Cross Cancer Institute

Leveraging remote monitoring technology, the study aims to improve patient care and reduce pressure on Canada's healthcare systems. KIRKLAND, QC, June 3, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, Pfizer is proud to announce that it is supporting a McMaster University-led study, through the Ontario Clinical Oncology Group, that aims to improve care for Canadians living with multiple myeloma. The EMBRACE study, which is being led by Dr. Hira Mian, Assistant Professor in the Department of Oncology at McMaster University and a hematologic oncologist at Hamilton Health Sciences, will study how adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) can safely receive treatment and care at home, with the aim to improve patient care and reduce pressure on Canada's health systems. "Multiple Myeloma is a blood cancer which can cause significant morbidity and mortality. Certain therapies – especially newer modalities like bispecific antibodies – require patients to be admitted to hospital to receive treatment, at least for the first few days," explains Dr. Mian. "Our study will evaluate whether treatment can be delivered safely to patients at home, using remote patient monitoring as one of the measures. The technology available today allows us to keep a close watch on patients' vitals from a distance. Remote monitoring will help reduce the time patients spend travelling to treatment appointments and time in hospital, which can help improve their quality of life. This will also help reduce overall hospital appointments for patients and strain on the healthcare system. Furthermore, because multiple myeloma patients are particularly susceptible to infection, the study will also examine how increasing the treatment dosing interval may help decrease the risk of infections." EMBRACE will launch in July 2024 at five sites across Canada. The site investigators include: Dr. Alissa Visram at the Ottawa Hospital, Dr. Irwindeep Sandhu at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton, Dr. Nizar Bahlis at the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute in Calgary, Dr. Christopher Verner at BC Cancer Vancouver and Dr. Hira Mian at Hamilton Health Sciences. As part of the study protocol, correlative laboratory studies will also take place. These will be performed in Calgary by Dr. Bahlis, the co-investigator of EMBRACE. Multiple myeloma is the second-most common type of blood cancer, with an estimated 11 Canadians being diagnosed with myeloma every day.i It is estimated that in 2023, 3,900 Canadians were diagnosed with multiple myeloma and 1,700 Canadians died from the disease.ii "Multiple myeloma is a disease of high unmet need as patients often relapse and become refractory to successive and limited therapies." said Andrew Brown, Medical Affairs Lead, Oncology at Pfizer Canada. "We are committed to supporting patients and the multiple myeloma community affected by this difficult disease, which is why we are proud to be partnering with McMaster University, as well as Dr. Mian, Dr. Bahlis and all of the site investigators, to advance research and our understanding in this space." "On behalf of the Government of Ontario, we congratulate Pfizer on their new partnership with McMaster University," said Vic Fedeli, Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. "Ontario's life sciences sector and R&D ecosystem continue to produce the cutting-edge solutions and discoveries that improve and save lives. We thank Pfizer, McMaster and the talented team behind the EMBRACE study for their work to improve the lives of those living with multiple myeloma and for representing the best of Ontario's talent and innovation to the world." About Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma Multiple myeloma is associated with the abnormal behavior and uncontrolled growth of the plasma cells. In people with multiple myeloma, abnormal plasma cells crowd out other types of blood cells. As a result, a person can become anemic, bleed easily and have increased susceptibility to infection.iii Other symptoms of multiple myeloma may include frequent infection; fatigue or shortness of breath; numbness or weakness; low platelet, red or white blood cell counts; or bone problems including pain, weakness or fractures.iv,v While disease trajectory for myeloma varies for each person, relapses are nearly inevitable, and many people become resistant to treatments – these people have what is referred to as relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma.vi There is no cure for multiple myeloma and most patients living with multiple myeloma will receive four or more lines of therapy due to relapse.vii About Pfizer Canada Pfizer Canada ULC is the Canadian operation of Pfizer Inc., one of the world's leading biopharmaceutical companies. At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that help extend and improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety, and value in the discovery, development, and manufacture of health care products. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work to advance wellness, prevention, treatments, and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. To learn more about Pfizer Canada, visit pfizer.ca or you can follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Instagram or YouTube. SOURCE Pfizer Canada

