Every now and then, like last week at the BioPharm America 2010 meeting in Boston, I get a chance to slip away from the computer screen and moderate a panel of biotech experts on a hot topic. At the Boston meeting, a group of us focused on the virtues and vices of the virtual biotech business model. And I'll be headed back to Boston to moderate a special panel discussion on the latest clinical trial trends at FierceBiotech's executive breakfast on October 27 at the Westin Boston Waterfront on Summer Street.
I'll be joined by Rick Sax, AstraZeneca's VP of clinical trial design, Santosh Vetticaden, SVP of clinical development from Cubist and AVEO CMO Bill Slichenmyer, who used to run Pfizer's oncology studies. We'll have one more panelist to announce within a week. The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center is helping promote the event, with INC Research and PAREXEL on board as the primary corporate sponsors.
The subject of clinical trial efficiency continues to dominate biopharma companies, where taking a promising treatment through Phase III and on to an approval remains an incredibly risky and wildly expensive proposition. Increasingly, we're living in a world of collaborative development programs. Risks--and rewards--are there to be shared. And designing the right trial that is right for everyone involved is a challenge commanding everyone's attention.
My goal here is pretty simple. Anyone who joins us should come away with at least one new idea; some spark that can be applied to programs in development. That should cover the cost of a seat, or a table. Click on the link to sign up.
On a related note, I'm going to be spending some time this fall helping BIO with their 2011 annual meeting. I'm co-chair of BIO's program selection committee. And anyone who's ever hefted an annual schedule knows how many presentations there are. So it should be lots of fun, and lots of work. Please feel free to extend any suggestions you have. -- John Carroll (twitter | email)