Life Sciences
Prof Anne Parle-McDermott Director,
Institute, DCU
Launch of strategic priorities at impact conference in Cork
A report underscores the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, escalating geopolitical tensions and increasing international competition, collectively stressing the need for Ireland to enhance competitiveness.
At the BioPharmaChem Ireland (BPCI) Impact 2024 Conference held in Cork, Minister for Finance Michael McGrath TD, was among the keynote speakers addressing industry leaders and experts.
Unveiling sector policy priorities
The conference served as a platform for the biopharmachem sector to unveil its policy document, ‘Global Impact; The Importance of the Irish BioPharmaChem Industry.’ It delineates the key policy priorities for government, aiming to futureproof the sector.
The biopharmachem sector employs 80,000 people, contributing €116 billion in exports annually. The sector has articulated its policy priorities across three pivotal areas: (1) talent and innovation; (2) sustainability support; and (3) collaboration.
Growth underscored by talent and innovation Ireland’s biopharmachem sector thrives due to its highly skilled
workforce, robust research ecosystem and favourable business environment. Leveraging the surplus in the National Training Fund to invest in digital, green, management and employability skills will be crucial for sector resilience. This surplus can support lifelong learning initiatives, addressing growing interest from employers. Traditionally, the sector recruits PhD graduates, enabling Ireland to move up the value chain towards early-stage development and clinical manufacturing. To maintain this trajectory, investment in Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) is essential, including support for undergraduate education, innovative delivery models and state-of-the-art research infrastructure.
Infrastructure and support for sustainability BPCI member companies annually report their environmental performance, akin to EPA requirements, in our Annual Responsible Care Report. The sector has improved energy efficiency, with a 0.4% decrease in energy
consumption despite a 48.2% increase in production volume; companies are adopting cleaner technologies, driving innovation and efficiency – but there is more to do.
The Government must develop a national energy strategy, integrate renewable energy into the grid and enhance financial and advisory support for firms adopting sustainability practices.
Strategic coordination through an ‘Office of Life Sciences’
About 700 companies operate in Ireland’s biopharma, medtech and digital health sectors. These industries are converging through drug-device combination products, digital therapeutics and personalised medicines.
We’re advocating for the development of a national health technology and life sciences strategy. This strategy, spearheaded by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, should be adequately resourced for effective implementation. The proposed ‘Office of Life Sciences’ aims to adopt industrial policies that prioritise resources and promote clustering, enabling strategic cross-sectoral cooperation. By addressing these priorities, the sector seeks to continue its vital contributions to the Irish and global economies.
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Sinead Keogh Director, BioPharmaChem
How CDMOs support innovative drug launches
Contract development and manufacturing organisations drive pharma innovation by offering specialised drug development, particle engineering and scalable manufacturing solutions for the drugs of the future.
Over the past few years, contract development and manufacturing organisations (CDMOs) have played an increasingly important role in supporting pharmaceutical companies to bring innovative new drugs to market.
Particle engineering addressing solubility challenges
Industry specialist Dr Paul Downing explains that the molecules for new drugs are becoming harder to manufacture as they become more potent with smaller amounts of drug per dose.
“Some molecules have a solubility challenge,” he explains, “which necessitates advanced formulation to enhance the bioavailability and effectiveness of the drug. As manufacturing techniques get more specialised, we are seeing big pharma innovator companies outsourcing their chemistry business to CDMOs.”
CDMOs provide comprehensive services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including product development, formulation, manufacturing, packaging and distribution. Their role is growing as the drug development landscape evolves.
Customised molecule scale-up and production
Downing, having spent his entire career in the pharmaceutical sector, is general manager of Hovione, a CDMO based in Cork. With foundations in the antibiotics field when it was founded 65 years ago, it has moved to custom synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), particle engineering (modifying particles into a defined shape and composition), continuous tabletting and inhalation.
It works with specific molecules developed by pharmaceutical partners and is a world leader in resolving technical challenges around particle engineering by offering spray drying (forming a dry powder from a liquid) services and a route towards production at commercial volume.
“We take their molecule, scale it up, adjust the synthesis to make it more effective and then offer a commercial supply,” he says. The company employs 2,400 people globally with headquarters in Portugal and manufacturing sites in Ireland, the United States and Macau, with chemists, engineers, pharmacists, data scientists and project management at the core.
Evolving CDMO–pharma collaborations
As drugs grow more complex, the company believes the future of drug development lies in stronger CDMO–pharmaceutical collaborations. Downing also acknowledges the sector must continue to evolve.
“We are constantly looking at how the landscape changes with new modalities and drugs getting more sophisticated with more personalised medicine,” Downing says.
As an innovative, customer-focused organisation, Hovione is dedicated to responding to client needs to help develop the drugs of the future That could involve improving the bioavailability of drugs, so they better enter the patient’s system; adopting advanced manufacturing techniques; and exploiting their global reach. “We are nimble, flexible and responsive,” he adds.
Strategic relationships and sustainability
Recruiting specialised talent and listening to the market are critical, insists Downing. He also emphasises the importance of strategic client relationships for upcoming innovations and strong academic partnerships worldwide.
“Together, these provide a fuller understanding of the problems we need to solve for customers, as well as the access to the latest technical solutions and talent to bring into our R&D team,” he adds. Hovione has a strong regulatory record, backed by Ireland’s recognised regulatory frameworks. “That allows us to operate at the highest standard and lowest risk and that translates across the whole group because we share our best practices,” explains Downing.
Additionally, the company adopts sustainable practices, reducing the Cork site’s carbon footprint by 40%. Full electrification via wind turbines is being evaluated, aiming for net zero by 2030.
Ireland as a major hub
Downing further underlines the value of a presence in Ireland as a major pharmaceutical hub with over 40 chemical biopharmaceutical companies; a talent pool that feeds from academic institutions and enables the company to hire for global roles; a supply network; and an ecosystem of pharmaceutical industries that attracts candidates from across the globe.
“Plus, the customer intimacy relationship that Ireland brings makes it an ideal place for us to be,” he says.
Paul Downing General Manager, Hovione Ireland
Sponsored by Hovione Ireland
WRITTEN BY Mark Nicholls
Image provided by Hovione Ireland
John Milne PhD Director of Training Alliances and Innovation, NIBRT
Why biopharma
resilience depends on education and training
Ireland’s biopharmaceutical industry is thriving, offering cutting-edge treatments. Learn about the skilled workforce driving innovation and growth.
Biopharmaceuticals are among the most sophisticated and elegant achievements of modern science offering treatments and potential cures. Groundbreaking treatments are now being delivered to patients based on cell therapy, gene therapy and innovative vaccines.
Modern skills required in biopharmaceuticals
Ireland continues to play a critical role in the supply of biopharmaceuticals to world markets through the tremendous success of its manufacturing install base that continues to attract ongoing investment and is served across disciplines by a world-class workforce.
Due to the highly regulated nature of the biopharmaceutical industry, it is becoming evident that the manufacture of biopharmaceuticals will require a highly skilled, focused and motivated workforce to meet the challenges and complexities ahead.
As the industry matures and implements rapidly emerging Industry 5.0 initiatives, the need to develop personnel competent in digital solutions and the use of more automated technologies will become increasingly important. The wider biopharma skills agenda and flexible workforce readiness solutions will become ever more critical if Ireland is to continue to attract further investment into the future.
