Clinical Biomarkers Operations and Innovation

Enabling Precision Medicine Trials During COVID-19 Pandemic

March 2 - 3, 2021 ALL TIMES EST

The concept of personalized or precision medicine has brought to life several types of clinical trials that involve biomarkers and require biospecimen collection and management. Effective management of these trials can be complicated and requires specific operational approaches. CHI’s 6th Annual Clinical Biomarkers Strategy and Innovation conference is designed to exchange solutions to enable various types of biomarker driven studies, as well as discuss novel solutions implemented to overcome the challenges of COVID-19 pandemic.

Tuesday, March 2

THE ACCELERATION OF DRUG DEV DUE TO THE PANDEMIC

8:00 am LIVE PLENARY PRESENTATION:

Delivering When It Matters, COVID-19 Edition: Pfizer’s Vaccine Trial Execution Strategies and Technology-Enabled Operations

Panel Moderator:
Demetris Zambas, Vice President & Global Head, Data Monitoring & Management, Pfizer Inc.

Pfizer has been collaborating across the healthcare innovation ecosystem to address the COVID-19 global health care crisis. Pfizer’s stage III coronavirus vaccine trial has enrolled more than 44,000 volunteers and will be completed by the time of the conference. This outstanding effort required leadership, focus and dedication of the entire company and critical stakeholders. All of the industry’s and company’s previous work and innovations were pressure tested to meet the challenging scope of the trial. With a critical global need, the only gauge had to be the “speed of science” with all appropriate quality controls. This panel will discuss Pfizer’s vaccine trial execution strategies and technology-boosted operations.

Panelists:
Brett Wilson, Senior Director, Vaccines TA Lead Data Monitoring & Management, Global Biometrics & Data Management, Global Product Development, Pfizer Inc.
Ralph Russo, Senior Director & Global Head, Clinical Database Management, Pfizer Inc.
Nicholas Kitchin, MD, Senior Director, Vaccine Clinical Research and Development, Pfizer
Helen Smith, Senior Director, Clinical Study Team Lead, CD and O, Pfizer
Liping Zhang, Senior Director, Vaccines Statistical Programming and Analysis Lead, Pfizer Inc
Darren Cowan, Executive Director & Area Head USA, Canada, Pfizer
Beth Paulukonis, Executive Director, Study Management Group Lead, Clinical Development and Operations, Pfizer
9:30 am

PLENARY PRESENTATION: Fireside Chat: Accelerated Drug Development in Response to the Pandemic: Lessons Learned and Key Drivers

Panel Moderator:
Deborah Borfitz, Lead Contributor, Publications, Cambridge Healthtech Institute

Companies adopting tech per Covid, perpetual proof of concept and pilot mode needs to stop, is response to Covid temp or a new normal? Lessons learned is important, but look ahead to 4,000+ active studies still happening in other indications/diseases! Covid burn out. The drug dev paradigm is out of date! What were the accelerants? So, lasting lessons from pandemic are not tactics but behaviors. The cat is out of the bag on the need and desire for more remote/virtual trials – especially if you ask a patient!

Panelists:
Ken Getz, MBA, Founder, CISCRP; Deputy Director, Center for the Study of Drug Development, Tufts University School of Medicine
Leonard Sacks, MD, Associate Director, Clinical Methodology, Office of Medical Policy, CDER, FDA

STRATEGIES AND LESSONS LEARNED DURING PANDEMIC

9:55 am

Operational Challenges during COVID Pandemic: The BMS Perspective and Industry-Wide Guidelines 

Brenda Yanak, Vice President, Global Biospecimen & Imaging Management, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

Generation of high-quality biomarker data for a clinical trial requires more than selecting a lab and assay and transferring the data. It requires careful selection and qualification of the lab, fit-for-purpose assay validation, and ongoing oversight of analysis and data. Aligning expectations and building a collaborative relationship between the sponsor and the lab is the key to success.

Tim Foley, Senior Director, Pharma Alliance, SOPHiA GENETICS

The pandemic had immediate repercussions across the R&D value chain - particularly on clinical trials. While organizations scrambled to mitigate its impact, notably by adding new sites, COVID-19 appeared to have amplified deeper issues woven within design and enrolment. To consolidate R&D models in the face of uncertainty, organizations could turn to collaboration, genomics RWE insights and innovative decentralized approaches. Discover our analysis and solutions to withstand future disruptions.

10:55 am

Risk Management to Mitigate the Impacts of a Global Pandemic on Specimen Collections in Clinical Trials

Michael Tanen, Director, Clinical Biomarker Specimen Management, Merck & Co.

When facing a global pandemic, we needed to rapidly develop scenarios and generate risk assessments and strategies to serve our subjects and patients under care in our clinical trials.  Understanding the relationship between global trial sites and Covid-19 hotspots allowed us to focus our resources in critical regions and on specific issues that had the potential to affect our ability to provide continuous support to our participants and sites worldwide.  


