Fra venstre: Ketil Widerberg, daglig leder i Oslo Cancer Cluster, ledet en panelsamtale om offentlig-privat samarbeid under lanseringen 25. april. I panelet var Håkon Haugli, administrerende direktør i Abelia og Gunnar Sæter, forskningssjef og professor ved Oslo Universitetssykehus.

Ny rapport: Helsenæringens verdi 2019

Rapporten gir innsikt i en næring som i 2018 omsatte for 142 milliarder kroner.

Helsenæringen er en dobbel mulighet for Norge: næringen kan løse mange av våre helse- og omsorgsutfordringer de neste tiårene og samtidig bli en av våre største næringer, med eksport til et globalt marked.

Den fjerde Menon-rapporten om helsenæringens verdi går nærmere inn på tallene bak disse mulighetene.

 

Viktige funn i rapporten:

  • Omsetningen i helsenæringen var på 142 milliarder kroner i 2018.
  • Helsenæringen er global og bedriftene i industrien vender seg mot internasjonale markeder tidlig.
  • Helserelatert eksport var på over 23 milliarder kroner i 2018.
  • Næringen er avhengig av ny kapital i utviklingsløpet: fire av ti bedrifter hentet inn ny egenkapital i 2018.
  • Helseindustrien er en gründernæring: en av ti bedrifter er i gründerfasen.
  • Det er en svært FoU-intensiv næring, der spesielt kliniske studier er viktig. Likevel falt antall søkte industrifinansierte kliniske studier fra 175 i 2000 til bare 72 i 2018.

 

I rapporten defineres Helsenæringen som private aktører i hele verdikjeden innen helse i Norge.

 

Hjemmemarked og risikokapital

Mye er på plass for norsk helsenæring, men i følge Menon mangler to ting: Det ene er et stort hjemmemarked med kompetente, krevende lokomotivkunder. Det andre er langsiktig risikokapital for raskere utviklings-, kommersialiserings- og vekstprosesser.

– Det som er litt fint med de to utfordringene, er at de henger tett sammen. Lykkes man med det første, er sjansene store for å lykkes med det andre, understreket Erik W. Jakobsen, Managing Partner i Menon Economics, under lanseringen.

 

En internasjonal næring

Under lanseringsarrangementet i Næringslivets Hus i Oslo 25. april, ble enda et utspill lansert:

Innovasjon Norge med samarbeidspartnere, blant annet Oslo Cancer Cluster, lanserte en global strategi for norsk helseindustri. Den heter “Pioneering sustainable health”.

– Helse er en «born global næring», og det må vi nå utnytte. Vi må gjøre norske helseløsninger bedre kjent internasjonalt. Visjonen er å tredoble norsk helseindustri innen 2030, sa Hans Eirik Melandsø, sektoransvarlig helseindustri i Innovasjon Norge.

Næringsminister Torbjørn Røe Isaksen (H) var også med på arrangementet og presenterte hovedpunkter fra Regjeringens stortingsmelding om helsenæringen, som ble lansert 5. april. Stortingsmeldingen kan du lese på nettsidene til Regjeringen.

Hvordan kan norsk helsenæring lykkes i å ta en internasjonal posisjon? Det er et nøkkelspørsmål som går igjen i rapporten fra Menon, Stortingsmeldingen om helsenæring og posisjonen “Pioneering sustainable health”.

– Vi ligger i et helsenæringsnabolag. Sverige er store, Danmark er veldig store. Det er en stor fordel at “the Nordic region” er kjent for og har kompetanse på dette fra før. Det må vi utnytte bedre, sa Torbjørn Røe Isaksen.

Ordskifte mellom stortingsrepresentant Ingvild Kjerkol (Ap) og næringsminister Torbjørn Røe Isaksen (H). De var enige om behovet for bedre samarbeid mellom private og offentlige aktører.

 

Offentlig-privat kulturendring

En bedre kultur og insentiver for samarbeid er et annet viktig poeng når norsk helsenæring diskuteres.

