Styret i HealthCatalyst AS består av lederne i de 3 klyngene - styreleder Arild Kristensen (NSCC), Ketil Widerberg (OCC) og Lena Nymo Helli (NHT). Photo: HealthCatalyst

Forenkler testing av helseteknologi sammen

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Two men and a woman looking into the camera

The following article is in Norwegian. It is about a new collaboration agreement between NorTrials Medical Equipment and HealthCatalyst with the aim to develop Norway as a test nation for health technologies. Please visit the Health Catalyst website if you want more information about the initiative.

NorTrials Medisinsk utstyr har inngått en samarbeidsavtale med HealthCatalyst AS for å utvikle Norge som testnasjon for helseteknologi.

Akselererer innovasjon i helsesektoren

HealthCatalyst AS er et samarbeid mellom de tre norske helseklyngene Norwegian Smart Care Cluster, Oslo Cancer Cluster og Norway Health Tech. Selskapet har som mål å bygge et ledende globalt test- og innovasjonssenter som utvikler Norges posisjon som en unik testside for fremtidens helse- og teknologitjenester.

HealthCatalyst AS er et non-profit selskap som eies med like deler av de tre klyngene. Selskapet vil bidra til økt konkurransekraft og økt verdi for den norske helseindustrien. Selskapet vil også bidra til å akselerere innovasjonsprosessen fra ide til marked for å skape robuste selskaper innen digital helse, medisinsk robotikk, og innenfor kunstig intelligens (AI). Dette vil bidra til å tiltrekke store utenlandske aktører til å legge test/utviklingsoppdrag i Norge.

NorTrials er et samarbeid mellom regionale helsemyndigheter og organisasjonene for legemiddel- og medisinteknisk industri, etablert på oppdrag fra Helse- og omsorgsdepartementet i 2021. Målet med NorTrials er å styrke og effektivisere kliniske studier i Norge gjennom å tilby et samarbeidsnettverk mellom ulike aktører i helse- og forskningssektoren.

Medisinsk utstyr er helt sentralt i det meste av diagnostikk og behandling av pasienter i sykehusene. Kliniske studier i forskning, utvikling og utprøving av medisinsk utstyr (teknologi) er noe de fleste sykehus driver med i større eller mindre grad, enten i egen forskning, samarbeidsprosjekter med universiteter og forskningsinstitutter, eller i samarbeid med industri. NorTrials Medisinsk utstyr er lagt til St. Olavs hospital HF.

Testkonsept for digitale løsninger

Samarbeidet mellom HealthCatalyst AS og NorTrials Medisinsk utstyr vil blant annet omfatte et felles kontaktpunkt for brukere der bedrifter, helsepersonell og forskere kan ta kontakt og få hjelp til det videre løp. Det vil også innebære utvikling av testkonseptet for digitale løsninger, inkludert forretningsmodeller, post market evaluering og tjenestemodeller. Internasjonal markedsføring vil også være en del av samarbeidet.

For å sikre at samarbeidet utvikler seg som begge parter ønsker, vil det etableres en styringsgruppe og en arbeidsgruppe. Arbeidsgruppen vil ha ansvaret for å definere konkrete oppgaver og aktiviteter for samarbeidet og legge til rette for at samarbeidet utvikler seg positivt. Det vil utvikles en strategi med handlingsplan for samarbeidet.

Milepæl for norsk helseteknologi

Dette samarbeidet vil være en milepæl for norsk helseteknologi og vil bidra til å øke Norges posisjon som en testnasjon for helseteknologi. Det vil også være et viktig bidrag til å utvikle norsk helseindustri og skape nye arbeidsplasser.

 

Foto: Thor Nielsen

 

Thomas Langø, faglig leder NorTrials Medisinsk utstyr. Foto: Nortrails

 

Jan Gunnar Skogås, senterleder NorTrials Medisinsk Utstyr. Foto: Nortrials

The post Forenkler testing av helseteknologi sammen first appeared on Oslo Cancer Cluster.

General Manager Ketil Widerberg (to the left) and Chairman of the Board Øyvind Kongstun Arnesen (to the right) welcomed the new Board Member Ingvild Stenstadvold Ross after the General Assembly 2023. Leif Rune Skymoen was not on-site when the picture was taken. Photo: Sofia Linden / Oslo Cancer Cluster.

Oslo Cancer Cluster strengthens the board

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Patient and industry perspectives are key as new board members join Oslo Cancer Cluster.

Ingrid Stenstadvold Ross, CEO of the Norweigan Cancer Society, and Leif Rune Skymoen, general manager of the Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry in Norway (Legemiddelindustrien – LMI) were voted into the board of Oslo Cancer Cluster at the General Assembly in May 2023.

Both newcomers bring a strong focus on the development of Norwegian health industry and collaboration between public and private partners – to improve patient’s lives.

Helping cancer companies

“I am grateful for this trust and look forward to starting the work in the board of Oslo Cancer Cluster. The most important issue for me is to contribute to the development of Norwegian health industry that creates new solutions and treatments for future patients.

“We need to work so the incredibly important cancer companies in the cluster get the best circumstances going forward. This means a special focus on the development of the Radiumhospital Campus and to secure that Norwegian companies in cancer get maximal opportunities through the EU Mission on Cancer, as well as, to use my experience in communication and political advocacy to influence the framework for the Norwegian health industry,” commented Ingrid Stenstadvold Ross.

Stenstadvold Ross has worked in the field of cancer for almost 10 years and has almost 20 years of experience in political advocacy, organisational development, and leadership within different NGO’s. Ross is also deputy chairman of the board of Abelia, and chair of the board of the European Fair Pricing Network.

Putting Norway on the map

“Oslo Cancer Cluster has through many years been an important driver for collaboration between different actors in the cancer field and an energic ambassador for Norway internationally. I am thankful for this opportunity to contribute to that research and development in the Norwegian cancer milieu benefits even more patients. And to build a new industry in a field where Norway has an extraordinary opportunity to succeed,” Skymoen commented.

Leif Rune Skymoen, general manager of LMI.

Skymoen has held several leadership roles in the Norwegian health industry, including Country Director for Eli Lilly Norway, CEO of Nansen Neuroscience, and co-founder and CEO of Curida.

 

The post Oslo Cancer Cluster strengthens the board first appeared on Oslo Cancer Cluster.

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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The post Exploring lung cancer: screening and early detection first appeared on Oslo Cancer Cluster.

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.

The post Guidance on polygenic risk scores first appeared on Oslo Cancer Cluster.