Kate Dugan, Director of Operational Strategy, Global Specimen Solutions, Covance by Labcorp

Biomarker testing generates more data at all phases of drug development, requiring better analytics within and across trials. Without integrated data, important milestones may be missed, decisions may be delayed and insights may go unrecognized. However, integrating data creates challenges for reconciling the data. Having confidence in the data with robust extraction, load and transform (ELT) tools and predictive system analytics to forecast, monitor and mitigate is the key to success.

11:35 am Tech Break, Transition to Live Panel Discussion
11:45 am LIVE PANEL DISCUSSION:

What is the Future of Blockchain in Pharma Post-pandemic?

Panel Moderators:
Adama Ibrahim, Director, Digital Solutions & Technology & Platforms, Data & Digital Global Drug Development, Novartis Pharma AG
Disa Lee Choun, Head, GCSO Innovation, UCB Pharma

With the increase of remote and decentralised clinical trials including direct-to-patient drug shipment due to the pandemic, have these accelerated the adoption of blockchain?  Panelists discuss how start-ups are tapping into this area, how has the pandemic changed the digital transformation in pharma/healthcare, and what are the hurdles in the adoption of blockchain in pharma?

Panelists:
Jim Nasr, CEO, Acoer
Sean Manion, PhD, CSO, ConsenSys Health
Ben Taylor, CEO, LedgerDomain
12:10 pm Session Break - Visit Our Virtual Exhibit Hall
Billy Byrom, VP Product Intelligence & Positioning, Marketing, Signant Health

INNOVATING DURING COVID-19

1:00 pm

Approach in a Pandemic for COVID-19 Testing and Reporting

Crystal Dotson-Roberts, Director, Clinical Diagnostics Laboratory, Eli Lilly
Dawn Hawkins East, Senior Advisor, Clinical Development, Eli Lilly

This co-presentation will share case study of a drive-through clinic that was set up for clinical trials participants.

Tobi Guennel, PhD, SVP Data Management and Systems Integration, Chief Architect, QuartzBio, part of Precision for Medicine

Modern biomarker-centric programs demand a focused strategy to provide timely visibility into sample collection, processing, and storage status. Dr. Tobi Guennel will share how clinical teams are leveraging technology to quickly and efficiently gain visibility into their clinical samples across sites, labs, and storage facilities. 

2:00 pm LIVE PANEL DISCUSSION:

Winning Biomarker and Biospecimen Strategies in COVID-19 Era

Panel Moderator:
Michael Tanen, Director, Clinical Biomarker Specimen Management, Merck & Co.
Panelists:
Brenda Yanak, Vice President, Global Biospecimen & Imaging Management, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.
Crystal Dotson-Roberts, Director, Clinical Diagnostics Laboratory, Eli Lilly
Andrew Jopp, Clinical Data Analyst, Data & Statistical Sciences, AbbVie Inc.
Dawn Hawkins East, Senior Advisor, Clinical Development, Eli Lilly
Kate Dugan, Director of Operational Strategy, Global Specimen Solutions, Covance by Labcorp
Tobi Guennel, PhD, SVP Data Management and Systems Integration, Chief Architect, QuartzBio, part of Precision for Medicine

CREATIVITY AND ENGAGEMENT IN RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION COMMUNICATIONS: SCOPE’S PARTICIPANT ENGAGEMENT AWARDS

3:15 pm LIVE:

SCOPE’s 2021 Participant Engagement Awards

Panel Moderator:
David Sall, President & CEO, Marketing, Patient Enrollment Advisors LLC

Designed to inspire innovation and change in how the industry communicates with participants in the fields of recruitment and retention in clinical trials, this award embodies the values and personal accomplishments of Jerry Matczak, who sadly passed away soon after receiving the 2017 award. We dedicate this award to Jerry in the hope that it will serve as a reminder of his ideals and accomplishments.

SCOPE’s 2021 Participant Engagement Award program is brought to you by Cambridge Healthtech Institute (CHI)’s SCOPE.

Panelists:
Phyllis Kaplan, Trial Volunteer and Patient Advocate; Senior Manager, Events & Community Engagement, Center for Information & Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP)
Kelly McKee, Senior Director, Patient Recruitment and Registries, Medidata Solutions
Irfan Khan, CEO, Circuit Clinical
Ramona Burress, Assoc Dir, Diversity & Inclusion in Clinical Trials, Janssen R&D LLC
4:05 pm Interactive Breakout Discussions - Visit Our Virtual Exhibit Hall

Join your colleagues and fellow delegates for a focused, informal discussion moderated by a member of our speaking faculty. A small group format allows participants to meet potential collaborators, share examples from their own work and discuss ideas with peers. View all topics here.

