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Past Forum 2016

Summary

The 2016 World Medical Innovation Forum focused on cancer and opened with a wave of young investigators highlighting promising developments in a series of rapid-fire presentations. Recurring themes of the First Look session included the use of RNA in-situ hybridization (RNA-ISH) as a diagnostic tool, liquid biopsies for exosome analysis, and precision medicine approaches to patient care. Multiple presentations also highlighted the capabilities of the AMIGO suite at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, which uses intraoperative imaging to guide precise localization and analysis of patient tumors during surgery.

Attendees then had the chance to liaise with established Harvard Medical School faculty over lunch during the Discovery Café session, which paired interested Forum attendees with renowned leaders in their respective fields. Nearly 30 faculty members covered topics such as immunotherapy, diagnostics, therapy resistance, and the potential of CRISPR for research and therapeutics.

The Forum plenary opened with David Torchiana, MD, CEO and Anne Klibanski MD, Chief Academic Officer of Partners HealthCare, who welcomed an audience representing more than two dozen countries and introduced a program filled with high-caliber speakers and hot topics including immunotherapy, epigenetics, and bioinformatics. They emphasized the importance of collaboration to accomplish the goal of providing better care and support to cancer patients and their families and noted that the “engine of innovation is running better than ever” as we seek to push the boundaries of the many diseases collectively known as cancer.

Additional Highlights

  • Remarks from Greg Simon, Executive Director, The White House Moonshot Initiative
  • Executive Fireside Chats with health care leaders: Richard Gonzalez, CEO of AbbVie, Robert Bradway, CEO of Amgen, Giovanni Caforio, MD, CEO, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Kathy Giusti, Founder MMRF, and Joseph Jimenez, CEO, Novartis
  • War or Moonshot: Where do we stand? Nancy Snyderman, MD, Medical Advisor at GE Healthymagination, sat down with Monica Bertagnolli, MD, Chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Daniel Haber, MD, PhD, Director of the MGH Cancer Center to discuss what’s to come in a new era of cancer research and care. Panelists were tasked with advising on whether cancer research and care over the next decade will be a war or a moonshot. They agreed on both perspectives – a war because, from a patient perspective, it is a personal battle against disease and we must come together as an army to combat the disease and work effectively towards a cure, and a moonshot because progress in cancer happens with huge steps forward and reflects the combined efforts of a large group of people working toward a common goal, much like landing on the moon.
  • Sessions moderated by leading broadcast journalists, experienced healthcare executives and venture capital leaders, including: Nancy Snyderman, MD, Medical Advisor at GE Healthymagination, CNBC Biotech and Pharma Reporter Meg Tirrell, Robert Tepper, MD of Third Rock Ventures, Sue Sigel, CEO, GE Ventures and Healthymagination, Thomas Lynch, CEO, MGPO, Sheila Dharmarajan, Head of BD, Zelnick Media Capital, Caroline Chen, Reporter, Bloomberg Business, Mallika Marshall, MD, Health Reporter, WBZ-TV/CBS Boston
  • Astellas Pharma announced the launch of the inaugural C3 Prize™

Partners HealthCare announced the Disruptive Dozen, 12 technologies predicted to have the greatest impact on cancer care in the next decade. The main stage was filled with 12 influential leaders in cancer research and clinical care from Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, who came together for an exciting and insightful discussion around these state-of-the-art medical technologies and what they mean for the future of the field.

2016 Resources

Program

Disruptive Dozen

Watch Now Brochure

Keynoters

Monica Bertagnolli, MD

Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology, BWH; – Professor of Surgery, HMS

Robert Bradway

CEO, Amgen

Giovanni Caforio, MD

CEO, Bristol-Myers Squibb

Francis Cuss, MD

Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, R&D, Bristol-Myers Squibb

Marc de Garidel

Chairman and CEO, Ipsen

Glenn Dranoff, MD

Global Head of Exploratory Immuno-Oncology, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research

Jean-François Formela, MD

Partner, Atlas Venture

Kath Giusti

Founder and Executive Chairman, MMRF

Richard Gonzalez, CEO

AbbVie

Daniel Haber, MD, PhD

Director, Mass General Cancer Center; – Kurt J. Isselbacher Professor of Oncology, HMS

Paul Hudson

President, AstraZeneca US; – Executive Vice President, AstraZeneca North America

Joseph Jimenez

CEO, Novartis

Thomas Lynch, MD

EVP and CSO, R&D, Bristol-Myers Squibb

David Meeker

CEO, Lumicell

Briggs Morrison, MD

CEO, Syndax Pharmaceuticals

Robert Mulroy

CEO, Merrimack Pharmaceuticals

Amir Nashat, PhD

Managing Partner, Polaris Ventures

Michael Pellini, MD

CEO, Foundation Medicine

Gary Reedy

CEO, American Cancer Society

Jim Robinson

President, Americas Operations, Astellas

Judy Salerno, MD

CEO, Susan G. Komen for the Cure

David Schenkein, MD

CEO, Agios Pharmaceuticals

William Sellers, MD

Vice President and Global Head of Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research