Competency-based biopharma manufacturing training
Training of individuals to work in biopharmaceutical manufacturing is best achieved using competencyfocused, practical-based solutions
that encourage the trainee to develop critical skills in an active and engaged learning environment. Such training may be delivered ideally on-the-job or, alternatively, in a training facility that incorporates equipment and processes aligned with real-life production and manufacturing strategies where training activities don’t compromise active production and schedules.
How to address dynamic industry demands
Greater collaboration between enterprise and higher education institutes tasked with providing the life science and engineering graduates of the future will be crucial for success in Ireland.
Industry experts can offer guidance on the unique challenges encountered in regulated manufacturing environments. They can also provide insights into the evolving skillsets necessary across various disciplines to address the dynamic demands of the industry. This, in turn, will help inform curricula development and graduate preparation in certificate, diploma and degree programmes respectively.
Supporting biopharmaceutical training
The resilience of our industry will depend on bridging skills gaps through ongoing education and training to support staff hiring and retention initiatives. Such initiatives will be further underpinned by continuing Government funding of current and future training programmes.
Convert scientific curiosity into a career as demand for STEM skills rises
Demand for STEM skills is projected to increase by around 8% over the next 18 months, compared to an average 3% growth forecast for all occupations.
Employment within STEMrelated sectors is also expected to grow by around 6.5% over the same period. Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), through various campaigns, fosters awareness and appreciation of science careers.
Fostering STEM passion and understanding Science Week (10–17 November 2024) sees hundreds of events hosted nationwide. Its momentum complements collaborations with the Department of Education, helping young people and teachers interact with — and better understand — science. As well as a curriculum subject, science is a pastime and a prospective profession. Igniting the spark of scientific interest during one’s formative years can be lifedefining.
Supporting postgraduates
In 2023, Ireland ranked 15th globally for university-industry R&D collaboration; our organisation supported 2,476 postgraduate research students, and 30% of PhD graduates and postdoctoral staff departing SFI teams entered industry as a first destination. Moreover, since January 2024, the tax-free stipend for SFI and Irish Research Councilsupported PhD researchers has increased by €3,000 (to €22,000).
Responding to increased demand and rapidly evolving needs for a highly-skilled, adaptable workforce, Centres for Research Training (CRTs) bring together the higher education sector and industry to deliver innovative programmes, undertaken by cohorts of postgraduates, developing critical capacity in data
and ICT skills. The growing role of technology and data in today’s world provides strong career opportunities for those with analytical and problem-solving skills.
Academic-industry collaboration
Our Industry RD&I (research, development and innovation) Fellowship Programme supports mutually beneficial academiaindustry interactions by addressing industry-informed challenges. Researchers at faculty and postdoctoral levels can spend up to a year full-time (or two years part-time) in industry worldwide.
Public service secondments
Our Public Service Fellowship Programme offers researchers secondments to government departments and agencies. This year’s programme — co-funded with Environmental Protection Agency, Geological Survey Ireland and Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland — provided 14 awards, spanning 11 departments and agencies.
Agency in-house placement
For postdoctoral researchers seeking career development within a funding agency, our Fellowship Programme provides fulfilling, in-house placements, where comprehensive training plans and mentorship help enrich both organisation and participating fellows.
Alumni of our funded research teams are in high demand, nationally and internationally. Around 61% of researchers have taken up positions outside academia after working in SFI-funded teams.
Dr Ruth Freeman Director, Science for Society, SFI
World-class expertise and infrastructure powering life sciences research
We involve stakeholders from day one to ensure our research is focused on realworld problems.
A new life sciences institute at Dublin City University harnesses diverse expertise, cutting-edge facilities and the power of collaboration to tackle global health challenges.
Dublin City University’s new Life Sciences Institute (LSI) brings together world-class multidisciplinary expertise from across eight schools to deliver on its mission to ‘transform challenges into impact.’ The Institute tackles global challenges across health, therapeutics, agriculture, the environment and the bioeconomy.
Collaborative solutions for global challenges
LSI Director Professor Anne Parle-McDermott says the centre is a virtual entity that brings life science research activity together under a single umbrella. LSI researchers work with partners to identify and address “global challenges that really matter and impact all our lives.” It invites partners with scientific or industrial challenges to collaborate on developing solutions. She explains: “Our approach is to work with industry, charities and state bodies to identify key challenges within health, food and the environment. “We build a team within and beyond LSI to brainstorm and design a solution-focused project. We involve stakeholders from day one to ensure our research is focused on real-world problems.”
Diverse scientific themes
The centre is working, for example, with Science Foundation Ireland and Teagasc on issues such as potato blight monitoring, while specialist cancer experts work with hospitals
and pharmaceutical companies to advance knowledge in clinical areas.
Meanwhile, the expertise of immunologists, neuroscientists, biologists, chemists, physicists, psychologists, sports scientists and engineers focus on other challenges, providing a supportive, multidisciplinary environment that allows innovation and creativity to flourish.
DCU’s LSI has three broad themes of health, biodetection and pure research, along with specific subgroups. “We are diverse and can bring a variety of expertise together to fit each challenge,” adds Prof Parle-McDermott.
Innovative research for industry impact LSI Industry and Commercialisation Liaison Lead, Dr Paul Leonard, says industry often has to work at a fast pace and, therefore, does not possess the extra resources or the time required to fully address some of its challenges. “We have a valuable resource in this new research institute and want to harness that to work with industry partners to find solutions that will then be taken into companies and commercialised. Our goal is to have impact via real-world implementation,” he says.
“But we don’t want industry to think they can only come to us when they have a problem; we also work together to enhance current processes or come up with something new.” Recently funded collaborations include nucleic acid therapeutics, novel therapies for chronic pain and improving protein production in cells used by the biopharma industry.
World-class infrastructure
Dr Leonard emphasises that it is not possible to conduct worldclass science without world-class infrastructure. “You can have great ideas,” he continues, “but if you do not have the equipment, facilities, ecosystem and structure around that, you cannot transform those ideas into innovations. That is where DCU Core Technologies comes in.” It offers the LSI access to state-ofthe-art equipment and resources needed to facilitate effective research. Research Infrastructure Manager Robbie Sinnott explains that the Core Technologies are supported by a multidisciplinary team of technical officers with expertise in microscopy, flow cytometry, cell culture, high-throughput screening, genomics, materials analysis and additive manufacturing.
Highest verifiable standards
The unit has over 50 high-end scientific systems to ensure LSI research outputs are of the highest verifiable standards. These instruments are available for use by all national and international academic researchers as well as industry and commercial entities. One example system is the cutting-edge robotically controlled AUTOPILOT system, which can handle thousands of samples to increase the speed, reproducibility and complexity of the experiments that can be carried out. Sinnott also sees Core Technologies’ role as taking away the responsibility of equipment management from researchers or industry partners, enabling them to fully focus on research.
