From left: Adam Resnick, Richard Snyder and Phillip J. Storm
For almost any aspect of healthcare, the name of the game is cooperation. But this is especially true in oncology, as evidenced by panels at this year’s MedCity CONVERGE in Philadelphia.
During a general session at the conference, three experts explained the Philadelphia Coalition for a Cure, which is exemplifying the art of collaboration.
The organization is focused on addressing brain cancer. Rather than a sole company working alone, it is made up of departments at its member institutions: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Temple University; the University of Pennsylvania; Thomas Jefferson University; Rowan University; Drexel University; and the Children’s Hospital of Orange County.
Phillip J. Storm, chief of the division of neurosurgery at CHOP, outlined the impetus behind creating PC4C. From Beau Biden to Senator John McCain, brain cancer is becoming more openly discussed in today’s culture. But Storm was particularly interested in advancing pediatric brain cancer research.
He realized there was no way to move the needle on sequencing unless CHOP teamed up with other institutions and worked in a transparent manner. And thus, PC4C was born.
Currently, the organization promotes the use of technology and clinical diagnostics in the fields of pediatric and adult brain cancer as well as other types of cancers.
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A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
“The whole idea that if you share and collaborate, you’re put at a disadvantage, is just not proving to be the case,” Storm said.
In February, the coalition began working with NantHealth (yes, the same NantHealth run by Patrick Soon-Shiong) on a study. Through their alliance, NantHealth provides researchers with its GPS Cancer test, enabling them to better select treatment options and share data with other investigators.
That’s where Independence Blue Cross comes in. The insurer offers eligible members coverage of the GPS Cancer test.
“The idea that maybe we could advance the science faster was very appealing,” Independence Blue Cross SVP and Chief Medical Officer Richard Snyder said.
Adam Resnick, CHOP’s director of data driven discovery in biomedicine, is also a key part of PC4C. He said one of the organization’s greatest initial successes is leveraging what it’s done in pediatrics and bringing it to adult brain cancer and beyond.
But he doesn’t plan on leaving out the final piece of the puzzle: patients. PC4C has to empower patients around their data, he said.
“It’s their data. They actually own it,” Resnick said. “In order to make data open, you have to engage the patients as your partners.”
Through collaborative thinking, PC4C is working toward finding an end to brain cancer. This example alone shows that it takes a combination of all the key stakeholders — clinicians, researchers, payers and patients — to achieve success.
Photo: Justin Lawrence
