• Payer's Budget to get right targeted drug to right patient
• High cost of biologics takes a toll on hem/onc practices

The 1st Annual Onco-Biotechnology Summit was held on July 24 and 25 of 2008 by Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University and The Kellogg Center for Biotechnology, at the Robert H. Lurie Medical Research Center at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois.

Over 140 people participated in the summit including: cancer researchers, physician groups, patient groups, biopharmaceutical, diagnostic and device companies and startups, health plans, venture capitalists, investors, the FDA, NCI and others. The summit contained 3 presentations and 9 panels addressing the following:

• What is on the Horizon for Solid Tumors - Personalized Medicine Pipeline
• Evolution of Myeloma Treatments and Continuing Challenges with Clinical Trials
• Presentation: Nanotechnology Pipeline Impact on Cancer Diagnostics and Therapeutics. Piotr Grodzinski, PhD, NCI
• Keynote Presentation: FDA perspective on Onco-Biotechnology Richard Pazdur, M.D. –Director of the Office of Oncology Drug Products, Center for Drug Evaluation (CDER), FDA
• Biotechnology Investments, Capital and Partnerships – Present and Future
• How Understanding the Biology of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Influences Therapy
• Integration of New Agents for Acute Leukemia, CML and CLL into Clinical Practice
• Novel Treatment Modalities in Breast Cancer
• Keynote Presentation: How New and Emerging Biotechnology Impacts Practice Management Howard "Skip" A. Burris III, M.D. , Chief Medical Officer, Sarah Cannon Research Institute
• Adverse Drug Reactions with Focus on Identifying Toxicities to Novel Agents
• Payers Perspective on Onco-Biotechnology (Health Plan, Medicare and Pharmacy Benefit Manager)
• Cancer Prevention and Survivorship

The participants found the summit extremely useful, the discussions productive and actionable. Evaluations averaged an 8.6 score on a 10 point scale for the event. All responders stated they would recommend the summit to colleagues. The participants requested that the summit be an annual event with ongoing dialogues between summits. Many indicated that this was the first forum they attended where a cross-disciplined group of professionals across healthcare worked together on challenges and opportunities. As a result of the Summit, a community-type forum is being established to continue the dialogue.

The Summit identified a need for:

• Establishment of research across institutions and private entities, attempting to understand underlying biology and all pathways involved in each cancer. Change of incentives to support collaboration and information sharing.
• Better use of resources through partnerships including opportunities for public / private partnerships to support novel approaches managed as a "portfolio" of opportunities and roadmaps to track pathway coverage.
• Care management process alignment and information sharing from prevention/screening through to survivorship, including standard metrics including health outcomes and quality of life
• Adjustment of clinical trial model to align with improved care management process and to reduce bureaucracy
• Clear standards in tissue sampling, size of sample by type, labeling and storage
• Use of combination therapies and the challenge in funding such research when one or more of the therapeutics does not have a financial incentive. Single targets are no longer enough to address cancer.

In addition to discussing these opportunities in the web forum, we are initiating a dialogue and planning collaborations with select participant organizations to design and pilot solutions addressing the issues. Regular updates will be provided. We look forward to continued support for these efforts from public and private organizations. Save the date: Onco-Biotechnology 2009 will be held on Thursday, September 10th and Friday, September 11th at Thorne Auditorium at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois.

Save the date: Onco-Biotechnology 2009 will be held on Thursday, September 10th and Friday, September 11th at Thorne Auditorium at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois.