Therapeutic Oncology: Experience & Expertise
- ONCOLOGY is one of Defined Health’s leading areas of research. We have done hundreds of commercial assessments and forecasts of novel MOAs, as well as opportunity search projects, across all MOAs and tumors.
- The Oncology practice is led by Jeff Bockman, PhD, Senior Vice President, Head of Oncology Practice and Mike Rice, MS, MBA, Principal.
- Select examples of recently evaluated clinical development agents include: pro-apoptosis agents (including inhibitors of bcl2), angiogenesis inhibitors, agents targeting metastases including c-met antagonists and src inhibitors, agents targeting the IGF pathway, cell cycle targeting agents, mTOR-AKT-PI3K inhibitors, HDAC and HSP90 inhibitors.
- In addition, Defined Health has looked extensively at next-generation cytotoxic agents, as well as reformulations, including drug delivery plays on taxanes, platinums, and topoisomerase inhibitors.
- Defined Health has also analyzed cutting edge approaches to the treatment of cancer such as oligonucleotide therapeutics (antisense, ribozyme, RNAi), gene therapy, and vaccines (both autologous and allogeneic, cell-based and antigen-based systems).
Therapeutic Oncology: Select Recent Case Studies
- Pharma Company: Strategically identified licensing and acquisition targets in order to expand the company’s US presence in oncology. Maintained ongoing arrangement to qualitatively evaluate specific opportunities the company was considering acting on, both from our recommendations and their own internal directives. M&A event transpired.
- Leading Oncology Company: Identified early stage licensing opportunities through a systematic scientific, clinical & commercial screen of all Phase I compounds worldwide. Various deals ensued.
- Small Biotech Company: Assessed value of several development-stage opportunities to supplement the client’s existing portfolio, which included a Phase III immunotherapy asset, and provided guidance on the strategic issues of making such moves. Considered complexity of moving into new MOAs outside their comfort zone which led to re-thinking of near-term strategic objectives.
- Large Biotech Company: Prepared strategic position paper on a novel MOA that provided expert, outside insight into specific mechanism and opportunities within the space. Client acquired a biotech company in that therapeutic arena.
- Major Pharma Company: Developed qualitative and quantitative rationale regarding life cycle management of company’s late stage asset, including identifying key new tumor types and niche market opportunities, especially in light of the highly competitive nature of this MOA space. Product has since launched.
- Major Biotech Company: Developed a series of forward-looking white papers on key paradigm changes that could affect oncology over the next decade.
- Pharma Company: Evaluated a novel, but long-studied MOA/target for a non-oncology-focused company looking to enter the space. Suggested key tumors and development path, compared asset to other marketed/development stage programs in the category, developed top-line forecast model, and provided broader context for challenges and risks in oncology drug development & commercialization. Action pending.
- Financial Firm: Evaluated marketed, blockbuster-potential product to gauge its further growth in the initial indication, and additional upside in clinical development stage indications. Provided a detail, multiple indication and multiple scenario, US and EU 10 year forecast model. Deal done (not public).