The Lung Cancer Symposium brought together academia, industry, patient organisations, the cancer registry and governmental agencies. Photo: Sofia Linden / Oslo Cancer Cluster

Exploring lung cancer: screening and early detection

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Could a screening programme reduce lung cancer mortality in Norway?

Lung cancer is the deadliest type of cancer and the fourth most frequently occurring cancer in Europe. Yet, there are still no established lung cancer screening programmes in the world. Why is that and how can the challenges in screening and early detection be overcome?

These were some of the questions discussed in depth at the Lung Cancer Symposium: Early Diagnostics and Screening, Benchmarking the Nordics+ on 24 May 2023 at Oslo Cancer Cluster.

“Screening for lung cancer has been in the pipeline for years. Now it seems right to start in the Nordic countries. With this first Nordic meeting for lung cancer screening, we had the pleasure to share our pilot projects, the very important selection methods of high-risk populations and our experiences so far. We all met in a very friendly atmosphere and look forward to collaborating in the future,” commented Oluf Dimitri Røe, MD, PhD, Professor, NTNU, the co-chair and moderator of the symposium.

Collective efforts

Attendees from academia, industry, patient organisations, the cancer registry and governmental agencies took part in the symposium.

“Cooperation is key in the fight against cancer. The Lung Cancer Symposium: Early Diagnosis & Screening, Benchmarking the Nordics+ highlighted this as experts in the Nordics and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO) shared benchmarking with an engaged audience. It was motivating to witness this and to be a part of the collective efforts for cooperation amongst this oncology ecosystem,” confirmed Charlotte Wu Homme, symposium co-chair, who serves as Head of Membership and Events, Oslo Cancer Cluster.

Nordic speakers

The programme included expert speakers from the Nordic countries Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. They framed the challenges of lung cancer and addressed clinical models for risk prediction, early diagnosis, and screening in the Nordics.

There was also an introduction by the Norwegian Cancer Society and a digital presentation giving the World Health Organisation’s perspective. Finally, a panel discussion covered implementation models for screening and selection.

About

Lung Cancer Symposium: Early Diagnostics & Screening, Benchmarking the Nordics+ was sponsored by Astra Zeneca and Daiichi Sankyo and received support from Innovation Norway. The first symposium was presented on May 24, 2023. Based on feedback, a follow-up symposium is planned for 2024.

The symposium was organised by Oslo Cancer Cluster (OCC) and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Organizing committee: Oluf Dimitri Røe, NTNU, and from OCC:  Charlotte Homme, Dave Tippett, Marine Jeanmougin. 

List of speakers (full titles):

  • Ole Alexander Opdalshei, Deputy of Research, Norwegian Cancer Society
  • Oluf Dimitri Røe, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science & Technology (NTNU), Department of Oncology, Levanger Hospital, Levanger, Norway,
  • Mattias Johansson, Head Scientist, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO) Lyon, France
  • Aija Knuuttila, MD PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, HUS Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helsinki, Finland
  • Hrönn Harðardóttir, Pulmonologist, Landspítali University Hospital, Reykjevik, Iceland
  • Bengt Bergman, M.D, Ph,D,, Respiratory Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg
  • Zaigham Saghir, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Gentofte University Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark
  • Haseem Ashraf, Associate Professor, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway, Department of Imaging, Akershus University Hospital, Oslo, Norway

 

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PRS tests provide a statistical prediction of an individual's increased clinical risk for a specific condition. Photo: Gerd Altmann, Pixabay

Guidance on polygenic risk scores

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The Estonian provider of PRS tests Antegenes supports the recent guidance from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics.

Polygenic risk scores (PRS) have recently been the subject of statements by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG). These scores are used in the clinical assessment of an individual’s genetic risk for certain diseases. In simple terms, PRS tests provide a statistical prediction of an individual’s increased clinical risk for a specific condition, such as cancer.

Antegenes, an Estonian provider of PRS tests, welcomes ACMG’s initiative and considers it a crucial step towards establishing best practices and guidelines for the widespread use of PRS technology.

Dr Peeter Padrik, CEO of Antegenes, explains: “The considerations by ACMG align with our guiding principles at Antegenes for the development and use of our polygenic risk score tests. Our clinical grade genetic tests are in use in several European countries, and we have already applied these principles in their development and in providing cancer prevention services.”