Professor Anne ParleMcDermott
Director, Life Sciences Institute, DCU
Sponsored by DCU
WRITTEN BY Mark Nicholls
Dr Paul Leonard Industry and Commercialisation Liaison, Life Sciences Institute, DCU
Robbie Sinnott Research Infrastructure Manager, DCU
Image provided by DCU
Eimear O’Leary Director of Communications and Advocacy, IPHA
What’s needed to safeguard stable medicines development
Medicines allow people to live longer, healthier lives. They prevent chronic illnesses, improve survival rates for many diseases, combat obesity and improve mental health.
Medicines bring additional health benefits by releasing other healthcare resources, which helps with hospital waiting lists and overcrowded GP clinics. However, for this to happen, a medicine needs to travel a long road — from bench to bedside.
Medicines R&D requirements
The research, development and approval process takes between 10 and 15 years, costing about €2.13 billion. For innovation and medicines development to flourish, predictability and stability within the biopharmaceutical research environment are required.
outlined in the EU Pharmaceutical Legislative package, of providing equitable access to medicines throughout EU Member States while ensuring that Europe can be a world leader in medical innovation. However, cutting the period of RDP has the potential to cause a loss of competitiveness and lead to fewer new medicines being available to Europeans.
The research, development and approval process takes between 10 and 15 years.
Central to this is intellectual property (IP) rights, which protect innovative companies’ investment and incentivise the development of new medicines. One such incentive is Regulatory Data Protection (RDP), currently the source of much debate arising from the European Commission’s proposal to cut the current baseline period of RDP from eight years to six years, with conditions on how to achieve the further two years.
RDP enables pharmaceutical innovation Industry shares the goals of the European Commission, as
R&D is already leaving European shores. In the 1990s, half of all new treatments originated in Europe, that figure is now just one in five. In 2002, the US spent €2 billion more than Europe on pharmaceutical R&D. Today, the US is spending €25 billion more. This means fewer opportunities to participate in clinical trials; longer delays in accessing innovative medicines; and a loss of know-how.
Stable and appropriate RDP is key to long-term investment in medicines development. A robust and innovative EU pharmaceutical industry is essential for Europe’s ambitions to combat cancer, address public health challenges (like antimicrobial resistance and Alzheimer’s) and prepare for future pandemics.
Why life sciences remains a key pillar in Ireland’s economic stability and growth
Irish life sciences facilities nationwide create jobs, impact capital expenditure and are a source of materials and services. Irish-based companies supplying the industry amplify this impact.
Home to 13 of the world’s top 15 pharma companies and 14 of the largest 15 medtech companies, Ireland is one of the world’s leading locations for life sciences. Employing about 100,000 people, the sector exports over €100 billion annually.
Advancing Ireland life sciences
From small molecule API to biologics and cell/gene therapy, Ireland’s biopharma industry is enabling more complex manufacturing and advanced therapeutics.
A €12 billion biologics investment has been secured over the past decade from leading companies.
The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) is driving talent development, recently opening a new CONCEPT lab, providing state-of-the-art solutions for next-generation therapeutic research, including biologics, cell, gene and RNA therapies.
also leading on the skills and training needs associated with the adoption of these advanced manufacturing technologies.
Ireland’s strategic investments
Foundations are strong, but the sector faces ongoing disruption. Accelerated by technology and geopolitical uncertainty, agility and resilience across manufacturing supply chains remain critical. AI and Industry 5.0 are potential game-changers for productivity, sustainable work practices and faster collaboration across the entire value chain, for both drug development and device innovation. Ireland is responding through investment in NIBRT and DMI.
Ireland boasts Europe’s highest number of medtech jobs per capita and a broad talent pool.
Technology driving competitiveness
Ireland boasts Europe’s highest number of medtech jobs per capita and a broad talent pool. This is borne out by continuous glucose monitoring manufacturers building new facilities in Galway and Kilkenny, highlighting Ireland’s technical capability enabling the transition towards connected, ‘smarter’ devices.
Launched in 2023, Digital Manufacturing Ireland (DMI) is helping manufacturers to adopt new technologies like AI, automation and digitalisation to optimise operations, transform value chains and drive competitiveness. DMI is
IDA Ireland is supporting industry transformation through upskilling and talent development, R&D and sustainability incentives. Ireland’s talent pool and industry’s capacity to innovate, deliver and commercialise products in a dynamic global environment remain key success factors. Ireland offers a talented, innovative business environment focused on partnership for success. This, combined with Ireland’s stability, is critical to securing next-generation life sciences investment.
Rachel Shelly Divisional Manager, Life Sciences & Food and Talent, Transformation and Innovation, IDA
Creating better medicines with greater efficiency and speed
Learn how artificial intelligence (AI) can tackle some of the biggest challenges when it comes to tasks such as drug discovery and data analysis.
Ireland is one of the many countries embracing the pace of change delivered by the advances in AI technology, and the Irish Government is investing 47 million euros over the next five years to fund the Enterprise Ireland Technology Gateway Programme to harvest innovation across the country.
AI revolutionising drug research Ireland published a National AI Strategy three years ago and has a strong tech and digital ecosystem due to the significant number of tech companies that are located here. Novartis is prioritising AI to
understand disease and drug targets better. The technology is expected to help scientists save valuable research time that would have previously taken days or weeks to extract and summarise information in documents such as patents, scientific publications and trial data.
opportunity could change our industry significantly,” he says.
Accelerating drug discovery and delivery
There are opportunities to apply AI, machine learning and data science techniques across the entire care pathway — from early drug discovery to development, manufacturing and supply chain. The industry is witnessing increasing applications of AI to gain insights from real-world data that can inform future research and development.
McGettigan adds: “The process of taking a drug from hypothesis to clinical trials is a very long one, so it is still too early to detect the full impact of AI on this process. From the projects my teammates and I participate in, I can see that AI has great potential in the research space. AI techniques will help our teams identify novel targets and higher quality molecules more rapidly, for example, and ultimately increase the likelihood of success in later stages of a project.”
Augmenting the workforce
The addition of AI-enhanced production does not mean the displacement of human workers. Instead, it enhances teams’ abilities to perform their roles. Employees are equipped with advanced tools that augment their capabilities, improving their decision-making and allowing them to focus on more complex and creative aspects of their work. This shift promotes a culture of continuous learning and development.
This is not a process that can be done alone. Novartis is collaborating with Ireland-based Deciphex, allowing the utilisation of AI to develop tools to better detect and measure tissue lesions more accurately, which can enhance the drug discovery and development processes.
AI transforming pharmaceutical operations
There are opportunities to apply AI, machine learning and data science techniques across the entire care pathway.
Paul McGettigan, who leads the company’s data science AI programme in Dublin, reflects on how the advent of AI changed his outlook and ambitions as he celebrates 30 years as a scientist. “Throughout my career, I’ve tried to stay close to where the action is — at least in areas where I feel I can make a productive contribution. It was exciting to be part of the internet revolution in the dot-com days. I would say it is even more thrilling to see where AI will take us as this
AI is a tool and a catalyst for transformation in the pharmaceutical industry. At Novartis in Ireland, it is driving efficiency, precision and speed improvements, enhancing the company’s ability to serve patients better. As McGettigan aptly puts it, the advent of AI has been an industry-changing opportunity paving the way for a future where advanced technology and human ingenuity work hand in hand to achieve remarkable outcomes.
