Alexander Gray: Re-defining early-phase development to explore opportunities for assets

Transformation in Trials

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The Life Science industry is both known for great leaps of innovation on the product side, and conservatism of process and practice on the other side. In this episode we dive into the actual state of innovation on the product side as we speak to Alexander Gray, the Chief Medical Officer of IDEA Pharma.

The innovative potential of phase II trials in Life Sciences today is often lost, since the indication is locked in too early in the process. Instead we speak about how keeping the indication open might allow the asset to drive the research to more favorable uses.
Especially in broad disease areas such as immunology, oncology and CNS it can pay to wait with settling on the final indication until well into the phase 2 trials. Allowing the asset to lead to the indication can lead to better asset-indication matches and better results in further clinical trials.
We also speak about how it might be possible to keep the phase 2 trials open for longer - and the benefits of involving stakeholders from non-research areas in the development process. This can help expand the view of the asset’s potential and lead to more holistic decision making.
That kind of holistic decision making can be difficult to achieve in especially larger companies, where the functional areas may be divided not only organizationally, but also geographically. Alexander also shares how the joining up of Commercial and R&D organisations have developed throughout the past 25 years, going from less to more collaboration - but also swinging back again occasionally.
Specialization is both a gift and a curse in Life Sciences - leading both to highly knowledgeable people, but also makes cross-functional and cross-therapeutic thinking difficult. This sometimes means that the reasoning behind a molecule can also get lost in the mechanics of drug development later in the development process. Going back to the science can ensure a focus on the best use of the asset.

Guest:

Alexander Gray https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-gray-934a653/

IDEA Pharma https://www.ideapharma.com/
Notes:

Link to the link between GLP-1 on addiction: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34532853/#:~:text=Glucagon%2Dlike%20peptide%201%20(GLP%2D1)%20is%20released,a%20potential%20anti%2Daddiction%20treatment.

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