Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s 4th Annual
Clinical Biospecimens and Central Lab Solutions
Managing Biospecimens and Partnering with Biorepositories & Labs
February 20-21, 2019
The availability of high quality biological specimens, laboratory access and diagnostics services are of utmost importance for biomarker-driven clinical trials and future research. The complexity and number of samples collected during studies has increased
steadily over the years and we need to come up with best practices, operational models and IT systems to deal with this volume and complexity. The next step, the testing of the samples and various laboratory services also requires significant managerial
efforts whether they are outsourced or provided by an in-house laboratory. The Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s 4th Annual Clinical Biospecimens and Central Lab Solutions conference brings together leading experts,
representing clinical sponsors as well as biorepositories, to discuss challenges and identify actions to improve infrastructure for biomarker driven clinical trials.
Final Agenda
Wednesday, February 20
11:30 am Registration Open (Convention Level)
Kevin Smith, Vice President, Technology & Data Solutions, Eurofins Central Laboratory
With the ever increasing complexity of each clinical trial being conducted globally, a universal challenge faced by the industry is specimen visibility as it proceeds through the processing pathway from point of collection, to shipment to central laboratory,
to potential aliquoting and disbursement to long term storage, 3rd party laboratories or specialty laboratories within your vendor organization. When you add the potential for discrepancies in shipping manifests, demographics contained in multiple
databases/systems and queries generated from paper based requisitions, you add the additional real world risk of database lock delays. Please come share in a case study of technology utilization to mitigate all of these operational risks and engage
with your colleagues in an exploration of best practices.
1:10 Coffee and Dessert Break in the Exhibit Hall (Plaza International Ballroom)
2:10 Plenary Keynotes (Regency PQ)
3:20 Booth Crawl & Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall, Last Chance for Exhibit Viewing (Plaza International Ballroom)
4:05 Chairperson’s Remarks
Brenda Yanak, Former Global Head, Specimen Strategy and Innovation, Q2 Solutions, a Quintiles Quest Joint Venture
4:10 Overcoming Challenges in Sample Collection for Biomarker-Driven Trials
Caoimhe Vallely-Gilroy, Director,
Global Head, Clinical Trials Biosample Management, Global Clinical Operations, Merck KGaA
As clinical trial design becomes more biomarker-driven, and biomarker sampling becomes more complex, the challenge of converting these protocols into an operational success looks like a science in its own right. This presentation will look at examples
of challenges experienced, what actions were taken to mitigate the risks, and processes developed to prevent the issues in the future.
4:40 Considerations for Secondary Use of Biospecimen Data to Enable Scientific Discovery and Data-Driven Decision Making
Lynn Wetherwax, BS, Senior Manager, Translational Sciences
Operations, Biobank, Amgen
Clinical trial data is a treasure trove of information that has value to the scientific community well beyond the clinical study report. With improved access to aggregated data and user-friendly tools, scientists can answer questions related to safety,
disease mechanisms, underlying conditions, and adverse event triggers. We will review a case study involving a data platform where this was accomplished successfully while maintaining required privacy and data protection.
5:10 Pharma and Central Laboratory Collaboration to Customize and Enhance the Execution of the Laboratory Manual
Co-Presentation: Melissa Rawley-Payne, Executive
Director, Biospecimen Operations, Celgene
Gustavo DePaula, M.Sc., MBA, Partnership Solutions Manager, Covance Central Laboratory Services
To enhance the execution and customization of the Laboratory Manual, Celgene and Covance have partnered cross-functionally across and within their respective organizations to develop standardized collection guidelines that include graphical representations
of the collection and processing procedures. These enhancements are meant to facilitate the development process of the document and to ensure that sites receive all required information in one comprehensive document.
5:40 Q&A with Speakers
6:10 – 7:10 Networking Reception (Sponsorship Opportunity Available) or Close of
Day
Thursday, February 21
7:15 am Registration Open (Convention Level)
7:45 BREAKFAST PRESENTATION: A User's Perspective into a Unified Imaging and EDC Approach (Regency P)
Troy Schneider, Director, Imaging Strategy, Medidata
Sarah Halek, Head, Innovation Design, ICON Medical Imaging
Come hear from a client on how using an imaging management technology on a unified platform considers the entire clinical trial process, providing configurable, intelligent workflows that complements the users and aligns to protocols, automating de-identification,
edit checks, and workflow management, thereby reducing clinical trial timeline, cost, and risk. The platform ensures that correct data is presented to the right users at the right time, eliminating data reconciliation tasks and bringing visibility
and access.
