Next month, experts from big and small pharmaceutical and biotech companies, contract research organisations (CROs), cancer counselling and resource centers as well as biobanks will discuss the current trends and strategies for clinical trial success in oncology at the 12th Annual Clinical Trials in Oncology West Coast meeting in Burlingame, California.
Industry experts with a focus on oncology will gather at the 12th Annual Clinical Trials in Oncology West Coast meeting, to not only dive into the operational strategies, and the unique challenges with oncology trials, but also discuss patient recruitment and engagement strategies and diversity initiatives, in addition to other trending topics. The conference is scheduled to take place 14–15 of May.
The first day will kick off with a keynote presentation by Jennifer Willert, Global Clinical Development Medical Director of Novartis Cell and Gene Therapy and Hematology, focusing on the learnings from trials with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T therapies for pediatric and adult patients. She will share insights on how to build resilient trials with improved collaboration, streamlined trial designs, and remote patient participation. The presentation will be followed by a session examining the regulatory impact of the new Joint Clinical Assessment (JCA) regime, offering insights on the scheme’s development, coordination with Marketing Authorisation Applications (MAA), and adaptation of oncology strategies and future changes by Karen Benson, Director of Regulatory Strategy Consulting at ICON.
A subsequent panel discussion with industry leaders from Genentech, Novartis and Catalyst Clinical Research will investigate the future of the oncology clinical trial industry in 2025, shedding light on topics such as evolving regulations, global market influences on US studies, and artificial intelligence (AI) advancements expected in the next year. Another session by a representative from Mercalis will highlight the advantages of adopting a virtual supply strategy for clinical trials to reduce waste and risk, lower costs, and support sustainability efforts.
After the morning sessions, the event will split into two parallel streams, with one focusing on clinical trials operations and the other on patient recruitment and engagement.
Patient centricity at the forefront of oncology clinical research
The clinical trials operation stream will dive into optimisation of clinical trial execution to increase operational efficiencies in oncology. Some sessions will explore how to identify and eliminate operational inefficiencies, enhance coordination across trial teams, and adopt risk-based quality management (RBQM) practices aligned with new ICH E6(R3) guidelines. One fireside chat in this stream will highlight how to successfully transition oncology drugs from bench to bedside, with a focus on Phase II and III trial design and challenges with rare disease research, while another will have experts from Catalyst Clinical Research and CG Oncology discuss strategies for successful early-phase trials, including navigating global logistics and regulatory hurdles. Additionally, an expert from Merck & Co will share regulatory insights from the FDA to define the evolving standards for decentralised clinical trials (DCTs).
At the same time, the patient recruitment and engagement-focused stream will centre on advancing equity and engagement in oncology trials. This stream will commence with a session on strategies for improving the representation of underserved populations and the role of inclusive research partnerships. One panel discussion, featuring experts from patient advocacy organisations and pharmaceutical companies, will examine how patient-centric trial designs can reduce burden and improve retention. Additionally, Gay Crawford, will share her personal story of being diagnosed with breast cancer at 31 years, and discuss the impact of clinical trials through her own experience. Crawford is the founding Chair, Emeritus Member Patient and Family Advisory Council, of Stanford’s South Bay Cancer Center.
In the afternoon, the focus of the clinical operations stream will shift to boosting success rates in oncology trials through improved patient selection using patient profiling platform technologies and smarter trial designs. In parallel, another session will cover collaborative approaches that reduce delays and address the challenge of managing adverse events when relying on off-site testing under a patient-focused stream. The day will end with two keynote sessions; one will deliver a strategic perspective on improved decision-making in trials, sharing how scenario planning and clear documentation can lead to stronger outcomes. The other will discuss how integrating patient insights into early trial designs can reshape studies and reduce patient burden.
Alignment strategies to achieve operational success
The second day will start with interactive roundtable discussions offering attendees the opportunity to engage directly with experts and peers to discuss topics such as patient enrollment strategies, the integration of clinical operations and more.
A key theme of the meeting will be the alignment of CROs and biotechs for better collaborations. Throughout the second day, there will be sessions on sustainability considerations for clinical trials, the future of oncology research, and the use of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Lastly, the meeting will finish with insights from Tatiana Kolesnikova, GlobalData’s Director of Oncology and Hematology who will shed light on the landscape of oncology cell therapies—diving into current trends, future forecasts, and what is shaping this rapidly evolving space.
The 12th Annual Clinical Trials in Oncology conference is hosted by Arena International Events Group, a B2B events company owned by GlobalData, the parent company of Clinical Trials Arena and Pharmaceutical Technology.
Click here to read the agenda for the conference.
