Media

2013 Media

In its 5^th year, Partnering for Cures continues to draw medical innovators from across sectors of the research and development ecosystem. A few key things worth noting at P4C this year:

• More than 190 unique patient-driven organizations participated. These groups ranged in focus - from rare disorders like Duchenne's muscular dystrophy and Neiman Pick Type C to chronic conditions like Alzheimer's and heart disease. Their sense of urgency and laser focus on getting things done drove the purpose of this conference.
  
  
• The Innovator Presentations feature 30 cross-sector programs (after the most competitive application process to date). Each 25-minute presentation provides a glimpse into innovation and collaboration that's transformiing the R&D ecosystem as we know it. Programs include:
• a social movement that will build a community of people sharing their health data;
• a lung cancer master protocol trial that matches companies with the patients whose tumors are most genetically relevant to the therapies they are trying to develop; and
• a study utilizing the internet, mobile apps, sensors and links to electronic medical records to collect real-life and real-time data to study risk, prevention, and treatment of heart disease. 

• More than 90 speakers in 16 dynamic panel discussions focused on issues key to advancing medical progress - from big science to big data to big finance. The program also features the Time Equals Lives Talks, which  bring to life the personal factors that come to play in the search for cures.

MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS FROM PARTNERING FOR CURES

November 15, 2013: Orphan Drug Economics: What’s the Right Price for Rare Disease Drugs?

THE RPM REPORT - The economics of orphan drugs have been pretty straightforward: Transformative treatments for rare diseases deserve premium prices. And so far, payors – at least the larger ones – haven’t really balked at those price tags. But stakeholders are starting to ask whether the orphan drug pricing benchmark set by Ceredase 20 years ago is right for all rare disease drugs. Industry needs to have good answers.

November 14, 2013: P4C: Time=Lives

NIMH DIRECTOR'S BLOG - Last week I attended the Partners for Cure (P4C) meeting in New York. This is an annual meetup for an odd mix of academic scientists, advocacy groups, venture capitalists, social entrepreneurs, and biotech-pharma folks. In contrast to typical scientific meetings, which explore the “what” and the “how” of research, P4C is mostly about the “who” and the “when.” Specifically, who will deliver new cures and how do we speed up this process? The meeting was sponsored by a group called Faster Cures and driven by advocates, many fighting a fatal disease. Throughout the two-day meeting, they reminded scientists that “time = lives.”

November 7, 2013: 

Going Forward - #P4C2013 and Epic Beginnings

CHEMOBRAINFOG - There is something so different and so unique about the Partnering for Cures annual meeting.  I was invited to attend last year's meeting.  It was before San Antonio, before AACR and it was before I really had a grasp on the importance of evidence based anything.  I only knew that the word collaboration was used so many times, I felt the need to turn it into a drinking game.  Virtually.

November 6, 2013: Partnering for Faster Cures

LILLY ONCOLOGY PACE - Have you heard about Partnering for Cures? Hosted by research organization FasterCures, Partnering for Cures brings together medical research leaders to learn, collaborate, and identify ways to speed up the time it takes to turn new discoveries into effective treatments and cures. This year's conference ended yesterday, so we rounded up some of the highlights for you below.

November 6, 2013: Partnering for Cures

SUSAN G. KOMEN - Yesterday, I had the pleasure of joining Dr. Susan Love on stage at the Partnering for Cures Conference in New York. Our message was one of collaboration and innovation, urging leaders from across the medical community to work together in the fight against breast cancer.  We may have unique missions, but we share the same goal – to end this terrible disease.

November 6, 2013: Partnering For Cures: What’s The Equation For Success?

THE PINK SHEET DAILY - That helping patients ultimately will lead to return for investors was the underlying theme of this year’s Partnering For Cures conference in New York Nov. 3-5. Panels looked at issues pertaining to mental health, biotech funding, finding a cure for lupus and clinical trial protocols for cardiovascular disease.

