Prof Seamus O’Reilly
Medical Oncologist & Clinical Lead, Cancer Trials Ireland
Streamlining our processes and regulations around clinical trials is vital for keeping Ireland globally competitive. We’re only as fast as our slowest part.
Cancer clinical trials allow patients access to the latest available treatments. They create an environment of inquiry and standards, and they accelerate innovation. They enable us to bring patients newer treatments years before they would come into place if we waited until they were approved and reimbursed by the Government.
Oncology research in Ireland
Oncology is also at an exciting stage within Ireland, with many new agents in the pipeline. For example, there is a drug class called antibody-drug conjugates, and there are 160 of these in development globally. Creating an environment in our hospitals where patients have access to this innovation is of great significance.
Streamlining processes and regulations
Cancer Trials Ireland has four themes for the next four years, the first of which is ‘streamlining.’ We need to be efficient in bringing trials into Ireland and remove as many barriers as possible. We are competing with other countries, so our processes and regulations — particularly around GDPR — must be streamlined. Much like other enterprises, you’re only as good as your weakest link, and you’re only as fast as your slowest part.
The second theme is bringing more studies into Ireland. Getting patients access to the studies arising from the 160 antibody-drug conjugates is a key objective for our organisation.
We look at ways of nurturing the next generations so they can you know be involved in clinical trials. It is not just about doctors.
Growth through succession
The third theme is succession. In any organisation, we need to nurture the next generation. We look at ways of nurturing the next generations so they can you know be involved in clinical trials. It is not just about doctors.
Building an infrastructure where we can encourage, recruit and retain nurses and data managers in our system is also hugely important. If you don’t have a team, you can’t build around it.
Sustainability initiatives
The final theme is sustainability. Healthcare itself is very climate-unfriendly, while fossil fuel pollution contributes to cancer. In France, they calculated that 3% of their breast cancer cases are due to fossil fuel pollution from cars. It’s a worsening problem that we are all affected by. In 2022, we set up the National Green Cancer Clinical Trials initiative, and we’ve established a green charter for cancer trials in Ireland. Our group also published a paper last year called ‘Climate Toxicity’— the first time the term has been used in medical literature