Paul McGettigan Director, Data Science, Novartis
Sponsored by Novartis
Expanded Irish facility supports production of essential materials for advancing drug delivery
Bioresorbable polymers are critical to patient care, enabling long-acting injectables that provide extended-release of medication. These help boost therapy compliance, enhance therapeutic efficacy and reduce dosing frequency requirements.
Bioresorbable polymers, such as Ashland ViatelTM bioresorbable polymers play a crucial role in the fabrication of degradable medical devices, including sutures, orthopaedic implants and biodegradable ‘scaffolds’ for cell growth to regenerate tissue.
Emerging centre for bioresorbable polymers
Ashland, a global additives and specialty ingredients company, has launched seven innovative technology platforms including this bioresorbable polymers platform. The company is supporting substantial market growth via the recently expanded facility located in Mullingar’s National Science Park, a biomedical hub.
“Our scientists carefully tune bioresorbable polymers for desired performance in terms of degradation and physical properties, creating huge application potential across the medical field from enhancing treatment of chronic diseases to supporting a new age of tissue regeneration. The Mullingar site is pivotal for developing and manufacturing these materials,” says Seán McMahon, Ph.D., global business manager.
Long-acting function
McMahon explains: “One way our pharma customers use our bioresorbable polymers is to incorporate a drug compound into the polymer to form a long-acting drug depot. The depot is injected into patients and safely biodegrades while slowly releasing the drug over a programmed duration, such as one to six months.”
This is particularly relevant to serious chronic illnesses that remain the leading cause of death in many countries. These depots reduce injection frequency and help patients stay in compliance to realise greater treatment benefits.
Embracing diversity
Focusing on precision chemistry, the solvers in Mullingar produce, purify and test polymers helping ensure quality and control. These chemistries offer great potential to solve some of medicine’s most complex delivery needs, including new routes of administration, tissue targeting and cellular delivery. “Custom polymer synthesis is probably the site’s most strategic capability because drug formulators are facing new excipient needs,” concludes McMahon.
Ashland has expanded its team by tapping into Ireland’s biomedical talent pool, and the Mullingar location is central to achieving the expansion. The facility has a fantastic workplace culture driven by a dynamic diverse team of people recruited globally.
How a national strategy will help Irish medtech get ahead
The medtech industry in Ireland is constantly evolving and is now perfectly equipped to advance our position as a global leader.
Ireland is recognised as a global medtech hub, with 450 companies employing 48,000 people to deliver €13 billion in medtech exports, enabling life-changing innovation.
Research and growth in global medtech
The average medtech worldwide research and investment rate is approximately 8% in the sector. Medtech is an innovation leader in Europe with 15,985 patent applications filed with the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2023, representing a 1.3% growth compared with the previous year. Additionally, continued indigenous R&D investment will ensure Ireland is well-positioned to lead the latest megatrends, with its ecosystem spanning medtech leaders, world-class manufacturers, disruptive startups and internationally recognised research facilities.
Medtech industry trends
Seán McMahon, PhD Global Business Manager, Bioresorbable Polymers, Life Sciences, Ashland
BY
WRITTEN
Mark Nicholls
While industry has invested heavily in R&D to shape the future of healthcare in the face of change with new technologies and continuous professional development, more needs to be done at a government level. Irish medtech is advocating for the formation of an industrial life sciences and national health technology strategy to address the growing healthcare pressures through innovation and collaboration.
The average medtech worldwide research and investment rate is approximately 8% in the sector.
Some ‘game-changers’ impacting the industry include:
• Health with ageing demographics and the rise of chronic diseases driving demands and costs
• Customers with changing behaviours, more personalised healthcare and greater access to insights from data
• Healthtech and convergence with greater multistakeholder convergence seeing new technologies developed, along with new business strategies to deliver and protect them (eg. cybersecurity)
• Sustainability with smart manufacturing and connecting devices helping drive efficiencies to reduce the sector’s carbon footprint along with measures to support the circular economy
National healthtech strategy
The development of a national health technology strategy, led by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, will enable the adoption of industrial policies that promote clustering so that Ireland can realise more strategic cross-sectoral cooperation.
This would help us support growth by leveraging the best of the medtech, biopharma and tech sectors — which have an envious presence here — and support cutting-edge innovation to create a new era in transformative healthcare.
Eoghan Ó Faoláin Director, Irish Medtech, Ibec
Sponsored by Ashland
Innovations in Oncology
Pages 09-16
Global cancer research conference highlights novel therapeutic strategies and patient voice
An international conference emphasises translational research, collaboration and cutting-edge advancements across various cancer fields. It included plenary talks and patient involvement, aiming to improve cancer patient outcomes.
The European Association for Cancer Research (EACR) and American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in collaboration with the Irish Association for Cancer Research (IACR) delivered a stellar instalment of their Basic and Translational Research Conference series with a joint conference in Dublin, Ireland held 27–29 February 2024.
International cancer research collaboration
Gathering top experts in the fields of immunology, drug development, tumour microenvironment, genomics and epigenetics, this joint conference had a strong translational element focused on the delivery of the latest discoveries from basic science to the clinic. The conference attracted over 500 national and international delegates with the celebratory IACR 60th Anniversary Special Symposium.
A specific focus of the meeting was to enhance the all-Ireland collaboration in cancer research led by Prof Mark Lawlor (QUB) and Prof Liam Gallagher (UCD), with support from key organisations in the United States including the National Cancer Institute. This session provided a showcase of collaborative Irish research. Speakers at this celebratory session included contributions from GE Healthcare, the United States Government as well as principal investigators who have led international consortia.
Cutting-edge concepts and poster presentations
Subsequent sessions highlighted the latest cuttingedge advances in the understanding of the genomics, epigenetics and molecular pathways involved in the development of pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions and/or in cancer response to therapy. The scientific programme provided a blend of basic and translational research from preclinical models to patients. In particular, these talks delivered by experts included novel concepts, such as digital twins, demonstrating the side effects of immunotherapy as well as an insight into immune regulation of cancer progression.
In addition to the plenary and selected abstract-based talks, the conference showcased a wide array of poster presentations from national and international researchers spanning various career stages. These poster sessions provided an important networking opportunity for early career researchers in particular.
Highlighting the patient voice
A key aspect of this conference involved a very strong representation of the patient voice, which was led out by the local IACR organising committee and their Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) council members. The PPI and patient voice are integral elements, and the focus on ‘no research about me without me’ is central to all research endeavours. PPI council members were a visible presence throughout the conference with a lively stand in the exhibitor hall.
Taken together, this international meeting represented the strong translational research being carried out both within Ireland and internationally, to improve outcomes for cancer patients.
Dr Marie McIlroy Senior Lecturer, Department of Surgery, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences +
Sudipto Das Lecturer and Deputy Head of School of Post-graduate studies, RCSI
Why bowel cancer is not only a disease of older age
Approximately 1 in 5 bowel cancers are diagnosed in someone under 60. The incidence of bowel cancer in people under 50 has almost doubled in 25 years.
As part of their #NoRegrets bowel cancer awareness campaign, the Marie Keating Foundation called on the Government to reduce the age of bowel cancer screening from 59 to 50.
Why reducing bowel cancer screening age is important
• Around 1 in 5 bowel cancers are diagnosed in under-60s while 1 in 10 are under 50.