Understanding polygenic risk scores

ACMG’s statements emphasize several important points related to PRS testing. First, it is crucial to understand that PRS test results do not provide a definitive diagnosis of a disease, such as cancer. Instead, they offer a statistical prediction of an increased clinical risk. Antegenes ensures clarity on this matter by providing explicit information in their test materials.

Furthermore, a low PRS does not exclude the possibility of significant risk for the disease in question. PRS represents only one aspect of an individual’s hereditary risk, and there are other factors that can influence the development of tumors. Antegenes emphasizes the importance of considering PRS results within the context of other relevant clinical data.

Considerations for effective implementation

Another factor to consider is that PRS predictions may vary based on the population used as reference. Ethnic background plays a role in this variation. Antegenes addresses this by analyzing PRS performance using data from different ethnic groups and making necessary adjustments to the test results. They always include information about an individual’s ethnic group in their genetic testing process.

ACMG also highlights the importance of complementing PRS testing with monogenic testing in certain clinical scenarios where the underlying genetic cause is known or suspected. Antegenes fully supports this approach and recommends considering both PRS testing and monogenic pathogenic variant testing, aligning with established clinical guidelines.

Promoting evidence-based medical management

Antegenes agrees with ACMG’s stance that patients and healthcare providers should have informed discussions about the indications for PRS testing and how the results will be used in guiding medical management. They emphasize the importance of evidence-based PRS-based medical management and have developed clinical recommendations based on PRS risk levels and existing professional guidelines.

In summary, Antegenes fully supports ACMG’s statements and has taken into account the described limitations of PRS testing. They have implemented solutions, provided relevant information, and developed clinical recommendations based on available evidence for the prevention and screening of specific tumor types.

About

Antegenes is a member of Oslo Cancer Cluster. The Antenor implementational research project, focused on preventing breast cancer based on genetic risks, is currently underway in collaboration with Norwegian scientific and clinical partners and is scheduled to conclude by the end of 2023. The project partners are Oslo University Hospital, the University of Oslo, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Oslo Cancer Cluster and Antegenes.

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From left to right: Iselin Holmedal Marstrander (EHiN), Ellen Rønning-Arnesen (Ministry of Health and Care Services), Ketil Widerberg (Oslo Cancer Cluster), Bettina Lundgren (Danish National Genome Center), Gun Peggy Strømstad Knudsen (Norwegian Institute of Public Health), Nard Schreurs (EHiN).

Suggested a Nordic Health Data Space

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How can the Nordics use health data to accelerate the development of cancer precision medicine?

”We have a foundation for health data that is among the best in the world.”

State Secretary Ellen Rønning-Arnesen from the Ministry of Health and Care Services presented the government’s work with health data at an EHiN meeting earlier this month.

“Our main task now is to make Norwegian health data even more available for research. We have a good starting point for this with good systems and high trust from the population that the data will be used safely and securely,” commented Rønning-Arnesen.

More targeted treatments

Ketil Widerberg, general manager of Oslo Cancer Cluster, presented an idea to the government’s vision, inspired by the EU initiative European Health Data Space:

“The Nordics can become a test bed for precision medicine, we can create a Nordic Health Data Space and do regulatory innovation. The old way of documenting the effect of treatments doesn’t work, especially in cancer. The patient groups are so small that we can’t use control arms the same way as before.”

Widerberg mentioned the national clinical study IMPRESS-Norway as an example. By using advanced molecular diagnostics, they have identified targeted treatments for cancer patients with no other options left.

“Health data should be used as documentation for faster approval of new medicines. Norway and the Nordics can lead the way here in regulatory innovation. Let’s create a Nordic Health Data Space to solve this challenge now!” Widerberg suggested.

Potential of genome data

Denmark is already using health data for clinical research and patient treatment. The Danish National Genome Center work with the implementation of whole genome sequencing in patient treatment, collecting and storing Danish genome data, making genome data accessible for clinicians, researchers and patients, and promoting the development of personalised medicine in Denmark.

“Genetic data are important and should be used when sensible, especially for research, development of new medicine and patient treatment. We are still operating too much from a one-size-fits-all. When it comes to cancer, the Nordic countries cooperate well together,” commented Bettina Lundgren, director at Danish National Genome Center.

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health also has excellent experience with making use of health data.

