KT News

Transforming the results of research into effective healthcare solutions is a long, complex, expensive and very risky process. On average, 1 of 10,000 compounds screened will make it all the way to patients, taking hundreds of millions of dollars/euros and, at least, 7 to 10 years.

Joshua Boger, founder of Vertex Pharmaceutical, once said: "Bringing an important breakthrough drug from idea all the way to patients is the most complex activity that humans do. Every drug is a miracle".

Reflecting on Boger's thoughts, we acknowledge the struggle of knowledge transfer professionals working in research institutions who are expected to help make miracles happen more quickly and more frequently.

Knowledge transfer professionals must evaluate tens (maybe hundreds) of research projects at different technology readiness levels, based on different technologies or drug modalities, validated by different biological processes, to tackle a wide variety of medical needs.

This evaluation entails having an overview of the whole commercialisation process, the opportunities, the challenges, and potentially, the red flags that make the idea unrealistic. Importantly, we should also understand and foresee how the strengths and weaknesses of each stage will impact the others.

To understand which innovations, coming out of research labs, have the best chance of success as they travel through; development, clinical validation, regulatory approval, and commercialisation.

This webinar series offers an overview of the process; from the identification of research results to the commercialisation of new products in human health. Experts will focus on the most relevant stages and share their experience and vision to better understand what a promising idea looks like, and better identify the opportunities and challenges for the whole process from scratch.

All ASTP members are invited to join this SIG and all our SIGs, look here

Check the full programme below:

24 September 2024 | From bench to bedside: an overview of the transformation of science into solutions in healthcare

• An overview of the process of transforming ideas into solutions and their specific challenges.
• Speaker: Matthias Versele, Executive Director Drug Discovery Biology at CD3-Cistim, Belgium

29 October 2024 | Identifying a medical need and market and planning the clinical and regulatory path: medical devices

• Identify the medical need the technology will respond to and plan clinical trial and strategy for regulatory approval accordingly.
• Speaker: Mattia Ronchetti, BVI Medical, Italy

26 November 2024 | Market access strategies for new technologies

• Understand what is market access? How is market access evaluated and by whom? How can market access impact the process of transforming an idea into solutions? And some more specific aspects related to digital health technologies.
• Speaker: Katrina Bradley, University of Limerick, Ireland

28 January 2025 | Intellectual property protection strategies for translational research

• IP protection in translational research: learn when and how to protect IP, balancing academic divulgation with protection. Explore strategies for digital health technologies IP.
• Speakers: Elisabeth Downey, Associate Partner, Potter Clarkson, Denmark | Sara Holland, Partner, Potter Clarkson, United Kingdom

25 February 2025 | Supporting data-driven research - cancelled

• Explore the current landscape, key enablers, barriers, and future prospects for advancing data-driven methodologies.
• Speaker: Fred Kemp, Head of Commercial Data and Innovation, Oxford University Hospital NHSFT, United Kingdom

25 March 2025 | The preclinical proof of concept of translational projects

• Data package required for a successful preclinical proof of concept: efficacy, toxicity, ADME (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion), needed for successful translational research projects.
• Speaker: Thomas Hanke, EVP, Head of Academic Partnerships at Evotec, Germany

29 April 2025 | Manufacturing of new technologies

• Design of a manufacturing plan: GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice), GLP (Good Laboratory Practice), TPP (Target Product Profile). Impact on the clinical application and clinical trial design.  
• Speaker: Philippe Tschopp, Head of Division Sales & Marketing, Glatt Pharmaceutical Services, Switzerland

27 May 2025 | Identifying a medical need and market and planning the clinical and regulatory path: therapeutics

• Identify the medical need the technology will respond to; plan clinical trial and strategy for regulatory approval accordingly.
  
• Speaker: Konstantina Grosios, Founder of Oncoknow, the Netherlands