• According to the National Cancer Registry in Ireland, the incidence of bowel cancer in people under 50 has almost doubled in 25 years.
• Approximately 22% of bowel cancers diagnosed during 2014–2018 were in people under 60.
• Most countries begin screening for bowel cancer at the age of 50 as recommended by the European Code Against Cancer.
• The European Commission recommends the expansion of bowel cancer screening for adults between 50 and 74.
The US and Australia have lowered the screening age to 45 years given the increase in early-onset bowel cancer. England has a four-year plan to extend bowel screening from 54–74 to 50–74. Scotland screens from 50–74; Wales (51–74). As part of the national cancer strategy, Ireland plans to extend bowel screening to ages 55–74 over five years.
Bowel cancer causes and risk factors
The exact reason for increased bowel cancer in younger
Tailored treatment options for uterine cancer may improve patient outcomes
people is unknown. Last January, Yale Medicine doctors stated that sedentary lifestyle, overweight and obesity, smoking, heavy alcohol use, low-fibre diet, high saturated fat diets or diets high in processed meats and other environmental factors have all been associated with the disease.
Signs and symptoms of bowel cancer
Be aware of the symptoms of bowel cancer. Listen to your body, and see a GP if you notice anything new. Those under the screening age of 59 must be vigilant; don’t wait until you reach screening age to get checked. People must still avail of current bowel screening, which is for ages 59–69.
• Changes in bowel habits (diarrhoea, constipation, narrowing of stool for no obvious reason for six weeks or more)
• Blood in the stool (rectal bleeding)
• Abdominal cramps, pain or bloating that won’t go away
• Sudden, unexplained weight loss
• A lump in your back passage or tummy
• A feeling of straining (needing to go to the toilet even after opening your bowels)
• Tiredness and breathlessness
These can also be symptoms of other conditions, so it’s important to see your GP.
Emerging molecular tests can identify mutations in the POLE gene.
by GSK
Uterine cancer awareness month brings about the perfect time to report on advancements in medical knowledge, including those in molecular testing, immunohistochemistry and immunotherapy. WRITTEN BY
Approximately 3.1% of women will be diagnosed with uterine cancer at some point during their lifetime. In the past decade, uterine cancer diagnosis and treatment have evolved significantly. Advances in diagnostic testing, as well as new applications of immunotherapy, are leading to more tailored and precise treatment options for women with uterine cancer.
Immunotherapy for uterine cancer
Histopathologist
Pathologist
Gynaecological Oncology
Multidisciplinary Team
Immunotherapy is an emerging area of research in uterine cancer treatment. Immunotherapy takes advantage of a person’s immune system to help kill cancer cells. It provides hope for people with inoperable tumours.
According to Dr Dearbhaile Collins, Clinical Director of Cancer Services and Consultant Medical Oncologist: “Uterine cancer can be broken down into types depending on the molecular characteristics of the cancer itself. When we look at advanced or metastatic uterine
cancer, we now know that some are more susceptible to immunotherapy.
“Immune checkpoint inhibitors help to modulate the immune response to cancer. Cancer cells can produce signals that make the immune system ignore them. Immune checkpoint inhibitors reverse this ability to hide, which increases the immune response to cancer.”
Molecular testing and immunohistochemistry
Dr Ciarán Ó Riain, Consultant Histopathologist, discusses exciting advancements due to molecular testing and immunohistochemistry.
“About 10 years ago, when we received a biopsy with uterine cancer, we looked at one slide on a microscope to make treatment decisions. Now, we have seven extra immunohistochemistry slides, giving more information on the molecular sub-group, which helps to determine individual prognosis and treatment.”
“This particular group of uterine cancers may look aggressive under the microscope, but the presence of a POLE mutation is actually associated with excellent prognosis, and women may be spared unnecessary extra treatment. When clinical trial data is announced, this molecular test will need a quick implementation into clinical practice,” he adds. Uterine cancer rates are rising, but innovations are improving patient outcomes.
Specialists advancing gynaecological cancer care
The Irish Society for Gynaecological Oncology (ISGO) encompasses a multidisciplinary team including, oncologists, surgeons, pathologists, nurses, radiologists, psychotherapists, geneticists, researchers and patient advocates. Dr Collins and Dr Ó Riain, both ISGO members, highlight the breadth of specialist involvement to improve clinical outcomes for women with — and at risk of — gynaecological cancers.
ISGO promotes education, training, research and development in all areas of cancer care from prevention to diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and palliation. Now, they are championing new treatment options to become the standard of care for women impacted by gynaecological cancer.
thisisGO.ie provides an online personalised resource for anyone who has been impacted by gynaecological cancer. June is uterine cancer awareness month, organised by the International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS) and their advocacy arm IGCAN and supported by ISGO and the Irish Network of Gynaecological Oncology. IGCS will hold their global meeting and an advocacy summit in Ireland in October. Visit igcs.org
Bernie Carter Assistant Director of Nursing Services, Marie Keating Foundation
Dr Dearbhaile Collins Clinical Director of Cancer Services and Consultant Medical Oncologist
Dr Ciarán Ó Riain Consultant
Sponsored
Bethany Cooper
Breaking new ground: pioneering efforts in lung cancer screening
— applications of which are improving the landscape of oncology care.
Artificial intelligence driving screening efficiency
One of the company’s biggest research centres in Cambridge is collaborating with Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Massachusetts General Hospital where we are assisting in driving study and implementation of AI technology which can see nodules on a CT scan representative of increased lung cancer risk. “These nodules would otherwise not be noticeable to the human eye,” explains Kim.
Collaboration is key to eliminating cancer
Outsmarting cancer requires a collective and collaborative approach. This is why working with local and global healthcare organisations is critical, insists Wilkes.
The Lung Ambition Alliance represents an innovative approach to driving outcomes for lung cancer globally through partnership and collaboration, with involvement from clinicians, patient advocacy groups and professional societies across over 40 countries.
Research is ongoing to discover, develop and deliver innovative screening solutions to patients with lung cancer.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women in Ireland. As one of the most common forms of cancer, it poses a substantial health challenge which needs continued awareness, early detection and advanced treatment strategies to improve outcomes for those affected by it.1
In Ireland, as in many parts of the world, lung cancer is often accompanied by a significant stigma due to the associated risk factor of smoking. However, up to 20% of cases occur in people who have never smoked.2
Commitment to patients
Alex Wilkes, Country President, AstraZeneca Ireland (Commercial Operations), explains that the company has a bold ambition to eliminate cancer as a cause of death. “As one of Ireland’s leading healthcare companies, we cultivate an unwavering commitment to patients. Together with our colleagues in Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease, we employ more than 1,200 people across two sites in
Blanchardstown and Athlone. We are a science-driven, global company, with medicines used by millions of people across the world and thousands of patients in Ireland.”
He continues: “Our priority is on treating the most common types of cancer, at every stage of the disease. But we do focus on some of the most hostile and hard-to-treat cancers finding innovative solutions to types of cancer that typically have the worst outcomes. Lung cancer is a priority for us,” he adds.
Screening for early lung cancer detection
Driving early detection is one of the biggest priorities for the pharmaceutical company. Lung cancer is often diagnosed in its advanced stages,3 by which point treatment options are extremely limited.
