Future direction

FUTURE DIRECTION

Icon’s research portfolio will continue to forge new ground and lead the way in private oncology trials.

With an established global framework backed by a comprehensive oncology offering, Icon is well positioned to deliver clinical trials to as many patients as possible, as close to home as possible. 2022 and beyond will focus on increasing industry partnerships, growing the investigator network and establishing innovative solutions that will enable Icon to turn the dial on oncology clinical trials and reduce the growing cancer burden.

INVESTIGATOR INITIATED TRIALS

LEADING THE WAY IN RADIATION MEDICINE

2022 will see a focus on growing Icon’s Investigator Initiated Trials (IITs) program across the international network by 50%, with an aim to activate four new IITs within the calendar year and expand trials within medical oncology and haematology, and across Singapore. Further partnership opportunities are underway to develop innovative, progressive IITs, and a continual focus on quality assurance will ensure the success of a robust IIT offering.

Icon Group currently operates one of the largest private radiation oncology services in Australia and are frequent early adopters of the latest radiation therapy technologies. Icon’s research offering will continue to leverage the Group’s radiation oncology experience including Icon’s unique centralised functions: remote radiation training and planning, an internationally recognised medical physics team and an in-house enterprise projects management office. This mature oncology ecosystem allows the expansion of clinical trials not only within the confines of radiation oncology but extends the Group’s reach and capabilities beyond the treatment and research of cancers, focusing on a broader radiation medicine lens. With extensive engagement from the Group’s highly experienced radiation oncologists, radiation therapists, medical physicists, oncology nurses, multidisciplinary referrer network and industry collaborators, Icon is looking to harness this knowledge beyond cancer care. The next few years will see an increase in technical research and innovation, pushing the limits of radiation technology and studying its potential benefits in other healthcare disciplines and diseases. The use of AI and adaptive technologies are already being used in Icon led IITs to potentially improve outcomes in common conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and other diseases.

Icon Group Board Advisor, Radiation Oncologist Prof Sandro Porceddu continues to support Icon’s radiation medicine portfolio, bringing over 20 years’ international experience in the management of head and neck cancer, skin cancer and lymphoma. He has published over 170 clinical research articles, is regularly invited speaker at major cancer conferences such as the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), and has Chaired the Trans Tasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG). Prof Porceddu’s consultation and unparalleled clinical experience will drive forward the vision of Icon’s radiation medicine capabilities and provide international growth opportunities.

“The last 10 years alone has seen a continual acceleration in radiation therapy technology and techniques. With strong clinical leadership and investment in research, Icon is well-positioned to be at the forefront of the next generation of radiation medicine, reinventing and expanding its potential in healthcare. Excellence in clinical research and innovation translates into excellence in clinical care delivery.”

PROF SANDRO PORCEDDU

BSc, MBBS (Hons), FRANZCR, MD Radiation Oncologist

“2 in 3 Australians will be diagnosed with some form of skin cancer before the age of 70. Radiation therapy brings tissue conservation to the treatment algorithm and helps deliver better survivorship. However, despite this being our national cancer, there is little in the way of level one evidence to justify radiation therapy in the treatment of malignant and benign diseases of skin. We need to invest in national research programs that will allow clinicians to create this evidence, especially using new technologies in radiation therapy.”

PROF GERALD FOGARTY

BSc, MBBS, PhD, FRANZCR Radiation Oncologist

THERANOSTICS

In late 2021 Icon formed a collaboration with Dr Jones and Partners, a clinician owned and operated medical imaging organisation servicing South Australia and Alice Springs. This partnership marks the beginning of a comprehensive theranostics clinical trial imaging and treatment program for patients across South Australia. Future focus will include the development of national theranostics and subsequent research projects, further contributing to hyper personalised cancer treatments.

A SPOTLIGHT ON SKIN CANCER RESEARCH

Radiation Oncologist, Prof Gerald Fogarty joined Icon in 2021, bringing over 20 years of radiation oncology and clinical research experience. Prof Fogarty is a leading clinician specialising in the treatment and management of skin cancers and benign skin conditions and is at the forefront of utilising the latest in radiation therapy technologies. He has authored over 180 publications and is a member of peak organisations including Melanoma and Skin Cancer Trials (MASC), Australasian Brachytherapy Group (ABG), Australasian Merkel Cell Carcinoma Interest Group (AMIGOs) and Australia and New Zealand Health and Neck Cancer Society (ANZHNCS). Under his leadership and expertise Icon will establish an extensive skin cancer research portfolio, including a focus on Investigator Initiated Trials with an aim to improve access to new and emerging treatments and improve patient outcomes across Australia.

STABILITY AND RESEARCH LAB

In March 2022 under the Slade Health brand, Icon Group opened a state-of-the-art specialist Drug Stability Testing and Research Laboratory in Sydney at Slade’s Mt Kuring-gai TGA licensed facility. This laboratory is the first-of-its-kind in Australia with the capability of generating the robust scientific data required to demonstrate and prolong stability and safety of compounded drugs. This lab conducts a range of studies from physiochemical testing of products to cell culture and in-depth biological assays. The potential to extend shelf-life of compounded drugs, which often need to be administered within 24 hours, will minimise wastage and increase flexibility and access to treatments, especially for regional communities. Research undertaken in this laboratory will ultimately help remove some of the systemic barriers within cancer care infrastructure by improving the ability to deliver the latest, most innovative treatments to regional and remote locations.

GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS

Future strategy will focus on fostering long-term industry partnerships and forging new relationships to further Icon’s research impact. Building on the Group’s long-standing global partnership with Varian Medical Systems, in April 2022 a five-year research and professional services agreement was signed. Through this agreement, Icon will participate in clinical and technical research programs, product evaluation projects and clinical consultations with Varian to offer clinical expertise and industry perspectives throughout product development. The first project between the two organisations will focus on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in contouring to reduce the time it takes to plan radiation therapy treatments. Contouring involves outlining the tumour and nearby organs to deliver precise radiation therapy to the tumour site and avoid healthy tissue. AI contouring enables high quality Organs at Risk (OAR) contouring and standardisation with AI-powered algorithms. This is designed to help simplify the radiation therapy planning workflow.

2022 will also see the launch of a Varian HyperArc Registry with Icon sites contributing to this global data set. This registry will collect and analyse a robust set of data during and following the course of radiation treatment for patients treated with HyperArc, providing an extensive data platform to enable clinical research and the evolution of HyperArc technology. This will be the first of many research collaborations which have the capacity to advance cancer treatment across a wide range of tumour streams. The next few years will see a focus on expanding the clinical trials portfolio in Singapore, Hong Kong and Mainland China. In line with the launch of the new integrated cancer centre at Mt Alvernia Hospital in Singapore in late 2022, a second clinical trials regional headquarters will be established on-site. This will further extend Icon’s clinical research capabilities including technical research and ability to offer a wider range of clinical trials. An increase in cross collaboration and industry networking will also be a focus for 2022 to allow the introduction of more trials in the region.

The Singapore research team is also on target to launch a clinical trials app in 2022 to support clinicians to introduce research into their practice and help facilitate patient trial recruitment.

Leveraging the Group’s comprehensive cancer care service, Icon’s research teams are also in discussion with leading pharmaceutical groups to offer an endto-end clinical trial service from compounding through to real-world clinical and pharmacy drug data and to expand involvement in Phase IV post-marketing trials. Icon will continue to seek opportunities with sponsors, pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions and advocacy groups to advance clinical trials and design comprehensive, innovative research programs.

EXPANSION IN ASIA