November 6, 2013: Next Generation Philanthropy, and How to make it Happen

LIFE SCIENCE NATION - Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of attending The FasterCures Partnering for Cures conference in New York City. This excellent event is focused on accelerating science in order to improve patient outcomes across the board. In attendance were major thought leaders, investors, philanthropic organizations, and life science innovators from around the world. A broad spectrum of topics was covered, but a primary theme that resurfaced (both in panel discussions and in my conversations during the partnering and networking sessions) is the idea of revolutionizing philanthropic engagement in innovative science.

November 6, 2013: Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation Expands its ADDF ACCESS Program to Improve Quality and Efficiency of Drug Research for Neurodegenerative Diseases

November 4, 2013: People Power – how patients can use their own data to advance medical research

CIRM RESEARCH - If Big Science was the theme that started the Partnering for Curesconference in New York City –– then Big Data was the mantra that seemed to dominate the rest of the morning. And that could be good news for patients and patient advocates.

November 4, 2013: Carnegie Mellon's Alan Russell Tapped To Participate In Conference Addressing Challenges for Medical Research

PROVIDENCE JOURNAL - Healthcare is ripe for disruption as more medical professionals, insurance providers, patient advocacy groups and hospitals work to provide better care at economical prices. Improving healthcare and many other medical issues will be discussed by Carnegie Mellon University's Alan Russell at the fifth annual Partnering for Cures Conference sponsored by the Milken Institute, Nov. 3-5 in New York City.

November 4, 2013: JDRF partners with Pfizer's CTI to support diabetes research

DIGITAL JOURNAL - JDRF, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, announced today a partnership with Pfizer's Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) to support the development and translation of promising diabetes research. The collaboration, announced during the Partnering for Cures Conference in New York, will initially focus on co-funding projects in the fields of immune tolerance, diabetic nephropathy, and beta cell health. Capitalizing on JDRF's expertise in the field of T1D research and CTI's network of academic medical centers, the organizations will work together to identify and drive promising research projects.

November 4, 2013: GENOMIND ANNOUNCES LICENSING AGREEMENT WITH EMORY UNIVERSITY TO COMMERCIALIZE NOVEL ALZHEIMER’S RISK BIOMARKERS

Genomind, a personalized medicine company, today announced a licensing agreement with Emory University (www.emory.edu) to partner in the commercialization of the first blood-based screening test for Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Under terms of the agreement, which were not disclosed, Genomind has exclusive rights to commercialize blood-based protein biomarkers for assessing risk of MCI and AD.

November 4, 2013: It's a Twit Storm for @FasterCures #P4C2013

CHEMOBRAINFOG - I'm sitting in a hotel room, getting ready for two days of meetings and panels.  And lots of collaboration. Faster Cures has put together a spectacular line-up of sessions.  My fingers are on ice. If you are active on twitter, be sure to follow @FasterCures and watch the meeting hashtag: #P4C2013 What's is all about? The complete Partnering For Cures agenda is on the conference website. Just Watch!  And I forgot, I have a bit part in this video. Yes, there's an energy in the air around here and the energy is palpable.  We're on our way...... 

October 31: What Now: It Still Takes Too Long and Costs Too Much

HUFFINGTON POST - FasterCures Executive Director, Margaret Anderson, examines the impact the government shutdown has had on the future of research and what comes next if cuts continue.

October 31: Allegro Ophthalmics and the Helmsley Charitable Trust to Present at Partnering for Cures

YAHOO! FINANCE - Allegro Ophthalmics, LLC and and the Helmsley Charitable Trust will share insights into their collaborative partnership approach to accelerating medical research and commercialization of a new class of therapeutic drugs for vascular and retinal eye diseases, including wet age-related macular degeneration (Wet AMD), diabetic macular edema (DME) and vitreomacular traction (VMT).

October 30: Seattle Science Experts to Speak on Speeding Medicine to Patients

Three Seattle science experts are among those speaking Monday at a three-day New York City event called “Partnering for Cures.” Charles Magness, the CEO of Kineta, will talk about how his company is trying to make research investments more nimble so investors can get in and take some profits out earlier in the drug development process. Kineta is the topic of a feature in the November issue of Seattle Business.