dia 50 anniversary
Patient advocate groups continue to play a vital part in drug development, including providing data, recruiting for and advising clinical trials, and identifying and connecting patients across the globe.
Washington (PRWEB) May 30, 2014
Sessions at the DIA 2014 50th Annual Meeting will bring together patient advocates and those dedicated to finding much-needed therapies to discuss the role of patients in accelerating collaboration and challenges in recruitment in the medical products industry. The annual meeting will be held at the San Diego Convention Center from June 15 to 19.
“Patient advocate groups continue to play a vital part in drug development, including providing data, recruiting for and advising clinical trials, and identifying and connecting patients across the globe,” said Barbara L. Kunz, DIA global chief executive. “The DIA Annual Meeting is an exclusive opportunity for industry professionals to learn from and interact with these dedicated patients, and gain their unique insight into how patients can work with them to mitigate barriers in advancing drug development.”
The “Bringing the Patient Voice to Clinical Development” forum, on June 16 at 8:30 a.m., will identify areas of clinical development that can benefit from patient advice and provide examples of collaboration between patient advocates and industry. The session will feature the perspective of Bonnie J. Addario, a lung cancer survivor and founder of Addario Lung Cancer Foundation. Addario will join session chairwoman Mary Stober Murray, associate director of advocacy for Bristol-Myers Squibb, who will discuss models of incorporating patient perspectives in clinical trials, along with Robert Gillespie, board chairman of the Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc., addressing ways to recruit and sustain the involvement of a diverse patient population.
As patient recruitment remains a fundamental challenge for clinical trials, the “Hot Topics in Patient Recruitment: Global Demographics, Underrepresented Populations, and the Science Behind Patient Communications” session will bring together industry thought leaders to examine demographic trends affecting recruitment, discuss community-based approaches to reach diverse populations, and explore the patient journey to drive engagement. Held on June 18 at 1:30 p.m., the session will be chaired by Chris Hoyle, owner and executive director of the Elite Research Network, and will feature presentations by Angela Burroughs, president and CEO of EthosExcel; Rebecca Budd, founder and managing director of Navita Clinical Strategy Group; and Jim Kremidas, senior vice president of patient recruitment for inVentiv Clinical Trial Recruitment Solutions.
Later on June 18, at 3:30 p.m., the “Filling the Gaps and Speeding Up Results: What an Educated, Sophisticated Patient Population Can Do for You” forum will feature the perspectives of patient advocacy, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry leaders discussing how to foster collaboration with patient groups and translate patient engagement into successful product development. Chaired by Kristin Voorhees, a celiac disease patient and health care relations manager for the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, the session will feature Leslie Williams, director, founder, president and CEO of ImmusanT; Lona Vincent, senior associate director of research operations for The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research; and Tom Wallace, senior director of Eli Lilly and Co.
ABOUT DIA: DIA is the global connector in the life sciences product development process. Our association of more than 18,000 members builds productive relationships by bringing together regulators, innovators and influencers to exchange knowledge and collaborate in a neutral setting. DIA’s network creates unparalleled opportunities for the exchange of knowledge and has the interdisciplinary experience to prepare for future developments. DIA is an independent, nonprofit organization with its global center in Washington, D.C., USA, and regional offices covering North and South America (Horsham, Pa., USA); Europe, North Africa and the Middle East (Basel, Switzerland); and Japan (Tokyo), India (Mumbai) and China (Beijing). For more information, visit http://www.diahome.org.
ABOUT DIA’s 2014 50th ANNUAL MEETING: Celebrate the Past – Invent the Future is the largest multidisciplinary event that brings together a community of life sciences professionals at all levels and across all disciplines involved in the discovery, development and life cycle management of medical products. The meeting aims to foster innovation that will lead to the development of safe and effective medical products and therapies for patients. For more information, visit http://www.diahome.org/dia2014.