scholar Award is tailored to support groundbreaking research endeavors with the potential to treat, prevent, slow, or even reverse Alzheimer's disease. This prestigious award offers not only substantial financial backing but also invaluable guidance in drug development, equipping researchers with the resources they need to turn their visions into realities. Who Should Apply: We invite academic investigators from accredited medical centers, research institutions, and universities across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom to apply. Particularly encouraging are proposals from researchers delving into drug development programs that, while not currently focused on Alzheimer's, hold promise for breakthroughs in this field. Focus Areas: Our focus areas for the 2024 ADDF-Harrington Scholar Award include proteostasis, senescence, and a range of other novel targets crucial for advancing our understanding and treatment of Alzheimer's and related dementias. We are eager to explore emerging therapeutic avenues and welcome proposals that push the boundaries of conventional research. How to Apply: Submit your Letters of Intent (LOI) online by June 3, 2024, at 5:00 pm EST. For more information and to submit your LOI, visit: https://bit.ly/3PRv9E1 #AlzheimersResearch #ADDF #HarringtonInstitute #ResearchFunding #Innovation #Science #BrainHealth

Canada is pioneer for conducting fundamental and translational Cancer Research including the novel immune cell therapies such as CAR-T or TILs. To my Canadian fellow and health policy makers, every life we safe as a result of advanced therapy is a VALUE. When the vision is clear To Save Lives, the pivoting strategy to be bold how to adapt and improve our health policy and fund spending where is the most promising and benefiting the patients short and long term, as an example Advanced Therapy, accessible and affordable. Here what the article said," The evaluation of CAR-T cell therapies provides a unique opportunity to critically evaluate and adapt funding review approaches to ensure patients can access disruptive therapies while preserving our healthcare system."

Interesting read. A pity that the authors actually do not challenge the framework of their thinking. 'We need implementation strategies that stimulate the adoption of PM interventions with proven benefit in clinical practice.' is basically an admission of defeat, it's a round peg for a square hole: we first need to implement precision medicine at scale to even find the patients to then be able to generate the evidence in order to learn whether something is working or not. And no, screening an entire population for a single mutation is never going to be cost-effective- that's why screening for many at the same time makes sense. Add to that testing and treatments are interdependent- no point of having a treatment if you can't find the patients who need it and if we don't know what tumours (and hosts) look like on a molecular level but also in their distribution, how can we even expect to get treatments that precisely address our society's needs? PCM isn't just more of the same- it's a fundamental departure from our group-based medicine of old. It requires a truly learning healthcare system, with a systematic integration of research into healthcare and consistent data capture- that's already 2 reasons why it's so hard- and no one says that our healthcare system should (or even could) just pay for it all. But thankfully, there is a growing number of examples where people actually got this to work- the DRUP-like trials like the original #DRUP, #PROTARGET, #IMPRESS, #FINPROVE, #DETERMINE, #MEGAMOST and #POP and the projects where they now join forces to work across countries, like PCM4EU - Personalised Cancer Medicine for all EU citizens and PRIME-ROSE- e.g. involve all stakeholders along the way and all have a diverse mix of funding, including but not exclusively from healthcare. #ThereMustBeAWay