BREAKOUT: Technologies and Partnerships to Streamline Sample/Biomarker Management in Clinical Trials

Mary Zuniga, Consultant, Translational Science Immunology, Eli Lilly & Co.
Brenda Yanak, Vice President, Global Biospecimen & Imaging Management, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.
Michael Tanen, Director, Clinical Biomarker Specimen Management, Merck & Co.
Lynn Wetherwax, R&D Strategy and Operations, Amgen Inc.
Karina Bienfait, PhD, Executive Director, Specimen Infrastructure & Informed Consent, Global Biospecimen & Imaging Management, Bristol-Myers Squibb
  • COVID altered biomarker and biospecimen operations: should some of the changes stay beyond the pandemic (#nogoingback)?
  • Advanced informatics for biospecimen management
  • Central and reference labs: building the relationship
  • Informed consent and data sharing​
Tim Corbett-Clark, BA, MA, DPhil (oxon), Chief Technology Officer, Cmed Technology

Cmed Technology CTO, Dr. Tim Corbett-Clark shares his views on the current landscape within clinical trials, discussing the challenges that point and unified solutions bring. He also examines how to best optimize clinical trial data workflows by bringing the tech to data, removing the silos, and eliminating the barriers to getting holistic data for total control and visibility from phase one to four.

Amy Franzen, General Manager & Vice President, Clinical Trials Solutions, Tempus

Overview of the Clinical Trial Solutions at Tempus which support precision patient identification and recruitment for oncology clinical trials through the TIME Trial program, a rapid activation Just-in-Time network of research-experienced clinical trial sites

Bernadette Tosti, Vice President, Patient Experience, Science 37
Lindsay Singler, Director, Research Communications & Engagement, Operations Management Team, Duke Clinical Research Institute

Current events have driven pediatric clinical research to be more flexible and efficient—to increase patient access and enhance the patient experience both during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. With increased regulatory support for direct-to-family (decentralized) trials, learn how to leverage technology to safely and efficiently conduct research using a current, real-life example of trial design.

Rutendo Kashambwa, MS, Senior Clinical Analyst, Clinical Sciences, TriNetX

Watch a live demonstration of protocol design utilizing real-world data on the TriNetX platform for a phase III cardiovascular randomized controlled trial, and a subsequent label expansion.

4:40 pm Close of Day

Wednesday, March 3

DATA ISSUES

9:00 am

Introduction to the Industry Pharmacogenomics Working Group

Karina Bienfait, PhD, Executive Director, Specimen Infrastructure & Informed Consent, Global Biospecimen & Imaging Management, Bristol-Myers Squibb

We focus on, for example: genomic technologies, informed consent and ethics, global regulations and policy, innovative clinical trial design, genomic sample collection and use, pharmacogenomic biomarkers, patient stratification, pharmacogenomic education, and regulatory use of genomic data to support drug label statements.

9:20 am

A Privacy Framework for Clinical Data Reuse

Lynn Wetherwax, R&D Strategy and Operations, Amgen Inc.

The life science industry has potentially missed opportunities to advance scientific research and benefit public health due to the difficulty of interpreting legislation concerning data privacy and contradictory guidance and opinions from competent authorities. To help navigate the uncertainty this has had for reuse of clinical data, TransCelerate has developed a model framework for secondary research based on personal data. This session will introduce the framework and present its main elements.

9:40 am

Industry Perspective on Clinical Trial Sample & Data Management in China

Melissa L. Rawley-Payne, Biobank Operations Manager, Lupus Research Alliance

The Industry Pharmacogenomics Working Group (I-PWG), established in 2000, is a voluntary association of pharmaceutical/biotech companies engaging pre-competitively to address emerging issues related to pharmacogenomics in drug development. In September 2020, the Regulatory Task Force conducted a survey to assess how the 2019 Human Genetics Resource law in China impacted the conduct of trials prior to and after implementation.

10:00 am LIVE PANEL DISCUSSION:

Data Privacy, Secondary Use and Return to Patients 

Panel Moderator:
Karina Bienfait, PhD, Executive Director, Specimen Infrastructure & Informed Consent, Global Biospecimen & Imaging Management, Bristol-Myers Squibb
Panelists:
Melissa L. Rawley-Payne, Biobank Operations Manager, Lupus Research Alliance
Lynn Wetherwax, R&D Strategy and Operations, Amgen Inc.
10:30 am

Interactive Biomarker Analytics

Andrew Jopp, Clinical Data Analyst, Data & Statistical Sciences, AbbVie Inc.

An interactive visual analytics platform will be presented that enables exploratory analysis of biomarker data with clinical subject characteristics and outcomes. The on-demand platform is customized based on the therapeutic area, clinical trial, and molecular data sources with summary and drill-down capabilities.