Nancy Snyderman, MD

Medical Advisor, GE Healthymagination

Bruno Strigini

President, Novartis Oncology

Bob Tepper, MD

Partner, Third Rock Ventures

Henri Termeer

CEO, Genzyme

Davi Torchiana, MD

CEO, Partners HealthCare

Christopher Viehbacher

Managing Partner, Gurnet Point Capital

Day One: Monday, April 25, 2016

First Look: The Next Wave of Cancer Breakthroughs

Watch Panel Here

Discovery Café: Enjoy Lunch with Top Cancer Leadership from across Partners HealthCare

Forum Opening and Announcements

  • Introducer: Anne Klibanski, MD, Chief Academic Officer, Partners HealthCare; Laurie Carrol Guthart Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
  • David Torchiana, MD, CEO, Partners HealthCare

A War or Moonshot: Where Do We Stand?

  • Moderator: Nancy Snyderman, MD, Medical Advisor, GE Healthymagination
  • Monica Bertagnolli, MD, Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology, BWH Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School
  • Daniel Haber, MD, PhD, Director, MGH Cancer Center Kurt J. Isselbacher/Peter D. Schwartz Professor of Oncology, Harvard Medical School
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Creating a Disruptive Cancer Pipeline

  • Moderator: Robert Tepper, MD, Partner, Third Rock Ventures Adjunct Professor, Harvard Medical School
  • James Bradner, MD, President, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research
  • George Demetri, MD, Director, Center for Sarcoma and Bone Oncology Senior Vice President for Experimental Therapeutics, Institute Physician, DFCI
  • Keith Flaherty, MD, Director, Clinical Research, MGH Cancer Center Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
  • Sean Harper, MD, Executive Vice President, Research and Development, Amgen
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Curative Therapies: The Economics of Game Changing Science

  • Moderator: Gregg Meyer, MD, Chief Clinical Officer, Partners HealthCare
  • Sue Siegel, CEO, GE Ventures and Healthymagination
  • Troyen Brennan, MD, Executive Vice President and CMO, CVS Health
  • Paul Hudson President, AstraZeneca US Executive Vice President, AstraZeneca North America
  • Betsy Nabel, MD, President, Brigham and Women’s Hospital Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
  • Gary Reedy, CEO, American Cancer Society
  • Peter Slavin, MD, President, Massachusetts General Hospital Professor of Healthcare Policy, Harvard Medical School
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Winning Portfolio Strategy

  • Moderator: Thomas Lynch, MD, CEO, Mass General Physician’s Organization
  • Francis Cuss, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, R&D, Bristol-Myers Squibb
  • Peter Lebowitz, MD, PhD, Global Therapeutic Area Head, Oncology, Janssen R&D , J&J
  • Briggs Morrison, MD, CEO, Syndax Pharmaceuticals
  • Alessandro Riva, MD, Global Head, Oncology Development and Medical Affairs, Novartis Oncology
  • Phil Rowlands, PhD, Interim Head, Oncology, Therapeutic Area Unit, Takeda
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Early Detection and Prevention of Cancer

  • Moderator: David Louis, MD, Pathologist-in-Chief, MGH Benjamin Castleman Professor of Pathology, Harvard Medical School
  • Andy Chan, MD, Program Director, Gastroenterology Training Program, MGH Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
  • William Hait, MD, PhD, Global Head, Janssen Research & Development , J&J
  • Krishna Kumar, CEO, Emerging Businesses, Philips
  • Massimo Loda, MD, Senior Pathologist, Principal Investigator, BWH, DFCI Professor, Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School
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Announcement of the C³ Prize from Astellas Oncology and the World Medical Innovation Forum

Ropes & Gray Dinner Program Fireside Chat: Richard Gonzalez, CEO, AbbVie

  • Introducer: Edward Lawrence, Retired Partner, Ropes & Gray
  • Moderator: Nancy Snyderman, MD, Medical Advisor, GE Healthymagination
  • Richard Gonzalez, CEO, AbbVie
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Day Two: Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Global Cancer Markets

  • Moderator: Sheila Dharmarajan, Head of Business Development, Zelnick Media Capital
  • Newton Crenshaw, Vice President of North America Oncology, Eli Lilly and Company
  • Marc de Garidel, Chairman and CEO, Ipsen
  • Gillian Leng, MD, Deputy Chief Executive, Director of Health and Social Care, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
  • James Robinson, President, Americas Operations, Astellas
  • Bruno Strigini, President, Novartis Oncology
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Epigenetics and Novel Cancer Targets