According to Caius Kim, Global Director of the Lung Ambition Alliance: “Screening affords the opportunity to find early-stage lung cancer where therapeutics are most beneficial.” Through advancements in technology and cutting-edge AI software, screening programmes are seeing a remarkable improvement in diagnosis and patient outcomes
AstraZeneca supports the leading cancer patient groups in Ireland, such as the Irish Cancer Society and the Marie Keating Foundation. It also works alongside the broader healthcare systems to identify opportunities and projects that will improve patient pathways and care.
“We employ some of the highest levels of science within the organisation; we have physicians and scientists leading the space in oncology. We want to use this expertise for good,” says Wilkes. “We realise that for us to generate sustainable solutions, it has to be done through partnership. We can’t do it on our own.”
Global impact through cancer innovation
With a large global footprint, the company is well-positioned to break through barriers and discover innovations in cancer care.
“Our broad pipeline of nextgeneration medicines is aimed at expanding treatment options and improving outcomes for patients. The goal is to not only improve survival from lung cancer but to potentially eliminate lung cancer as a cause of death,” says Wilkes.
References 1.https://www.ncri.ie/sites/ncri/files/pubs/NCRI_ AnnualStatisticalReport_2023.pdf
2. https://mariekeating.ie/cancer-information/lungcancer/symptoms-risk-factors/
3. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ lung-cancer
Caius Kim Global Director, Lung Ambition Alliance
Alex Wilkes Country President, AstraZeneca Ireland (Commercial Operations)
Sponsored by AstraZeneca
WRITTEN BY Bethany Cooper
Veeva ID: IE-6468 DOP: June 2024
People living with and beyond cancer struggle to find evidence-based nutrition care
Nutrition care can improve clinical outcomes and quality of life,1 help rebuild strength and reduce the risk of cancer recurrence for people living with and beyond cancer. 2-3
For People Living With and Beyond Cancer (PLWABC), optimal nutrition can be the difference between surviving and thriving, offering a powerful tool to support people through cancer treatment, recovery and survivorship.
Impact of nutrition on life after cancer PLWABC experience debilitating symptoms that affect their dietary intake which, combined with fatigue, can lead to weight and muscle changes.4-5 Muscle loss is common across all cancers, at all weights and ages and leads to poorer outcomes, like survival, quality of life and treatment complications.6-10
The dietitian’s impact on cancer care
The main goal of nutrition in cancer is to improve or maintain nutritional status, with a particular focus on preserving muscle mass, 11 to help reduce treatment-associated side effects, support recovery and improve the overall wellbeing of PLWABC.3
A CORU Registered Dietitian (RD) is a regulated healthcare professional who is qualified to support PLWABC in managing these challenges, providing tailored individualised nutritional support to manage symptoms, maintain muscle health and optimise nutritional status.12
Nutrition awareness and access
Research from University College Cork showed that while most PLWABC believe nutrition is important, only 39% have seen a registered dietitian. Over half find it challenging to sort through the nutrition messaging online and in the media, exposing them to misinformation and scaremongering.13
With just one RD for every 4,500 cancer patients,13 it is unsurprising that PLWABC feel confused about nutrition. In the absence of
widespread access to evidence-based dietetic care, PLWABC are often convinced by unregulated ‘nutrition experts’ to adopt potentially harmful alternative practices, such as restrictive diets, herbal remedies and supplements.
Dietitians provide evidence-based, individualised care
Unfortunately, other healthcare professionals do not get much nutrition training, so it is important to speak to a RD if you have any nutrition concerns after a cancer diagnosis. Most hospitals will have an RD, but you might need to ask to see them, as referral is not routine. If you are wondering whether you need to change your diet or are thinking about taking any supplements, an RD is the best person to advise you on how this might affect your other treatments. Red flags that suggest you should see an RD include weight changes (even if you have previously been recommended to lose weight), difficulty eating normally, concerns about gut symptoms or feeling like you are losing strength.
The Vienna Declaration says that nutrition care is a human right, so don’t be afraid to ask for a dietitian.
Community effort drives cancer trials for accessible treatment and expertise
We must support clinical trial research to ensure that Irish cancer patients have access to innovative and novel cancer treatments and approaches.
Akey priority for the Irish Cancer Society is investing in world-class cancer research that will have an impact on people affected by cancer in Ireland.
Improving cancer care in Ireland
The Irish Cancer Society is the largest voluntary funder of cancer research in Ireland. Every year, we invest €3.7 million, on average, in over 100 researchers working all across the country to improve cancer outcomes.
We provide over €1 million of funding every year to Cancer Trials Ireland, the leading cancer research trials organisation in Ireland. Through this investment, the Cancer Trials Ireland team work hard to drive and attract a broad trial portfolio to Ireland across a range of cancer types.
life. For example, trials focusing on diet and exercise interventions have shown success for some individuals living with and beyond cancer.
Research talent and expertise
For example, trials focusing on diet and exercise interventions have shown success for some individuals living with and beyond cancer.
Trials improve patient outcomes today
Each year in Ireland, thousands of people affected by cancer are participating in hundreds of clinical trials across the island. For some cancer patients, trials may be the best treatment option for them, especially those who may have exhausted previous treatment options.
In addition to trials focused on improving patient outcomes through new treatment modalities, we are also passionate about ensuring Irish patients have access to cutting-edge studies centred on improvements in their cancer care and quality of
Alongside a direct focus on cancer trials, it is also vital to foster and cultivate research talent and create an environment where pioneering clinical trials research can be developed. To do this, the Irish Cancer Society provide dedicated research buy-out time for oncologybased clinicians to allow them the time to develop new research ideas. Ultimately, we want people affected by cancer nationwide to have access to the best clinical research expertise. Trials are the driving force behind improvements in cancer care and the hero of happy endings. We know that cancer research both in Ireland and globally lost valuable time during Covid — time that we can’t afford and need to catch up on as soon as possible.
To do this, we, as a community, all need to work together to do everything we can to ensure that people affected by cancer in Ireland have access to world-class clinical trials and expertise.
Dr Claire Kilty Head of Research, Irish Cancer Society
Dr Erin Stella Sullivan RD, Lecturer in Nutritional Sciences & Cancer Research
Dietitian, King’s College London
Dr Samantha Cushen RD Lecturer in Human Nutrition and Dietetics & Cancer Research
Dietitian, University College Cork)
There is still time to support the Irish Cancer Society’s Daffodil Day by making a donation: cancer.ie
Contribution on behalf of the INDI and IrSPEN. Full references can be found in the online version of this article.
Why are we experiencing shortages of essential medicines in Ireland?
The World Health Organization recognises medicine shortages as a global problem, which has increasingly affected Ireland and other smaller European countries in recent years.
Amedicines shortage can be defined as a situation whereby the supply of a medicine does not meet public health or patient needs. Medicines shortages can occur for a variety of reasons, such as regulatory issues, manufacturing delays, an unexpected increase in demand, product quality issues and lack of commercial viability.
Global and local medicine shortages impact
Recent global events, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and financial pressures, including inflation, have added to the challenges affecting the pharmaceutical industry both in Ireland and internationally. Shortages of medicines can impact patient health outcomes and impose burdens on wholesalers and pharmacies tasked with finding alternative sources.
risk to Ireland’s international pharmaceutical companies’ viability to supply due to drug acquisition costs.