“Through the pandemic, we demonstrated that we could get quick access to data. We got data in almost real-time and at quite a low cost. We also need to lift the Norwegian population-based cohorts as a valuable source. We can use them to analyse the side effects of vaccines and the genetic risk of developing disease. We can hope for a future personalized vaccine strategy,” said Gun Peggy Strømstad Knudsen, deputy director general of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

Want to learn more?

EHiN (E-Health in Norway) has been an annual conference for almost a decade and arranges meetings throughout the year. Here are some of the upcoming events:

  • 31 May – Helsesikkerhetsdagen
  • 1-2 June – Plattformdagene
  • 15-17 August – Arendalsuka
  • 7-8 November – EHiN 2023

The post Suggested a Nordic Health Data Space first appeared on Oslo Cancer Cluster.

Margrethe Biong (the Norwegian Research Council), Astrid Bjerke (the Norwegian Cancer Society), Marine Jeanmougin (Oslo Cancer Cluster) and Ketil Widerberg (Oslo Cancer Cluster) represented Norway at the kick-off-meeting in Lisboa.

Europe united against cancer 

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Europe has its own moonshot against cancer!

The European Union has awarded 6 million euros to a consortium of 57 organizations spanning across 28 countries. They have joined forces to fight cancer at all levels of society, by supporting cancer research and innovation, policy development and citizen engagement. 

“The ambitious approach taken by the European Commission to reduce the cancer burden for patients requires a coordinated response from relevant actors across Europe,” commented Marine Jeanmougin, responsible for EU affairs and digitalisation at Oslo Cancer Cluster.

The project is called ECHoS and is coordinated by the Portugese Agência de Investigação Clínica e Inovação Biomédica (AICIB). Oslo Cancer Cluster together with partners of Cancer Mission Hub Norway have contributed from the Norwegian side. 

“The strong collaboration between Oslo Cancer Cluster, the Research Council, the Cancer Society and their partners, has brought Norway to take a central role in ECHoS. The Cancer Mission Hub Norway has the potential to shape best practices, in a joint effort with our European collaborators,” Jeanmougin commented. 

Read the press release (in English)

Read the press release (in Norwegian)

 

Funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Framework Programme. Grant Agreement Nº: 101104587. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. 

The post Europe united against cancer  first appeared on Oslo Cancer Cluster.

Photo: Sofia Linden / Oslo Cancer Cluster

Åslaug Helland receives cancer award

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Norwegian cancer researcher dedicated to clinical trials receives prestigious prize.

Professor Åslaug Helland is the recipient of the King Olav Vs Cancer Research Award 2023. Helland is an oncologist and Research Director at Oslo University Hospital (Comprehensive Cancer Centre).

“This is a great honour, and I am very happy about this recognition of the research environment involved. I have been very fortunate working with lots of very talented people over the years!” Helland commented.

The cancer prize is awarded annually by the Norwegian Cancer Society, and it is the highest honour for Norwegian cancer researchers.

The international experts that evaluated the nominated for the prize, emphasized how Helland through her clinical studies has contributed to developing a more personalised treatment for cancer patients.

Innovation for patients

When asked what the biggest challenge right now for the development of cancer diagnostics and treatments in Norway is, Helland responded:

“The developments in cancer diagnostics and treatment over the past few years have been very good, and we need to continue securing the competence and development in all health regions. It is in many ways a new field, and building competence takes time.

“In addition, we need to find ways to offer new and innovative treatments to our patients, and to encourage more clinical trials in Norwegian hospitals. This is an obvious goal from both the public health care system and from the pharmaceutical and diagnostic industry, and by working together we achieve more!”

Leading the way for change

Helland is the Principal Investigator for IMPRESS-Norway, a national clinical study in cancer precision medicine, and Director of MATRIX, the Norwegian Centre for Clinical Cancer Research, as well as Leader for Nortrials. Helland’s key roles in these trailblazing initiatives show her commitment to continually improving cancer care.

“In the future, we have more options in diagnostics and treatment. The field is developing very rapidly, and the public healthcare system will develop to offer new and innovative treatments and diagnostics in a sustainable way. We also have improved decision support systems and improved follow-up programs for our patients,” said Helland.

Helland received the prize in the University Aula from His Majesty King Harald of Norway and in the presence of family, friends, colleagues and the general cancer research community.