– For mange private aktører møter skepsis, stengte dører og problematisering når de forsøker å samarbeide med det offentlige. Vi må ha tjenester som slipper næringen til, slik at næringen også kan forstå hva som skal til, sa Torbjørn Røe Isaksen.

– Det jeg savner i Stortingsmeldingen, er klyngene og TTO-ene. Når vi ser på Menons vekstrater for industrien, ser vi at det er noe som fungerer bra. Framover bør vi gjøre mer av det som fungerer, og ikke bare finne på nye virkemidler. I en videre strategi bør klyngenes rolle få en større plass og utvikles, sa stortingsrepresentant Ingvild Kjerkol (Ap).

 

Du kan lese hele rapporten her:

Bilde av Menon-rapporter om Helsenæingens verdi 2019

Menon-rapporten Helsenæingens verdi 2019

 

 

Lenker til Menon-rapportene om helsenæringens verdi fra tidligere år:

Rapport fra 2018

Rapport fra 2017

Rapport fra 2016

 

Menon-rapporten utgis av: 

Andre relevante saker: 

Meet our new members

Oslo Cancer Cluster proudly presents the new members that have joined our organisation during the first quarter of 2019.

 

The new members represent a valuable addition to our non-profit member organisation, which encompasses the whole oncology value chain. By being a part of Oslo Cancer Cluster, our members are connected to a global network with many relevant key players in the cancer research field. Our members contribute to this unique ecosystem and ensure the development of innovative cancer treatments to improve patients’ lives.

 

HalioDx

HalioDx is an immuno-oncology diagnostic company providing immune-based services, which guide cancer care and contribute to precision medicine. HalioDx executes biomarker studies and develop diagnostic devices, in accordance with regulations and in partnership with biopharmaceutical companies. By being a member of Oslo Cancer Cluster, HalioDx can collaborate with academia and industry to deliver clinical research and diagnostic tools that help find the right therapy for the right patient.

“Immuno-oncology and precision medicine are two main focuses of interest for Oslo Cancer Cluster and this is the reason why HalioDx decided to become a part of Oslo Cancer Cluster.” 

“We are convinced that this collaboration will be of mutual benefit and we hope that HalioDx’s comprehensive clinical research platform will represent a great tool for the academic and pharma members who would like to better understand drugs mechanisms of action and identify the right patients for the right therapy.”
Aurélie Fugon, Associate Director, HalioDx

 

 

 

MultiplexDX

MultiplexDX is a biotech corporation with the aim to eliminate misdiagnosis of cancer disease. The company’s idea is to create 100% reliable, quantitative, affordable and personalised diagnostic tests. By combining tissue visualisation and sequencing technologies, they can accurately quantify 7 or more cancer markers, generating a specific “barcode”. This unique barcode can then specify the type of cancer and suggests which personalised treatment and medicines to be used, and how long the therapy should last.

“We believe that Oslo Cancer Cluster is the best cancer cluster in the world representing the entire oncology value chain that we want to be part of.” Pavol Cekan, CEO, MultiplexDX

“We plan to create strategic partnerships with Oslo Cancer Cluster members to bring our breast cancer diagnostic test, Multiplex9+, to the market as soon as possible. In assistance with Oslo Cancer Cluster and its members, we want the breast cancer patients to benefit from our 100% accurate, reliable and diagnostic test at the earliest convenience.” 

 

Sanofi (Norway)

Sanofi is a global pharmaceutical company and one of their main areas of treatment concerns oncology. Every year, they invest 15% of their revenue into research and development. They do phase I, II and III clinical trials to get new medicines approved for treatment. They want to remain innovative, because they believe that the research they perform today will contribute to preventing and treating diseases in the future.

“Sanofi has a long legacy with R&D in oncology. In the years to come oncology and hematology will be one of the biggest therapeutic areas at Sanofi.

“By becoming a member of Oslo Cancer Cluster we believe that we are able to contribute to unlocking tomorrow’s science by supporting the latest advances in treating cancer in Norway and beyond.” Britt Moe, General Manager, Sanofi (Norway)

“This is especially interesting since in the treatment of cancer, new mechanisms of actions and developments, such as immune-oncology therapies, are very much in the focus.” 