Ireland has experienced the withdrawal of many of the branded ‘originator’ products that have lost patent exclusivity, due to a lack of commercial viability. This leaves the market supported by generic companies that compete on small margins and typically do not carry large amounts of stock.
Unsustainably low pricing for many off-patent medications is one of the main factors creating vulnerability in the supply of medicines.3 Failure to act increases the likelihood of more manufacturers leaving the market.
How to tackle the medicines shortage
*This article was sponsored by Fresenius Kabi. Fresenius Kabi has also provided input on the scope and content and has approved the final article.
Job code: IE-NP-2400044, Date of prep: June 2024.
In Ireland, nearly 40% of people in the last two years have been affected by medicine shortages.1 Medicines in short supply have included treatments for pain, blood pressure, respiratory illnesses, digestive conditions and arthritis.
Low prices can jeopardise medicines supply Medicines for Ireland, which includes a number of generics manufacturers, supplies approximately 60% of the medicines in Ireland.2 Companies supplying generic medicines in Ireland have delivered significant savings to the state in the last two decades. While cost savings have benefited the drugs budget, very low prices pose a
The right nutrition at the right time: supporting oncology patient outcomes
A global healthcare company specialising in clinical nutrition aims to educate on the importance of nutrition for oncology patient outcomes.
Asubstantial proportion of oncology treatments are calculated based on weight. Undernourishment in patients with cancer impairs the quality of life and response to treatment, further leading to poor prognosis.1 When nutritional status is not optimised, our body may get weaker in its reaction to challenges.2
Optimising nutrition for oncology patients
**This content is aimed at healthcare professionals only and is organised and funded by Fresenius Kabi Ireland.
Find out more freseniuskabi.com
Optimising the nutritional status of oncology patients is vital to supporting improved patient outcomes and response to treatment.3 However, in the context of cancer care, this is not without its challenges, as common side effects of the disease and its treatment include nausea, vomiting, cachexia (a wasting syndrome) and diarrhoea, which all have an impact on an
Ireland has a medicine shortage framework, which is operated by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) on behalf of the Department of Health. Since its introduction, the number of medicine shortages has fallen.
While individual brands or strengths of a medication may be temporarily unavailable, for many medicines, there are appropriate substitutions. These include different strengths, brands, or similar classes of medicines.4
This effort may not be enough. Another way of tackling medicine shortages is for manufacturers and stakeholders to better communicate and coordinate their efforts for the benefit of patients in Ireland.*
individual’s nutritional status. The European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) published guidelines for healthcare professionals involved in the management of cancer patients to offer optimum nutritional care in 2021. The guidelines highlight the crucial role of nutrition in patients not only at diagnosis but throughout their cancer journey.4
Nutritional support factors and delivery Nutritional support is offered based on a set of precise guidelines, which include inability to eat, BMI (body mass index) and percentage of patient weight loss. It can come in many forms, from oral nutrition supplements to enteral nutrition (through a tube into the stomach or small intestine) and parenteral nutrition (through a tube inserted into a vein).
The link between poor nutrition and health outcomes is well established. Research from large-scale trials suggests that good nutritional management in general not only helps to improve patients’ nutritional status and prevent malnutrition-related poor clinical outcomes but can also improve patients’ quality of life.5 In the palliative setting, the benefits and risks associated with nutritional support must be weighed appropriately.
Tools for improving nutritional status of oncology patients
Fresenius Kabi champions the importance of effective nutrition and provides a range of clinical nutrition products, medical technologies and IV generic drugs, used for the therapy and care of oncology patients.
With its corporate mission of being ‘committed to life,’ Fresenius Kabi aims to put the right products in the hands of those who need them most. They aim to overcome some of the nutritional challenges faced by patients living with cancer, working with healthcare professionals to find the best enteral and parenteral nutrition solutions for their patients. With the development of their case study webinar series last year, they are also helping to educate. They offer live on-demand clinical nutrition content, which aims to improve clinical nutrition knowledge and care outcomes.**
References
1. O’Regan E. (2024). ‘Nearly 40pc of people have been affected by medicine shortage, survey shows’. Independent.ie. (Accessed: June 2024).
2. MFI (2022). Medicines for Ireland manifesto. (Accessed: June 2024).
3. Biedermann, F. (2023) Seeking solutions to global drugs shortages. Available at: https:// www.sciencedirect. com/science/article/pii/ S0140673623004373 (Accessed: 20 June 2024).
4. HPRA, Medicines shortages. (Accessed: June 2024).
PAGE WRITTEN BY Bethany
References 1. Kim DH [2019]. Intest Res.
2. Chen M, et al. [2023]. Mol Carcinog.
3. Muscaritoli M, et al. [2023]. Cancers (Basel).
4. Muscaritoli, M. et al. [2021]. Clin Nutr. 5. Reber E, et al. [2019]. J Clin Med.
Conor Sadlier National Sales Manager Pharma Ireland, Fresenius Kabi
Niamh Buckley Marketing Manager Pharma & Nutrition Ireland
Page sponsored by Fresenius Kabi
Cooper
Five essential clinical trial reforms for improved patient care and research efficiency
Patients in Ireland deserve a strong clinical research infrastructure to provide access to treatments. However, reforms are needed for efficient trials to benefit patients with breakthrough medicines.
Healthcare providers in Irish hospitals and academic institutions have shown their ability and commitment to driving worldclass research. However, according to the IPHA Clinical Trials Activity Comparison Report 2024, which captures data across a 10-year period from 2014 to 2023, Ireland attracted fewer industry-sponsored interventional clinical trials than Finland and Denmark in that period despite their similar population size and economic wealth.
Interventional clinical trials in Ireland
The Report shows that IPHA member companies sponsored or collaborated in 292 out of 460 listed allindustry sponsored interventional clinical trials that were occurring in Ireland. Most (68%) of these interventional clinical trials in Ireland were in Phase III.
Cancer accounted for just over half of all IPHA membersponsored interventional clinical trials, with other therapy areas — such as gastroenterology, immunology and endocrinology — accounting for 21%.
How to reform Ireland clinical trials process
While Ireland currently lags behind other EU countries in terms of the number of clinical trials being conducted here, reforms are needed in the clinical trials process in Ireland. If we get them right, more patients will benefit
Less invasive, highly sensitive: colorectal cancer diagnostic techniques under review
A life sciences research company is driving innovation in colorectal cancer, highlighting the need for new applications of existing mutation profiling technologies.
TWRITTEN BY
he worldwide burden of cancer affects upwards of 244.6 million people, making innovations in oncology diagnosis, treatment and management essential to improving patient outcomes, enhancing quality of life and reducing oncology mortality rates. With the global burden of cancer growing, research institutions are prioritising advanced diagnostics, effective treatments and comprehensive management strategies.
Innovative colorectal cancer therapies
ZEAB Therapeutic is a life sciences research company focused on developing innovative cancer therapies, their main therapeutic focus being colorectal cancer. Bene Ekine-Afolabi, Founder and CEO of ZEAB Therapeutic, discusses the importance of early detection and treatment to improve patient
from breakthrough innovation in medicines. Collaboration by all stakeholders including the Government, hospitals, academic institutions and industry is required to reform the clinical trial process and help accelerate new medicines’ development. This will raise standards of care for patients in Ireland.