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Espen Solberg (NIFU), Camilla Stoltenberg (FHI), Leif Rune Skymoen (LMI) and Ole Alexander Opdalshei (Norwegian Cancer Society) discuss how to perform the Cancer Mission in Norway. Photo: Sofia Linden / Oslo Cancer Cluster

Missions: a new way of doing politics

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Three people in a discussion on a stage, sitting, one of which is Camilla Stoltenberg, who is engaged with her arm in a gesture.

How can Norway succeed with the EU’s Mission on Cancer?

“This challenges the Norwegian way of doing politics,” commented Espen Solberg, Head of Research at NIFU – Nordic institute for studies in Innovation, Research and Education, at the recent breakfast meeting Fremtidens kreftbehandling about the Mission on Cancer.

“Politicians need to be bold, set goals and create a plan. They need to ask: where are we in three, four or five years? We don’t do this very much in politics. Politicians usually work in different fields. A mission requires all fields to work together,” continued Solberg.

The state as entrepreneur

The European Commission has set the ambitious goal of improving the lives of 3 million Europeans affected by cancer by 2023. This is the Mission on Cancer, one of five missions the European Commission has identified. Missions are a new way to bring concrete solutions to some of the greatest challenges of our time.

“This is a methodology that models a way to do public innovation, to solve problems that do not have a solution, and where you need to mobilise knowledge from different fields. All successful missions are characterised by concrete challenges to solve, for example technological, in a specific area. Cancer can obviously be one such mission,” commented Lars Peder Nordbakken, economist, Civita.

Both Nordbakken and Solberg agreed that the state needs to be the main driver and act as an active entrepreneur for a mission to be successful. All key players need to be involved and it is important to find the best competency in the area.

Should Norway find its niche?

Camilla Stoltenberg has led the Norwegian Institute of Public Health through the corona pandemic, a kind of mission in its own right.

“In my opinion, cancer treatment is too narrow. I think that if we are to succeed in Norway, prevention and promoting health are the most important things to do. We have better preconditions to assert ourselves internationally in these two areas and I believe we can do a fantastic job if we focus on them,” commented Stoltenberg.

Leif Rune Skymoen, CEO of the Norwegian Pharmaceutical Association, emphasised the value of focussing on cancer treatments and diagnostics.

“The industry will be an important contributor of competency, investments and tools in diagnostics and treatments to fight cancer. Cancer is a field where Norway has very good research environment and strong companies developing future cancer treatments and diagnostics. The Cancer Mission presents opportunities such as funding and new partnerships, which will be positive also for Norway,” commented Skymoen.

Where is the political vision?

With a new national cancer strategy underway, the question on everyone’s minds is: are the politicians indeed bold, with set goals and a clear plan? The politicians themselves think there is still a way to go.

“We are not good enough at connecting to these opportunities. The most important thing we do is to take advantage of what is happening on an EU level, both for research and industry. This challenges the way we do politics,” said Truls Vasvik, Arbeiderpartiet (Norwegian Labour Party).

“We need to discuss how Norway in the best way can get a strong connection to EU’s Mission on Cancer. The point of missions is to connect to the process, not just sit and wait for the results. It is not just about funding schemes, but a comprehensive investment. We need a more thorough discussion about how we as a society connect to this,” said Alfred Bjørlo, Venstre (Norwegian Liberal Party).

A national hub

Norway is already involved in the EU Mission on Cancer through different funding programmes, for example Horizon Europe and EU4Health, as well as through a national mission hub.

“The Missions methodology breaks down the sectorial approach and forces us to collaborate across health, research, education, and industry. It also contributes to faster implementation of research. It can also create public engagement and enthusiasm among the public,” said Ole Alexander Opdalshei, deputy secretary general, Norwegian Cancer Society.

“Together with Oslo Cancer Cluster, the Norwegian Research Council and other key players, we have put together a national hub so the developments on a European level also will benefit Norwegian cancer patients. We connect different milieus and create new constellations for collaboration,” continued Opdalshei.

Read more about the Norwegian Cancer Mission Hub

 

Fremtidens kreftbehandling is a political meeting series organised by Oslo Cancer Cluster, LMI – Legemiddelindustrien and Kreftforeningen, with support from AstraZeneca Norway, MSD Norway and Janssen Norway. Please save the date for our next meeting in Arendal on Tuesday, 15 August 2023, 08:00-09:00, at Clarion Hotel Tyholmen.