Thommessen

Established in 1856, Thommessen is a leading commercial law firm with offices in Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger and London. The firm provides advice to Norwegian and international companies as well as organisations in the public and private sectors, ranging from start-ups, via small and medium size companies to large multi-national corporations. Thommessen covers all business related fields of law.

“We believe that early identification of potential legal issues before they arise is important.” Mirella Gullaksen, Head of Projects and Business Development, Thommessen

“Investing in early phase biotech/oncology companies should be about the relevant team, technology and product breakthrough. All other risks relating to the company, and investments should be reduced to a minimum”. 

 

  • This post is the first in a series of articles, which will introduce the new members of our organisation every three months.
  • Follow us on Facebook or subscribe to our newsletter to always stay up to date!
  • To find out who else is involved in Oslo Cancer Cluster, view the full list of members.

 

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The panel discussion at our breakfast meeting 27 March 2019. From the left: Jan Frich, Anette Grøvan, Odd Terje Brustugun, Heidi Brorson, Tove Nakken and Markus Moe.

Giving patients a stronger voice

How can the voices of cancer patients be heard when evaluating new methods of treatment?

A breakfast seminar was held yesterday in the series called The Cancer Treatments of the Future. Over 150 people attended at Litteraturhuset in Oslo, among them were relevant key players from the healthcare sector, governmental agencies, patient organisations and the public. The aim was to identify new opportunities to improve patient involvement when evaluating new methods of treatment.

The seminar was jointly arranged by Oslo Cancer Cluster, Legemiddelindustrin (LMI) and The Norwegian Cancer Society. The sponsors of the event were Astra Zeneca, Janssen and MSD.

 

Anne Grethe Erlandsen

Anne Grethe Erlandsen, the State Secretary of the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services.

Anne Grethe Erlandsen, the State Secretary of the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services, first talked about creating a healthcare service with the patient as the starting point. She said that it is important to involve the patient in the decision-making processes to bring in new perspectives, ask questions and challenge the healthcare service.

“The patient is the most radical agent of change in the healthcare sector.”
Anne Grethe Erlandsen

 

Ellen Nilsen

Ellen Nilsen, Special Adviser at Nye Metoder.

Next, Ellen Nilsen, Special Adviser at Nye Metoder, which is the national system for managed introduction of new health technologies within the specialist health service in Norway. Nilsen gave a presentation of Nye Metoder and its processes.

 “Anyone, including patients, their relatives or patient organisations, can submit a proposal for a new method of treatment.” Ellen Nilsen

The proposal is then managed by the regional health authorities in The Commissioning Forum, which commissions a full Health Technology Assessment (HTA) from The Norwegian Medicines Agency. Anyone can submit input to The Commissioning Forum by e-mail or in a form on the website.

Decisions are then made by the regional health authorities in The Decision Forum, based upon the HTA. Patient organisations are also represented in a reference group that meets every six months. The patient representatives are only observers, but have the right to make verbal contributions.

  • Learn more about Nye Metoder by reading this presentation in English from their official website.

 

Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is the evaluation of a new method of treatment, often in comparison to existing treatments. The treatments are assessed according to a set of criteria: the severity of the disease, the utility of the treatment and its cost effectiveness.

 

Anette Grøvan, Senior Adviser at The Norwegian Medicines Agency.

Then, Anette Grøvan, Senior Adviser at The Norwegian Medicines Agency, presented how they are developing a pilot project to involve patients in their HTAs. They have sporadically received input from patients and patient organisations in the past, but they wish to implement a better system for it now.

“Satisfied patients are important to us. Everyone should have a voice, regardless of their diagnosis or disease.” Anette Grøvan

They believe the patients can contribute with their experiences of living with the disease, the quality of existing treatments and their expectations on new treatments.