EDMONTON, Alberta, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At a recent BioAlberta event in Edmonton, the Alberta Cancer Foundation announced a major boost for the province’s cellular therapy program – a revolutionary treatment for cancer that has the potential to dramatically improve survival rates for hard-to-treat cancers. The nearly $10 million commitment will bring life-saving treatment to more Albertans sooner and further the province’s reputation as a leader in cancer research. “Cellular therapy may represent the most significant progress in curing some treatment-resistant cancers in decades. And it’s happening right here, in Alberta,” said Wendy Beauchesne, CEO of the Alberta Cancer Foundation. Cellular therapy harnesses the power of a patient’s own immune system by engineering ‘super cells’ to attack and kill cancer cells and tumours within their own body. In 2018, the Alberta Cancer Foundation and the Government of Alberta kickstarted the Alberta Cellular Therapy Program, including a made-in-Alberta clinical trial led by the renowned Dr. Michael Chu. To date, this remarkable clinical trial has increased the quality of life for 25 patients at a much lower cost than commercial alternatives. Most importantly, many of these patients have gone from being palliative to being cancer-free. This $10 million boost will enable more patients to access these clinical trials, drive down the cost of these treatments and help build a Health Canada-approved, in-house lab for manufacturing CAR T cell therapies – bringing them closer to patients in the Cross Cancer Institute. “Imagine the potential this holds for cancer patients for whom surgery, radiation and chemotherapy simply doesn’t work,” said Brenda Hubley, Chief Program Officer at Cancer Care Alberta. “This funding announcement – made possible through the generous support of donors – starts to bring a new future into focus for those cancer patients desperate for good news.” Both Hubley and Beauchesne agree that there is a unique opportunity for Alberta to build on its strengths in immunotherapy research, point-of-care manufacturing, clinical trial delivery, commercial translation, and cellular therapy services – building a true ‘best in class’ centre of excellence for cellular therapy. “The last 20 years have seen incredible advances in cancer care and treatment, and Alberta has been right there at the very front,” said Beauchesne. “This $10 million sets us up for the next 20 years of innovation and hope for Albertans,” added Hubley. Media contact: Ryan KellyVice President of Communications and Community PartnershipsAlberta Cancer Foundation1-780-220-8791ryan.kelly@albertacancer.ca

NEWTOWN, Pa., Oct. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bracken Group is pleased to announce that Dr. Alexander "Sandy" McEwan, Executive Consultant and Senior Partner, will be joining the team. The consulting group continues to advance the breadth and depth of our intelligence ecosystem with the addition of another stellar consultant. Sandy McEwan With over forty years of experience in oncology and nuclear medicine, Dr. McEwan is a world-renowned expert in his field. Most recently, he was Chief Medical Officer at Ariceum, a company developing novel medicines for systemic targeted radiotherapy (SRT), and immediately prior to that he was Vice President of Radiopharmaceuticals at Ipsen. As an academic physician, Dr. McEwan served as Chair of the Departments of Radiology and Oncology at the University of Alberta. Dr. McEwan has worked as a physician at Alberta Health Services for over thirty years, with additional postings that have included Clinical Director of the Cross Cancer Institute and Clinical Head of Diagnostic Imaging at the University of Alberta Hospital. Dr. McEwan has authored over 120 publications in oncology and radiopharmaceuticals and SRT. Dr. Colin G. Miller, CEO of Bracken, stated, "I am delighted Professor Sandy McEwan has joined The Bracken Group. Sandy comes to us as a highly respected and renown Key Opinion Leader in Oncology, specifically in the development and commercialization of radiopharmaceuticals. I have had the pleasure of working with Sandy and am excited to have him as part of the Bracken team, bringing his extensive insights and knowledge to our clients." Dr. Miller went on to say, "With the addition of Sandy McEwan, The Bracken Group strengthens its position as the premier clinical development consulting team in the area of radiopharmaceuticals and nuclear oncology." About The Bracken Group Bracken offers consulting, regulatory, analytics, marketing, and sales enablement solutions for the life sciences and digital health industries. Through highly experienced consultative support, business programs, and data-enabled products, Bracken provides a multidisciplinary approach to exceeding goals for their clients. CONTACT: Elliott Miller: [email protected] SOURCE Bracken