Tag Archives: NPT

PRNews

Report depicts global challenge of psoriasis, need for database to document the disease’s worldwide prevalence

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — In 2016, the World Health Organization issued a report recognizing psoriasis as a chronic, disfiguring, disabling, non-communicable disease that deserves global attention. Yet, the report noted, knowledge regarding the global burden of psoriasis is limited. Psoriasis affects approximately 125 million people worldwide; however, little is known regarding prevalence or incidence of the disease in regions outside of the U.S. and Europe.


Paper authors (Back Left to Right) Luigi Naldi, Chris Griffiths, Carsten Flohr, Darren Ashcroft, (Front) Matthias Augustin, and Tamar Nijsten at the conclusion of the symposium, “The Epidemiology of Psoriasis: Towards a Global Psoriasis Atlas,” held during the European Society for Dermatological Research (ESDR) meeting in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

A new scientific report, entitled “Global State of Psoriasis Epidemiology: A Workshop Report,” recently published in the British Journal of Dermatology, chronicles the global health challenges in psoriasis epidemiology and highlights the ambitious plan for a web-based Global Psoriasis Atlas (GPA) database that will document the prevalence and incidence of psoriasis worldwide.

This report resulted from a workshop held by the International Psoriasis Council (IPC), a U.S.-based nonprofit organization composed of psoriasis experts from around the world, which examined the current state of psoriasis epidemiology and introduced the vision and development of the GPA. Professor Christopher Griffiths of the University of Manchester, United Kingdom, corresponding and first author of the report, IPC immediate past-president and GPA director, led a panel of key experts who identified the challenges associated with assessing psoriasis epidemiology and described resources (eg, registries, country-specific databases) that can be used to understand trends and patterns of psoriasis epidemiology.

The panel discussed the need to view the overall health burden of psoriasis at the patient level and beyond the level of the skin. In this approach, the increased risk of inflammatory conditions, including psoriatic arthritis, cardiovascular disease, depression, metabolic syndrome, and liver disease, can be recognized and treated. The structure and development of the GPA were introduced as a rigorous and standardized approach and as a leading resource for estimating the true burden of disease in all countries.

“The data collected by the GPA will demonstrate to health care providers and policymakers around the world that psoriasis is not an inconsequential condition,” Griffiths said. “The GPA will be a resource that will help improve treatment and patients’ access to care worldwide and to recognize psoriasis as a health care priority.”

The IPC has joined with two other global organizations – the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS) and the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations (IFPA) – to develop the atlas. The project’s first phase, which will begin this year, will be to comprehensively review current psoriasis literature and gather data on psoriasis from as many countries as possible. Once the database is established, the project’s second phase will be to establish a core set of rigorous methods for collecting data throughout the world.

Ultimately, the GPA is expected to spur improvement in, and equality of, health care planning for psoriasis in every country.

The article is available online at http://bit.ly/psoriasisatlas.

CONTACT: Christy Langan, CEO, christy.langan@psoriasiscouncil.org

About IPC:
Founded in 2004, the International Psoriasis Council (IPC) is a dermatology-led, voluntary, global nonprofit organization dedicated to innovation across the full spectrum of psoriasis through research, education and patient care.

Global Psoriasis Leadership:
With more than one hundred board members and councilors from thirty countries, IPC embodies the global expertise of multi-specialty psoriasis key opinion leaders. These leaders include representatives from dermatology, basic science, translational research, genetics, epidemiology, cardiology, psychology, international clinical trials, and direct patient care.

Mission:
IPC’s mission is to advance the care of people with psoriasis worldwide, through education, research and advocacy.

Learn more about the International Psoriasis Council at www.psoriasiscouncil.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

PRNews

Merck Set to Join Forces with Project Data Sphere to Pioneer Global Oncology Big Data Alliance

DARMSTADT, Germany, Sept. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ —

Not intended for U.K./U.S. based media 

  • Big data platform to help accelerate innovative discovery, development and delivery of new approaches in cancer care  
  • Enhanced analytical capabilities to better define personalized treatment options and help predict treatment outcomes 
  • Focused on areas of high unmet need to help enhance advancement in understanding, and empower and connect oncology community  

Merck, a leading science and technology company has announced that it will enter into a strategic collaboration with Project Data Sphere LLC, an independent, not-for-profit initiative of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer’s Life Sciences Consortium, to jointly lead the Global Oncology Big Data Alliance (GOBDA). This was announced at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding yesterday, to coincide with Merck’s Award Ceremony announcing the recipients of its 2017 Grant for Oncology Innovation, held during the annual European Society for Medical Oncology Congress (ESMO 2017) in Madrid, Spain.

