Kolaleh Eskandanian, Ph.D., MBA, PMP, is the vice president and chief innovation officer at Children’s National Health System.
For the third consecutive year, Children’s National Health System is co-locating its annual Symposium with The MedTech Conference, powered by AdvaMed. If you are interested in advancing innovation in pediatrics and exploring solutions to the challenges associated with device trials, we hope that you will join key industry stakeholders at the 7th Annual Pediatric Device Innovation Symposium on Sept. 22 in Boston, one day before The MedTech Conference.
Join us! Here are the top four reasons why you should attend the nation’s leading pediatric innovation symposium:
- Global Head at JLABS delivers opening keynote address
We’re excited that Melinda Richter, Global Head of Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS, will keynote our symposium, bringing a wealth of expertise and insight in support of innovators with a specific focus on medical devices, pharmaceuticals and consumer sectors. Johnson & Johnson has supported our annual symposium from its inception in 2013 and we continue to realize the many ways this partnership can help transform breakthrough ideas into better care for our children. We’ll also be sharing news and updates about our recent collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Innovation to launch JLABS @ Washington, DC on our new Children’s National Research and Innovation Campus in 2020.
- Key stakeholders weigh in on theme: “Pediatric Device Clinical Trials: Forging a Better Path”
There will be four panel discussions, including one that highlights the latest legislative activities that concern the pediatric research community. Three panels will focus on various aspects of optimizing and improving pediatric device clinical trials. Device trials are already more complex than drug trials because there is no well-known Phase I through Phase IV equivalent for ensuring safety and efficacy in human use. They are even more challenging in pediatrics because designing and validating devices for children requires considerations such as growth and development, anatomical and physiological differences, hormonal influences and activity level.
Our panelists will dive deeply into these nuances and address solutions to develop more efficient and innovative ways to accelerate clinical trials while bringing pediatric medical devices to market safely.
A few of the industry-leading experts who we’re honored to have as panelists are:
- Laura Mauri, M.D., M.Sc., vice president of global clinical research & analytics, Medtronic
- Sanket Dhruva, M.D., MHS, co-author of the recent JAMA Viewpoint “Moving from Substantial Equivalence to Substantial Improvement for 510(K) Devices”
- Robbert Zusterzeel, M.D., Ph.D., MPH, director of Data Network, NESTcc
As is the tradition at our annual symposium, Vasum Peiris, M.D., the chief medical officer for pediatrics and special populations at the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, will deliver the closing keynote address.
- Be a part of closing the gap in pediatric device innovation
While progress has been made to close the gap in pediatric device innovation, critical issues related to device development, regulatory processes and small market size continue to create challenges for innovators, startup companies and manufacturers.
Join this gathering of key stakeholders from the industry, government, academia and patient groups. Symposium attendees will leave with roadmaps to address specific challenges in the pediatric market, and having made new friends and connections.
- Support innovators during $150K live NICU pitch competition
Be among the first to witness innovative medical devices that are going to transform the care of neonates by attending the $150K “Make Your Medical Device Pitch for Kids!” competition. Often considered one of the highlights of the symposium, the competition focuses on NICU and neonatal devices this year because one in 10 babies is born prematurely and, according to the FDA, there still remains a significant unmet need for devices designed for our youngest patients.
During this live pitch competition, you’ll see 10-12 finalists deliver their medical device pitch to a highly reputable group of judges for a chance to receive up to $25,000 in awards and participate in the “Pediatric Device Innovator Accelerator Program” led by MedTech Innovator.
Ready to join the conversation? Register today for the 7th Annual Pediatric Device Innovation Symposium and join us Sept. 22 in Boston. For updates about speakers, panel themes and additional event details, visit pediatric-device-symposium.org.