  • Moderator: Pat Fortune, PhD, Senior Market Sector Leader, Partners Innovation
  • Robert Copeland, PhD, President of Research and Chief Scientific Officer, Epizyme
  • Keith Dionne, PhD, CEO, Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
  • Cigall Kadoch, PhD, Assistant Professor, DFCI, Harvard Medical School
  • Jeannie Lee, MD, PhD, Professor of Genetics, MGH
  • Nancy Simonian, MD, CEO, Syros Pharmaceuticals
  • Johnathan Whetstine, PhD, Tepper Family MGH Research Scholar, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
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Fireside Chat: Robert Bradway, CEO, Amgen

  • Introducer: Cathy Minehan, Dean, School of Management, Simmons College
  • Moderator: Caroline Chen, Reporter, Bloomberg Business
  • Robert Bradway, CEO, Amgen
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Immunotherapy I: Checkpoint Activation and Cancer Vaccines

  • Moderator: Nir Hacohen, PhD Immunologist, MGH Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, MGH Research Scholar, Associate Professor, Medicine, Harvard Medical School
  • Thomas Daniel, MD, Chairman, Celgene Research
  • Glenn Dranoff, MD, Global Head of Exploratory Immuno-Oncology, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research
  • Robert Mulroy, President and CEO, Merrimack Pharmaceuticals
  • David Reese, MD, Senior Vice President, Translational Sciences, Amgen
  • Scott Rodig, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, BWH
  • Arlene Sharpe, MD, PhD, Leader, Cancer Immunology, BWH, DFCI, George Fabyan Professor of Comparative Pathology, Harvard Medical School
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Fireside Chat: Andy Slavitt, Acting Administrator, CMS

  • Introducer: David Torchiana, MD CEO, Partners HealthCare
  • Moderator: Meg Tirrell, Biotech and Pharma Reporter, CNBC
  • Andy Slavitt, Acting Administrator, CMS
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Fireside Chat: Giovanni Caforio, MD, CEO, Bristol-Myers Squibb

  • Introducer: Thomas Lynch, MD, CEO, Mass General Physician’s Organization
  • Moderator: Meg Tirrell, Biotech and Pharma Reporter, CNBC
  • Giovanni Caforio, MD, CEO, Bristol-Myers Squibb
Watch Panel Here

Fireside Chat: Patients Driving Innovation

  • Moderator: Nancy Snyderman, MD, Medical Advisor, GE Healthymagination
  • Kathy Giusti, Founder, Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation and Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium
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Immunotherapy II: Cell Based Therapies

  • Moderator: David Fisher, MD, PhD, Chief, Dermatology Service, Director, Melanoma Program, Director, Cutaneous Biology Research Center, MGH Cancer Center Edward Wigglesworth Professor of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School
  • Usman (Oz) Azam, MD, Global Head, Cell & Gene Therapies Unit, Novartis
  • Mark Frohlich, MD, Executive Vice President, Portfolio Strategy, Juno Therapeutics
  • Marcela Maus, MD, PhD, Director of Cellular Immunotherapy, MGH, Member of the Faculty, Harvard Medical School
  • Chuck Wilson, PhD, CEO, Unum Therapeutics
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Financing Breakthrough Cancer Companies

  • Introducer: Roger Kitterman, Managing Partner, Partners Innovation Fund, Partners Innovation
  • Moderator: Meg Tirrell, Biotech and Pharma Reporter, CNBC
  • Jean-François Formela, MD, Partner, Atlas Ventures
  • Jonathan Leff, Partner, Deerfield Management
  • Amir Nashat, PhD, Managing Partner, Polaris Partners
  • Christopher Viehbacher, Managing Partner, Gurnet Point Capital
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Financing Breakthrough Cancer Companies

  • Introducer: Roger Kitterman, Managing Partner, Partners Innovation Fund, Partners Innovation
  • Moderator: Meg Tirrell, Biotech and Pharma Reporter, CNBC
  • Jean-François Formela, MD, Partner, Atlas Ventures
  • Jonathan Leff, Partner, Deerfield Management
  • Amir Nashat, PhD, Managing Partner, Polaris Partners
  • Christopher Viehbacher, Managing Partner, Gurnet Point Capital
Watch Panel Here