• IPHA continues to urge for this reform through the following five steps:
• Provide standardised clinical trial startup requirements (including Data Protection Impact Assessments) and timelines for hospitals;
• Designate specific clinical trial signatories in each hospital and a standard, timely sign-off process;
• Appoint one permanent clinical research nurse post for each teaching hospital;
• Ring-fence clinical trial funding and working time for multidisciplinary research; Protect dedicated clinical research time.
Ireland can play a leading role in the provision of clinical trials in Europe, but this can only be achieved through a predictable, transparent and efficient clinical research system, which is necessary to attract more clinical trials.
outcomes.
“We are a life science research company looking at drug development for colorectal cancer. Our mission is to undertake life science research for the development of cancer therapy,” she says. “We are investigating new diagnostics and are continually advocating for less invasive, highly sensitive diagnostic techniques for a lesser cost.”
Working in collaboration with Cresset Discovery Services, UK and Human Metabolomics Technology, USA, the life sciences company is leveraging cutting-edge technologies to tackle colorectal cancer.
Technology enhances personalised cancer treatment
The integration of technologies like the MassARRAY system from AgenaBioscience, in genetic analysis, offers precise mutation profiling, which can
guide the development of much more personalised treatment plans, improving the success of many cancer therapies. A mass spectrometry-based system, the technology can test for a multitude of genetic markers and has become a powerful tool for genetic analysis and tumour mutation detection.
“With the multiplex MassARRAY system, you can detect clinically relevant biomarkers in one to two days. It is a rapid, highly sensitive (allowing for detection of low mutation load approaching 1% VAF), and it is also economical in terms of both labour and costs involved,” explains Ekine-Afolabi.
“It has previously been used in the context of lung cancer research and diagnosis, and we are looking into how this technology can be applied to other oncology therapy areas.”
Promoting early cancer detection Board committee member and occasional chair for the SEI Symposium for Cancer, Ekine-Afolabi is driving innovations in oncology diagnostics on a large scale. “One of the biggest challenges with cancer today is the resistance to treatment and the recurrence. The conference provides an opportunity to promote less invasive cancer therapy and diagnostic techniques, such as the MassARRAY System, advocating for early detection of cancer to mitigate its negative effects on patients,” she concludes.
Dr. Rebecca Cramp Director of Code and Regulatory Affairs, IPHA
Bene Ekine-Afolabi Founder and CEO, ZEAB Therapeutic Ltd
Sponsored by ZEAB Therapeutic Ltd
Bethany Cooper
Patient-led research highlights needs of women with metastatic breast cancer
Enhancing support and services for metastatic breast cancer patients begins with a simple, yet crucial, step: listening to their self-expressed needs.
According to the National Cancer Registry Ireland, in 2017–2019, approximately 3,507 women were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer annually in Ireland. Around 7% of these patients present with metastatic disease. Thanks to treatment advances, patients are living longer, but their needs are poorly understood. I experienced this firsthand when I was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer in 2020.
Patient-led metastatic breast cancer research
As a former research scientist, I used my experience as a patient to lead the Metastatic Breast Cancer survey — Ireland’s first-ever patientled research to undergo rigorous ethics and scientific approval — with support from Cancer Trials Ireland. I developed the study with a group of patients with the same disease alongside an interdisciplinary steering committee including medical and radiation oncologists, psychologists, palliative care professionals and trainee doctors.
Addressing a knowledge gap
Traditionally, resources for patients with breast cancer have focused on those newly diagnosed and, therefore, have potentially curable instances of the disease. In comparison, metastatic breast cancer is a challenging condition that is currently incurable. The needs of people with metastatic breast cancer have not been adequately explored, creating a knowledge gap in services and supports. Additionally, in my
experience, there are many aspects of care where broad assumptions of our needs are made, and many assumptions are simply untrue.
Giving patients a voice
Central to my research is a desire to understand what women with metastatic breast cancer want from the medical system and to hear, in their words, what unmet needs they experience. The survey explores many aspects of patients’ journeys — including discussions with medical teams, fertility issues, financial stresses, mental health, conversations with family and engaging with palliative care.
Improved support and services
My ambition is for the study findings to help oncologists, treatment teams and policymakers better understand the impact metastatic breast cancer has on patients’ lives in Ireland, leading to evidence-based changes in services, in line with our selfexpressed needs. I would like to see the results utilised to guide the implementation of new health and social care resources to enhance care, with emphasis on psychosocial and palliative care needs.
International interest
Based on the findings, my co-investigator Professor Seamus O’Reilly and I, alongside other steering group members, submitted four abstracts to prestigious international cancer conferences. Two will be presented at ESMO and two at ASCO. This inclusion in two major conferences indicates a growing interest in the needs of metastatic breast cancer patients.
Global trends analysis on emerging oncology therapy R&D and innovation
Global oncology R&D and innovation continue to expand, introducing therapies for advanced cancers and leading pharmaceutical science development.
According to research by IQVIA, in 2023, 25 oncology novel active substances (NASs) were launched globally, contributing to a total of 192 since 2014. Emerging biopharma companies were responsible for 60% of the oncology trials in 2023, up from 33% a decade ago.1
Advances in oncology therapies
More than 2,000 new oncology clinical trials started in 2023 with novel modalities and significant promise for cancer treatment, including cell and gene therapies, antibody-drug conjugates, multispecific antibodies and radioligand therapies.1 Over 250 trials testing CAR T-cell therapies in oncology started in 2023, with a growing number across solid tumors.1
Driven by the success of Covid-19 vaccines, development of mRNA vaccines for cancer has more than doubled since 2017, with focus on solid tumors.2 Globally, the number of cancer treatments have increased 9% annually since 20191 However, the distribution of novel cancer therapies is uneven across countries, influenced by variations in biomarker testing rates, adoption of new therapies and infrastructure capacity.
Digital health accelerating oncology care
Telemedicine, mobile apps, wearable devices, AI-powered diagnostic tools and voiceinterface systems have become more prevalent in patient care and
clinical research. Moreover, demand for high-quality, real-world data (RWD) in oncology is increasing due to the precise characterisation of disease types, which has led to more targeted treatments but also challenges in clinical trial recruitment for niche populations. While randomised controlled trials remain the gold standard, RWD is increasingly used to support evidence generation and regulatory decisions.
Expanding healthcare data and access
The big data landscape in healthcare is rapidly expanding, with electronic health record (EHR) systems contributing to a forecasted 36% compound annual growth rate of health-related data volume through 2025.3 The European Health Data Space (EHDS), agreed upon by the European Parliament and Council in March 2024, will facilitate the reuse of health data for secondary purposes, such as oncology research and innovation, empowering cancer patients with greater access and control over their data.
Gwynne Morley Chair, HealthTech Ireland Association
Siobhan Gaynor Patient Consultants Committee, Cancer Trials Ireland
According to the National Cancer Registry Ireland, in 2017–2019, approximately 3,507 women were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer annually in Ireland.
~Ms Siobhan Gaynor Patient Consultants Committee, Cancer Trials Ireland