Unique round table debate brings together key personalised healthcare stakeholders

AstraZeneca and pharmaphorum media today announced the publication of a unique piece of thought leadership research, via a video round table debate entitled 'Oncology shaping the future of personalised healthcare', which explores how cancer drug development holds the key to success for precision therapeutic approaches.

This collaborative initiative is designed to raise awareness of critical issues in personalised healthcare (PHC) and drive further debate on how to effectively deliver novel, targeted treatment solutions for patients. To fully explore every aspect of this new approach to drug development and commercialisation, a panel of four experts with diverse healthcare backgrounds was brought together for the first time:

• Ruth March, VP and Head of Personalised Healthcare and Biomarkers at AstraZeneca, with almost 20 years' experience in the genetics and PHC space.

• Professor Malcolm Ranson, Professor of Medical Oncology and Pharmacology at the University of Manchester and Christie Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; a renowned cancer researcher and clinician.

• Richard Stephens, Chair of the Consumer Liaison Group at the UK's National Cancer Research Institute, in which capacity he connects patients with the pharmaceutical industry to improve the drug development process.

• Mya Thomae, Founder and CEO of US-based in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) consultancy Myraqa, Inc. and a leading global expert on the application of IVDs in PHC treatment approaches.

During the hour long discussion, the panel debated what PHC has already delivered in oncology, critical factors within healthcare systems to ensure continued success, how pharmaceutical companies must adapt the drug development process around PHC to better serve patients, and the future outlook within cancer treatment and beyond.

Commenting on the debate, Ruth March, VP and Head of Personalised Healthcare and Biomarkers at AstraZeneca said:

"One of the best aspects of the round table was that it brought together people from key stakeholder groups, including academic research, diagnostics regulatory interactions and patient advocacy. At AstraZeneca we've learnt that effective implementation of personalised healthcare is not something we can do on our own. It requires collaboration between everyone involved in the process, and the round table discussion is one example of how we are encouraging these partnerships."

Paul Tunnah, CEO of pharmaphorum media further commented:

"This ground-breaking debate addresses key issues around personalised healthcare and builds on the broader work being done by AstraZeneca, and other pharmaceutical companies, to secure input from all healthcare stakeholders, including patients, in driving innovative treatment approaches."

To view the full round table debate and associated media, please visit:

www.pharmaphorum.com/articles/oncology-shaping-the-future-of-personalised-healthcare-media-hub