ENHANCING PATIENT-SITE CENTRICITY AND CLINICAL INNOVATION THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

10:55 am KEYNOTE PRESENTATION:

COVID-19: How an External Event Redoubled Janssen’s Culture of Innovation

Darren Weston, Vice President, Integrated Data Analytics & Reporting (IDAR), Janssen

The external threat posed by the pandemic forced Janssen to reckon with longstanding cultural barriers to innovation. Faced with an urgent need to ensure patient safety and continuity of care, Janssen found a way to overcome these barriers and evolve the way they conduct clinical trials. Not only did Janssen minimize overall trial impact, but Janssen’s clinical operations have become more efficient and resilient in the face of future challenges. We will discuss the cultural and operational adaptations Janssen undertook to adapt to the pandemic environment and how we see these actions positioning us for the future.

11:20 am KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: Virtual Investigator Meetings During COVID-19 & Beyond
Steven Sulkin, Founder & CEO, SimuLyve International, Inc.®

Steven Sulkin, CEO, SimuLyve International

Marina Ziehn, PhD, Global Med. Affairs Dir. Neuroscience, Novartis

Markus Krüer, PhD, Head Clinical Project Mgt, Merz

Nico Wegener, PhD, Senior Clinical Project Mgr, Merz

Dave Matthews, Clinical Project Dir., Merz

 

Training worldwide staff on complicated protocols virtually with the added issue of language barriers can seem daunting. Our panel of virtual experts will show you how to perfect virtual skills and enhance virtual meetings.

 

11:20 am KEYNOTE PRESENTATION:

Option 2: New Players and Innovators in Clinical Trials, the Impact of Non-Pharma Entrants...Meet Salesforce and CVS Health

Shwen Gwee, Vice President & Head, Global Digital Strategy, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.
Gary Gabriel, PhD, Healthcare and Life Sciences Lead, Salesforce
Lou Sanquini, Vice President, Life Sciences Group, CVS Health
11:45 am Tech Break, Transition to Interactive Breakout Discussions
12:00 pm Interactive Breakout Discussions - Visit Our Virtual Exhibit Hall

Join your colleagues and fellow delegates for a focused, informal discussion moderated by a member of our speaking faculty. A small group format allows participants to meet potential collaborators, share examples from their own work and discuss ideas with peers. View all topics here.

BREAKOUT: Decentralized and Hybrid Trials: COVID-19 as an Accelerator

Jane Jacob, PhD, Vice President, Research & Clinical Affairs, Synergy Disc Replacement, Inc.
Laurie Halloran, President & CEO, Halloran Consulting Group Inc.
Matthew Moyer, Director Clinical Supply Technology, Global Clinical Supply, Merck & Co. Inc.
Vani Nilakantan, PhD, Vice President, Research, Allina Health System
Laura Whitmore, Head, Clinical Operations, Cerevel Therapeutics LLC
Nikala Kwech, eCOA Operations Lead, Data Sciences, AbbVie Inc.
Hassan Kadhim, Director & Head, Clinical Trial Business Capabilities, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.
Angie Botto-Van Bemden, PhD, Patient Advocate, Musculoskeletal Research International
David Fauvart, Associate Director, Janssen Clinical Innovation, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical R&D
Michele Teufel, Patient & Site Engagement Lead, Development Operations, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Michael Mclaughlin, Associate Director, Clinical Operations, Dermavant Sciences Inc.
Isaac Rodriguez-Chavez, Senior Vice President for Scientific and Clinical Affairs, Digital Health, PRA Health Sciences
Robert Loll, Senior Vice President, Business Development & Strategic Planning, Praxis Communications, LLC
Chris Varner, Associate Director, Virtual Trial Solutions, IQVIA
12:30 pm Session Break - Visit Our Virtual Exhibit Hall
Leon Sun, Chief Science Officer, RA,PV,MD, Beijing Highthink Technology Co., Ltd

Founded in 2006, Highthinkmed is the fastest growing clinical CRO in China with over 800 full time employees, providing one-stop clinical services including clinical operation, medical affairs, data management, biostatistics, pharmacovigilance, regulatory affairs etc. Highthinkmed owes its own eCTD system meeting requirements of FDA, EMA and NMPA with a professional team providing eCTD submission services. Highthinkmed welcomes all partners across the world for international collaboration.

Geoff Gill, President, Shimmer Americas, Shimmer Research

Different endpoints derived from wearables can require very different wearable sensors.  Unfortunately, qualifying and integrating different wearables often from different vendors can be time-consuming and uncertain.  Learn how Shimmer Research is addressing this challenge by introducing a series of wearables that are all part of its highly flexible Verisense platform.

1:15 pm Close of Clinical Biomarkers Operations and Innovation Conference





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