 

 

A panel discussion, moderated by Markus Moe, the Editor-in-Chief of Dagens Medisin, was then held with the following participants:

  • Tove Nakken, Head of brukerutvalget* at Oslo University Hospital and Deputy Head in Lymfekreftforeningen (The Norwegian Lymphoma Society)
  • Heidi Brorson, member of brukerutvalget* at the South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority and Special Adviser in the Norwegian Cancer Society
  • Anette Grøvan, Senior Adviser at The Norwegian Medicines Agency
  • Jan Frich, Chief Medical Officer at the South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority and Senior Adviser in the Commissioning Forum
  • Odd Terje Brustugun, oncologist at Drammen Hospital

*”brukerutvalget” is a selected group of patient representatives that exists in each regional health authority

 

The topic of the panel discussion was how to improve patient involvement when evaluating and approving new methods of treatment.

 

Nakken first highlighted the lengthy processes in Norway: “Patients want to take part of the treatments that have been approved in our neighbouring countries. But the bureaucracy in Norway takes too long.”

Brustugun agreed that there is a gap between the treatments available in Norway and abroad, and that this is affecting an ever-growing patient population: “The patient’s perspective is important, because there is a large group of patients that can potentially become long-term survivors if given the new treatments.”

Frich said the overall cost of pharmaceuticals in Norway has actually increased over the years, mostly due to new and expensive cancer therapies. He explained they are legally obliged by Stortinget to evaluate new methods according to a specific set of criteria. The reason that a treatment isn’t approved may be that the effect of it has not been documented well enough.

Brorson called for greater transparency in the decision-making processes: “If there was more openness about the decision-making, the patients would have a greater understanding for it and become better informed.”

Grøvan added: “We are not finished developing the system for patient involvement and there are a lot of considerations to make sure that it becomes structured and fair.”

 

The engaging panel discussion inspired the audience to make their own comments and reflections.

 

The fruitful discussion led to many constructive ideas on how to improve patient involvement. Hopefully, these kinds of collaborative discussions can inform politicians to take the necessary steps forward to improve cancer patients’ lives.

Oslo Cancer Cluster wants to thank the speakers, the sponsors, the organisers and everyone who attended! This discussion will continue at Arendalsuken 2019, at our event August 15. We hope to see you there!

 

  • Here is a summary of the event, written in Norwegian, from LMI’s official website.
Arctic Pharma, a member of Oslo Cancer Cluster, gave students a lecture on the chemistry behind cancer treatments.

Chemistry with mutual benefits

Students were taught about the chemistry behind developing cancer treatments in the Oslo Cancer Cluster Incubator.

In February, forty chemistry students were given a memorable specialisation day on the subject of the chemistry behind developing cancer treatments. The company Arctic Pharma in Oslo Cancer Cluster Incubator invited them to the lab and gave a long and detailed lecture on the chemistry behind the medication they are developing to treat cancer.

Karl J. Bonney, who is a researcher in the company, started the day with an interactive lecture in English about the chemistry of the substance Arctic Pharma hopes will be effective against cancer.

Bonney emphasised to the students that the company is in the early stages of the development, and that it will take approximately three to four years before they are potentially able to start clinical trials on humans to see whether the substance is effective.

The pupils who are studying chemistry as their specialisation in the last year of upper secondary school were obviously fascinated by what they heard. They asked many important questions both to the lecturer, Bonney, and the chemistry teacher, Karsten, who participated to explain the most difficult terms in Norwegian.

 

Sugar-hungry cancer cells

Arctic Pharma is exploiting a well-known biological fact regarding cancer cells, namely that they like sugar, which means they have a sweet tooth. This is called the Warburg effect, and, so far, nobody has used it in the treatment of cancer. Since this is such a characteristic aspect of cancer cells, it would make sense to think that this could be a viable starting point for treatment.

Arctic Pharma is one of the smaller companies in Oslo Cancer Cluster Incubator and is co-located with Ullern Upper Secondary School. Bonney has been permitted to use the school’s chemistry lab to test the chemical substance being developed to attack the Warburg effect.

The chemistry day at the company was organised to return the favour and to inspire the young chemistry students to keep studying chemistry at a university or university college.

 

 

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