8:15 Session Break
8:50 Chairperson’s Remarks
Dianna Blessington, MEd, Research Expert, Translational Sciences, Laboratory & Biospecimen Operations, Incyte Research Institute
8:55 The Evolution of a Sample Management Infrastructure in a Growing Biopharmaceutical Company
Dianna Blessington, MEd, Research Expert, Translational Sciences, Laboratory & Biospecimen Operations, Incyte Research Institute
Since its inception less than 20 years ago, Incyte Corporation has brought together rigorous drug discovery and development, leading to the identification of novel therapies for patients with significant unmet medical needs. As the development pipeline
has expanded, and the number and complexity of clinical trials has grown, so has the number and different types of samples associated with each of these studies. This presentation will focus on the de novo development of a sample management organization to manage the receipt and tracking of samples collected to conduct translational research.
9:25 CO-PRESENTATION: Clinical Sample Vendor Qualification and Process Management
Mary Zuniga, Consultant, Translational Science, Immunology, Eli Lilly and Company
Anita Pascarella Cole, Consultant, LRL Sourcing, Eli Lilly and Company
This presentation will walk participants through the vendor qualification process and the process management related to the use of clinical samples in research, taking into consideration appropriate risk levels when selecting and qualifying vendors, along
with the vendors’ capabilities for assay development, validation, and data delivery.
9:55 Integrating Sample Management into Clinical Trial Cycle: Summary of Round Table 28
Michael Tanen, MBA, Director, Clinical Biomarker Specimen Management, Merck Research Laboratories
10:25 Networking Coffee Break (Sponsorship Opportunity Available) (Regency Foyer)
11:10 Chairperson’s Remarks
Joachim Silber, Scientific Director of Operations, Precision Pathology Biobanking Center, MSKCC
11:15 Precision Pathology: Taking Clinical Trials and Biomarkers to the Next Level
Joachim Silber,
Scientific Director of Operations, Precision Pathology Biobanking Center, MSKCC
The role of pathology in modern precision clinical trials has grown very rapidly. Specimen-centered, biomarker-based therapeutic development and precision measurements of treatment response and resistance are novel key developments. My talk will show
examples of these exciting developments and will highlight examples of exciting collaborations between academic pathology and the diagnostic and pharma industries that reshape the path towards precision healthcare.
11:45 Kaiser Permanente Research Bank: Core Resource for Collaborative Research
Alexander Lituev, MD, Practice Leader, Biorepository Head, Kaiser Permanente Research Bank
The Kaiser Permanente Research Bank (KPRB) is a research-ready resource that supports the scientific community inside and outside of Kaiser Permanente in a wide variety of health conditions and diseases. With over three-hundred thousand enrolled members,
KPRB is one of the largest and most diverse biobanks in the US. Background, technical, and operational structure and access policies will be presented.
12:15 pm Brief Session Break
Chairperson
Kyle Hogan, Director, eClinical Solutions, Clinical Ink
12:20 Focus on the Worst? A Weak-link Approach to Improving Site Performance and Accelerating Clinical Trials
Angelique Hopkins, Director, Clinical Trial Analytics, Business Insights and Analytics, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
There are weak link sports (soccer) and strong link sports (basketball), the best method for improving performance in each situation depends on whether investing in the worst component of a team or the greatest strength on a team makes the biggest difference.
For years the preferred method for accelerating clinical trials and improving site performance has been to focus on the highest performing sites. Using trial simulation and modeling techniques, we can see how a “weak link’ approach to
site performance (focusing middle and lower tier sites) may be a better although less intuitive method for increasing performance and accelerating timelines.
12:50 INTERACTIVE PANEL: Moving from Technology Indigestion to Workable Solutions
Multiple technologies are advancing healthcare delivery each and every day. This not only pertains to better utilizing both data at rest and data in motion, but also pertains to communication technologies breaking down the traditional boundaries of medicine.
As clinical trial site operations are often dwarfed by the larger healthcare delivery ecosystem, how can pharma leverage that already developing ecosystem so that they don’t have to recreate the wheel?
- What technologies are out there right now that are underutilized by pharma in clinical trials?
- What regulatory or operational issues need to be either “myth busted” or challenged to make this happen?
Moderator: David Vulcano,
MBA,
Vice President, Research Compliance & Development, HCA
Stephanie Abbott, PharmD, Clinical Research Program Director, Western Washington Medical Group
Jeewa Perera, CEO, Champ IT Solutions
Brenda Yanak, Former Global Head, Specimen Strategy and
Innovation, Q2 Solutions a Quintiles Quest Joint Venture; Former Precision Medicine Lead, Pfizer
Matt Moyer, MBA, Director, Clinical Supply Technology, Merck
1:20 Transition to Lunch
1:25 LUNCHEON PRESENTATION: The Secret to Unlock Adoption of eClinical Solutions
Jeff Lee, President, eCOA &
Patient Engagement, CRF Bracket
1:55 Closing Remarks
2:00 SCOPE Summit 2019 Adjourns