Arms Race in Radiation

  • Introducer: Jonathan Behr, PhD, Market Sector Leader, Partners Innovation
  • Moderator: Jay Loeffler, MD, Chair, Radiation Oncology, MGH
  • Daphne Haas-Kogan, MD, Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology, BWH, DFCI
    Professor of Radiation Oncology, Harvard Medical School
  • Theodore Hong, MD, Director, Gastrointestinal Radiation Oncology, MGH
    Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology, Harvard Medical School
  • Joseph Jachinowski, CEO, Mevion Medical Systems
  • Dow Wilson, CEO, Varian Medical Systems
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Breakthrough Devices to Treat Cancer

  • Introducer: Monica Bertagnolli, MD, Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology, BWH
    Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School
  • Moderator: Antonio Chiocca, MD, PhD, Chairman, Neurosurgery, BWH
    Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School
  • Maurice Ferre, MD, CEO, Insightec
  • David Lee, CEO, Lumicell
  • Amy Pollack, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Global Medical Affairs for the Early Technologies Business Group/Minimally Invasive Technology Innovations (MITG), Medtronic
  • Ralph Weissleder, MD, PhD, Director, Center for Systems Biology, MGH
    Professor, Radiology and Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School
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Study Designs to Meet the Challenges of Personalized Cancer Medicine

  • Introducer: Pat Fortune, PhD, Senior Market Sector Leader, Partners Innovation
  • Moderator: Gideon Gil, Managing Editor, STAT
  • Julia Beaver, MD, Acting Clinical Team Leader, Division of Oncology Products 1, CDER, FDA
  • Maria Koehler, MD, PhD , Vice President, Strategy, Innovation and Collaborations, Pfizer Oncology Business Unit
  • Deborah Schrag, MD, Chief, Division of Population Sciences, Medical Oncology, DFCI Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
  • Mike Vasconcelles, MD, CMO, Unum Therapeutics
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Surviving Cancer: New Realities, New Needs

  • Introducer: Trung Do, Executive Director, Business Development, Partners Innovation
  • Moderator: Tim Ferris, MD, Senior Vice President of Population Health Management, PHS
  • Jani Ahonala, CEO, Noona Healthcare
  • Don Dizon, MD, Clinical Co-Director, Gynecologic Oncology, Founder and Director, The Oncology Sexual Health Clinic, MGH Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
  • Ann Partridge, MD, Director, Adult Survivorship Program, Program for Young Women with Breast Cancer, DFCI Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
  • Claire Thom, Senior Vice President, Global Oncology Development, Astellas
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Day Three: Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Combination Cancer Therapies: Drug Resistance and Therapeutic Index

  • Moderator: Jens Eckstein, PhD, President, SR One
  • Kenneth Anderson, MD, Director, Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, Kraft Family Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
  • Jeffrey Engelman, MD, PhD, Director, Thoracic Oncology and Director, Molecular Therapeutics, Medical Oncology, MGH Laurel Schwartz Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
  • Jamie Freedman, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President, Global Clinical Development, Medimmune
  • David Schenkein, MD, CEO, Agios Pharmaceuticals
  • William Sellers, MD, Vice President and Global Head of Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research
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Fireside Chat: Joseph Jimenez, CEO, Novartis

  • Moderator: Gregg Meyer, MD, Chief Clinical Officer, Partners HealthCare
  • Joseph Jimenez, CEO, Novartis
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Cancer Diagnostics: New Uses, New Reimbursements?

  • Moderator: Jeffrey Golden, MD, Chair of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Ramzi S. Cotran Professor of Pathology, Harvard Medical School
  • Helmy Eltoukhy, PhD, CEO, Guardant Health, Inc.
  • Marc Grodman, MD, CEO, BioReference Laboratories
  • John Iafrate, MD, PhD, Associate in Pathology, Medical Director, Center for Integrated Diagnostics, MGH Professor of Pathology, Harvard Medical School
  • Neal Lindeman, MD, Associate Pathologist, BWH Associate Professor, Pathology, Harvard Medical School
  • Michael Pellini, MD, CEO, Foundation Medicine
  • Risa Stack, PhD, General Manager, New Business Creation, GE Ventures
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New Philanthropy: Patients Driving Innovation

  • Moderator: Scott Sperling, Co-President Thomas H. Lee Partners
  • Mallika Marshall, MD, Health Reporter, WBZ-TV/CBS Boston
  • Louis DeGennaro, PhD, President and CEO, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
  • Judy Salerno, MD, President and CEO, Susan G. Komen for the Cure
  • Billy Starr, Founder and Executive Director, Pan-Mass Challenge
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Disruptive Dozen

  • Moderator: Monica Bertagnolli, MD, Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology, BWH Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School
  • Moderator: Daniel Haber, MD, PhD, Director, MGH Cancer Center, Kurt J. Isselbacher/Peter D. Schwartz Professor of Oncology, Harvard Medical School
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