“The ultimate goal of our alliance with Project Data Sphere is to unleash the power of big data to bring value to cancer patients,” said Belen Garijo, Member of the Executive Board of Merck and CEO Healthcare. “Merck is deeply committed to investing in initiatives that push the boundaries of cancer research, that we hope will accelerate the discovery, development and delivery of innovative treatments to all who need it.”

The GOBDA initiative has been formed to expand the open-access of de-identified patient data sets to further enhance analytical capabilities, by building on Project Data Sphere’s innovative digital platform. The current platform contains historical clinical trial data from almost 100,000 patients provided by multiple organizations, and access to this information has already led to new and potentially practice-changing findings. GOBDA will expand this platform to include rare tumor trial, experimental arm and real-world patient data. Leveraging these data with big data analytics will help to optimize clinical trials, build a registry of data and help to enable advancement in the understanding of cancer treatment globally, with the mission to address the significant unmet needs in this field. In addition, by unleashing analytical power and big data to study and learn how to better manage rare but serious immune-mediated adverse events, institutes and industry will be able to assist regulators to adapt these new learnings into treatment guidelines. As well as establishing models to help enable early adverse event identification and improved patient outcomes.

“Big data is changing the face of healthcare as we know it, and advances in our ability to collect data, share and analyze it has already led to ground-breaking work,” said Dr Martin J. Murphy, CEO of Project Data Sphere LLC. “The joint force of Merck and Project Data Sphere will aim to connect and empower a truly global oncology community with these big data and analytical capabilities. We are excited about the Global Oncology Big Data Alliance initiative and the continuing engagement of a diverse community focused on finding solutions for cancer patients.”

Investment in the initiative builds on Merck’s commitment to rewarding innovation and creative thinking that could further advance the field of medicine, and begins a new chapter for global oncology innovation. Since 2014, the company has awarded a total of €4 million to further research in oncology through the Grant for Oncology Innovation award, which has engaged over 1,000 investigators worldwide, generated 12 winning research proposals from leading academic institutions, and generated seven high impact manuscripts. More information about the program can be found online at: http://www.grantforoncologyinnovation.org

About Project Data Sphere, LLC 

Project Data Sphere, LLC is an independent, not-for-profit initiative of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer Inc.’s Life Sciences Consortium. The CEO Roundtable on Cancer is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation founded by President George H.W. Bush in 2001 to develop and implement initiatives that reduce the risk of cancer, enable early diagnosis, facilitate access to the best available treatments, and hasten the discovery of novel and more effective anti-cancer therapies.

For more information, visit http://www.ProjectDataSphere.org, or follow the Project Data Sphere initiative on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ProjDataSphere.

About the Global Oncology Big Data Alliance (GOBDA) 

The Global Oncology Big Data Alliance (GOBDA) will be a joint alliance, co-led by Merck and Project Data Sphere with the shared vision to connect and empower the oncology community with big data and advanced analytical capabilities. It is the goal of the initiative that by unleashing these data capabilities, this platform will help accelerate discovery, development and delivery of innovative treatment approaches for cancer patients, and address current significant unmet needs in this field.

A joint steering committee will monitor the initial progress of the collaboration including expansion of the PDS database with new data sets provided by the National Cancer Institute and other parties, designing the first FDA/Industry immuno-related adverse event Safety Meeting on December 15, 2017. The anticipated overall term of the GOBDA project and strategic collaboration shall be from 2018-2021.

All Merck Press Releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Website. Please go to http://www.merckgroup.com/subscribe to register online, change your selection or discontinue this service.

About Merck 

Merck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 50,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life – from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2016, Merck generated sales of EUR 15.0 billion in 66 countries.

Founded in 1668, Merck is the world’s oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. Merck holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials.

Your Contact: Martina Brunner +49-6151-72-43959