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Meet our new members

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Image of Oslo Cancer Cluster Innovation Park

Say hello to the four new members that have joined our cluster organisation this year.

Oslo Cancer Cluster works to accelerate the development of novel cancer diagnostics and treatments, to improve patients lives.

Our member base comprises university hospitals, research centres, patient organisations, start-ups and biotech companies, global pharma and technology companies, investors, financial institutions as well as service providers – all working in the cancer field. Jointly, they cover the entire oncology value chain, from exploratory research to delivering novel therapeutics and diagnostics to patients worldwide.

This week, we talked to the four newest members about what they do and why they joined our cancer eco-system.

 

Nadeno – improving cancer treatments

Yrr Mørch, CTO and Co-founder, and Annbjørg Falck, CEO and Co-founder, Nadeno.

“NaDeNo is developing a vehicle for delivery of ‘hard to deliver’ drugs with great potential for improved cancer treatment. We are focused on developing new treatment solutions for patients with ‘hard to treat cancers’ and we aim to deliver effective drugs of low water solubility safely to the cancer cells by using our nanoparticle technology.

“Oslo Cancer Cluster offers a highly valuable international network for Norwegian biotech companies within the oncology space, and we see the OCC as a trusted partner that can help us progress our development.”

Annbjørg Falck, CEO and Co-founder, Nadeno

 

Hjernesvulstforeningen – advocating for patients

Rolf J. Ledal, Secretary general, The Norwegian Brain Tumour Association

“Hjernesvulstforeningen, The Norwegian Brain Tumour Association, is a patient advocacy organisation covering all the different diagnosis of brain tumours. We are involved in research as well as peer to peer support, learning patients and their families cognitive strategies for living well with such an disease and political lobbying for longer and better lives.

“Our motivation for being a member of Oslo Cancer Cluster is to connect with a broader variety of companies and research facilities who together will be able to make new discoveries within treatment options. We have the patient experts that the research community need to cooperate with to solve the many puzzles that still is unsolved. Brain cancer is on the top of diagnosis with poor outcome, together we are going to change that.”

Rolf J. Ledal, Secretary general, The Norwegian Brain Tumour Association

 

Node Pharma – developing radiopharmaceuticals

Tor Espen Stav-Noraas, CEO and founder of Node Pharma.

“Node Pharma is developing radiopharmaceuticals for metastatic cancer patients with limited treatment options. Our targeted drug compound is designed to eradicate tumors without damaging healthy tissue. This will save patients and improve quality of life after treatment.

“Oslo Cancer Cluster will bring important expertise, connections and enable us to accelerate our drug development.”

Tor Espen Stav-Noraas, CEO and founder, Node Pharma

 

Marigold Innovation – founding life science companies

Peter Horn, founder and CEO, Marigold Innovation

“One way Marigold Innovation can contribute is through our new approach to founding life science companies. We are co-founders, not advisors or consultants. We engage with researchers and innovators as early as possible to ensure everything is in place before company formation –  and then co-found the companies together with them.

“We’re originally from Denmark, but we think Nordic. We have founded companies in Sweden and our many connections here made Norway the obvious next step. The OCC community looks like a perfect match for a home in Norway.”

Nicholas Hawtin, Partner, Marigold Innovation

The post Meet our new members first appeared on Oslo Cancer Cluster.

The student Halvar delivers the tasty treats together with school assistant Lisbeth Fjellstad to the researchers and companies in Oslo Cancer Cluster Incubator. Photo: Sofia Linden / Oslo Cancer Cluster.

Baked goods bringing people together

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A special sweet pastry is the weekly highlight in Oslo Cancer Cluster Incubator.

Buns with a creamy vanilla centre, sugar coating and coconut sprinkles … These are the traditional Norwegian skoleboller served to the tenants of Oslo Cancer Cluster Incubator every Friday.

The buns are handmade by a group called Tilrettelagt, consisting of students with special needs who attend Ullern Upper Secondary School. Tilrettelagt arranges important training for the students to prepare them for working life.

“This is an activity that the students can enjoy and have use for in their daily lives. It also brings us out of our little bubble so we can meet with the other people in the building,” said school assistant Lisbeth Fjellstad.

