aPODD Review of Health Horizons; Future Healthcare Forum, Cambridge UK.

Headlined as “where the leaders of today and tomorrow meet” the aim of this two-day conference was to debate and explore the future of healthcare in view of the many technological and scientific advances and the fitness – or not! -  of current business models. 

Attending the conference, of behalf of aPODD, were trustees Cesare Spadoni and Evgenia Mengou. Dr Spadoni was invited to speak and chose to discuss aPODD’s involvement in the 

 FAIR* Trials Accelerate Working Group. Promoting the principles of the group as well as drawing attention to the needs of children with cancer.

The main take home messages for aPODD and the childhood cancer community were:

1.    Healthcare will be transformed in the coming years by the interaction of the 4Ds: Drugs, Devices, Diagnostics, Digital. 

2.    To deliver on the technological and scientific advances, new models for innovation, collaboration and economics are required. 

3.    Patient centric innovation to focus on the whole patient journey: from prevention to diagnosis to securing the right treatment.

4.    Cancer outcomes are improving, though the rise of cancer is unavoidable and so are the scale and costs. At the same time, inequality is a major risk to patients.

5.    True and proper partnerships, among small biotech, big pharma, academia & charities are required to leverage all the exciting ideas and deliver healthcare in the future. 

Attendance at this forum reinforces our belief that the novel approach adopted at aPODD is following current advances in the sector.

aPODD is already using digital technologies to advance two projects, collaborating both with academic and commercial organisations, delivering on our promise to accelerate the discovery of treatments for children with cancer. 

*The focus of this group is to foster age inclusive research and the participation of Adolescents & Young Adults in early stage cancer drug trials.