Young bakers

Since the Oslo Cancer Cluster Innovation Park opened in 2015, Tilrettelagt has been baking the buns to sell to students, teachers, and companies in the building.

The students bake the buns themselves and many of the students know the recipe by heart.

“It is fantastic. My plan is to get a job at a bakery that makes gluten-free goods,” said Halvard, one of the students.

The students learn practical skills in the bakery that prepares them for worklife. Photo: Sofia Linden / Oslo Cancer Cluster

Learning practical skills

The students deliver the buns to the tenants in Oslo Cancer Cluster Incubator and sell the buns in the school hallways to other students and teachers.

“It is good for the students to learn practical skills and do meaningful work. This activity develops their skills in mathematics, Norwegian, communication, collaboration, sales, service, and hygiene. We continually work with these subjects in the bakery,” said teacher Susann Steinsvik.

In Oslo Cancer Cluster Incubator, the buns are a bonus for the hard-working cancer researchers. During the coffee breaks, they can have meaningful conversations with other tenants and develop their ideas.

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Anders Wold, Chairman of the Board, Per Walday, CEO, and Sir Bill Castell, board member, at Exact Therapeutics' Science and Technology Event in Oslo. Photo: Elisabeth Kirkeng Andersen

Promising early data from Exact Therapeutics’ study

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The company is investigating a new ultrasound technology for improved drug delivery.

Exact Therapeutics shared early data from two patients treated in the clinical study ACTIVATE at a Science and Technology event in Oslo this week.

The patients have colorectal cancer with liver metastases, a patient group with a high unmet medical need. They receive chemotherapy in combination with the company’s technology called ACT (short for Acoustic Cluster Therapy). The early results show that the patients had better responses to chemotherapy when their tumours were exposed to ACT.

“Results of the Phase I study have given us several insights, most importantly that the treatment did not reveal any unexpected side effects either on its own or worsen the side effects of chemotherapy in the treated patients. The results also suggest a positive tumour response associated with the ACT treatment. This trial will set the stage for diversifying the use of this technology platform to a wide range of systemic therapies across multiple tumour types,” commented Prof. Dr. Udai Banerji, the principal investigator of the ACTIVATE study.

Seven patients have been recruited to the study, currently active at The Royal Marsden Hospital and Newcastle Hospital. The company is also collaborating with radiologists at Oslo University Hospital to open another study site for Norwegian patients.

What is ACT?

Acoustic cluster therapy is a method for improved drug delivery, by using ultrasound technology and the company’s proprietary product consisting of microbubbles and microdroplets. The microbubbles and microdroplets have opposite charges and therefore form small clusters, which are injected into the patient’s blood.

When these clusters are exposed to ultrasound vibrations, the droplets evaporate into the bubbles and turn into larger “ACT bubbles”. These are temporarily trapped in the patients’ capillaries, the smallest blood vessels in the body. The ACT bubbles can then be manipulated with a different ultrasound wavelength that makes them oscillate. This stretches the wall of the blood vessel and creates shear forces and streaming in the tissue, so that the cancer drug can be delivered effectively to the tumour.

“Targeted ultrasound is an emerging treatment modality with a lot of interest. You need better methods for efficient delivery of drugs to the disease areas. Targeted ultrasound with ACT is non-invasive and can potentially be done for a number of treatments and indications,” commented Per Walday, CEO of Exact Therapeutics.

The Norwegian ultrasound story

There is a solid Norwegian research tradition within ultrasound, both in medical technology and pharmaceutical diagnostics.

For example, the company Vingmed Ultrasound was built on Norwegian science and technology, and established as a start-up in 1986 developing medical ultrasound diagnostic equipment. The company was later acquired by GE Healthcare and this segment today generates 3 billion dollars in revenue.

Another success story is the company Nycomed, which was also founded on deep science in Norway, and created contrast agents in a variety of forms for diagnostic purposes. Nycomed ended up achieving market leadership and was acquired by GE Healthcare. Today, this is a 2-billion-dollar revenue business.

“Norway is a true global leader in this field, not only in technology and science, but also in business. The medtech and pharmaceutical components are key to us. Exact Therapeutics was spun-off from the pharma business in GE Healthcare. We have agreements with GE Healthcare on development and manufacturing. These are the two building blocks and the foundation for Exact,” commented Anders Wold, Chairman of the Board, Exact Therapeutics.

Potential with immunotherapy

The potential of the technology to enhance the effect of a range of cancer immunotherapies will now also be explored, thanks to a grant of NOK 16 million from the Norwegian Research Council.

“The tumour microenvironment plays a key role in the response to cancer therapies, especially immunotherapy. The majority of cancer patients still do not respond to immunotherapy. The holy grail in this field is to make cold tumours hot and the key is to modify the tumour microenvironment. We hope to achieve this with the ACT treatment,” commented Walday.

Per Walday, CEO, at Exact Therapeutics’ Science and Technology event. Photo: Sofia Linden / Oslo Cancer Cluster

The research project will be performed in collaboration with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), the Institute of Cancer Research at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London and the Translational Genomics Research Institute, part of City of Hope, in Phoenix.

The post Promising early data from Exact Therapeutics’ study first appeared on Oslo Cancer Cluster.

Anita Tunold, CEO of Aleris, Torbjørn Furulund, Director of Health and Welfare, NHO Geneo, Kristine Sandvik, CEO of IF/Vertikal Helse and Ketil Widerberg, general manager of Oslo Cancer Cluster, participated in the panel conversation. Photo: Wenche Gerhardsen / Oslo Cancer Cluster

Kantar: Few Norwegians know about clinical trials

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Almost 7 of 10 Norwegians don’t know about the opportunity to participate in clinical trials.

The annual report Helsepolitisk barometer (Health Political Barometer in English) from Kantar reveals what Norwegians currently think about health politics.

A main finding shows Norwegians do not know what clinical trials are or how to participate in them.

The report is based on a survey conducted with over 2 000 respondents, who are representative of Norwegian population over 18 years old.

Lack of awareness about clinical trials

The population has little knowledge of what clinical studies are, how they are accessed, and if it is a relevant treatment option when diagnosed with cancer.

More than a third of the respondents – 37 per cent – answered they do not know about the routines for clinical trials. In addition, 15 per cent answered, “I am not sure what a clinical trial means” and 16 per cent chose the option “I wouldn’t have known to ask about a clinical trial as a treatment option”.

“If patients don’t know about clinical trials, they won’t know to ask about it either. Clinical studies give access to new treatments. Today, many people don’t have access to clinical trials or don’t know about it. In practice, this creates a class divide,” commented Ketil Widerberg, general manager of Oslo Cancer Cluster.

The Norwegian population has little knowledge of what clinical studies are, how they are used and if this is an opportunity they have access to in case of a cancer diagnosis. Source: Extract from Helsepolitisk barometer 2023

The Norwegian population has little knowledge of what clinical studies are, how they are used and if this is an opportunity they have access to in case of a cancer diagnosis. Source: Extract from Helsepolitisk barometer 2023

 

Want more modern treatments

The government should prioritize the use of more modern cancer treatments with less side effects, according to 49 per cent of the respondents.

“Today, most cancer patients need to go through two or three standard-of-care treatments before they are evaluated for precision treatment. Can we as a society move the modern treatments, that precision medicine represent, further into first line of treatment? We need public-private collaboration to develop new cancer treatments to achieve this,” commented Widerberg.

In addition, 38 per cent think giving as good cancer treatment as our neighbouring countries should be the priority. The third most popular option was to prioritize offering more experimental treatment as part of standard care, chosen by 24 per cent of the respondents.

Treatments with less side effects and the same treatment options as our neighbouring countries, is what the voters think the government should prioritize. Source: Extract from Helsepolitisk barometer 2023

Treatments with less side effects and the same treatment options as our neighbouring countries, are the things voters think the government should prioritize. Source: Extract from Helsepolitisk barometer 2023

 

Calling for a Mission on Cancer

An overwhelming majority – 74 per cent – think a Mission on cancer would contribute to improving the lives of people affected by cancer.

“The European Union has launched a Mission on Cancer and set aside a significant amount of money for this. An important part of the Cancer Mission is prevention. Norway can spearhead how to work on cancer prevention and prevention of other diseases,” Widerberg commented.

74% think a mission on cancer will contribute to improving the lives of those affected by a cancer diagnosis. Source: Extract from Helsepolitisk barometer 2023

74 per cent think a mission on cancer will contribute to improving the lives of those affected by a cancer diagnosis. Source: Extract from Helsepolitisk barometer 2023

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