By David Kubota
NKyTribune reporter
A panel of representatives from local cancer companies and researchers gathered to speak about cancer at the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Eggs N’ Issues panel discussion on Tuesday.
Recent collaborations between pharmaceutical companies and major health providers in the region hope to open doors for new possibilities in cancer care.
Dr. Ray Takigiku, president and CEO of Bexion Pharmaceuticals; Timothy Schroeder, CEO of CTI, clinical consulting; and Dr. Douglas Flora, acting medical staff director of St. Elizabeth’s Physicians participate in discussion moderated by Pat Crowley of Strategic Advisers.
The panelists included Dr. Douglas Flora, a physician at St. Elizabeth’s specializing in oncology and the acting Medical Staff President; Dr. Ray Takigiku, President and CEO of Bexion Pharmaceuticals; and Timothy Schroeder, CEO of CTI, a clinical trial and consulting company.
Dr. Takigiku began by discussing Bexion Pharmaceuticals. While working at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in 2006, Dr. Takigiku and his team accidentally discovered a human protein with anti-cancer properties. In an effort to use the protein, a patient advocacy group provided their team with funding to further research the drug.
“Our drug has touched about 32 patients now and we’re seeing some very encouraging results. We’re planning some pediatric clinical trials and phase two in adults later this year,” Takigiku said.
Dr. Flora discussed the three main health issues facing Northern Kentucky; heart problems, opioids, and cancers, and St. Elizabeth’s ambitious goals of tackling those issues.
“Cancer is the number one killer in the country. Kentucky is worst among all states for lung and colon cancer,” Flora said, “so, it’s a high priority for the healthcare community as we move towards trying to be the healthiest community possible.”
He also addressed the reason for high rates of cancer in the Northern Kentucky community as well as nationwide. Citing poor health choices and the growing number of older people as the baby boomer generation ages.
“As we see people survive heart attacks at 50 or their stroke at 62, you live until 72 now, to get a cancer,” Flora said.
Much of the overall discussion was around the long and competitive process of getting drugs approved for the market. Sometimes taking up to 20 years from initial creation, through trials, and eventually to the market for widespread use. As few as 10 percent of companies in the pharmaceutical field see their drug go on the market.
“The FDA approves about 30 to 35 new drugs a year,” Schroeder said. “There are 13,000 active cancer trials right now and only 35 of those will get across the finish line.”
Many drugs fail testing based on their side effects alone, as these may be so severe that the benefits are outweighed by the toll they take on the patient.
When asked about the relaxation of trial laws in order to speed the process along and to treat patients with very few options left, the panel was quick to address issues that would accompany it.
“We often do much more harm trying to do something than not doing anything,” Flora said. “To get a drug into a cancer cell on its fifth or sixth treatment, they’ve acquired so many mutations at that point that it’s like they’re armor-plated.”
Local business leaders gathered for the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Eggs ‘N Issues discussion.
Dr. Flora spoke about how treatment, at that point, may be only adding a few more days to patients who have already suffered many treatments; and the costs may outweigh the benefits.
A lack of adults enrolling in clinical trials and the little amount of data that comes as a result, also leads to frustration for physicians.
“In adult cancer medicine only about eight out of 100 enroll into trials, while 80 to 90 percent of kids enroll,” Dr. Flora said. “The standard of care for children is a trial, while in adult medicine, the way the structure is set up, physicians have incentives to not recommend a trial.”
The panelists addressed why Northern Kentucky is such a promising area for the field of cancer research and treatment. Cooperation between businesses and researchers in Northern Kentucky is creating a “perfect storm” in an effort to fight cancer in the area.
Schroeder spoke about how his employees and those who fight cancer research are much more community driven and loyal in Northern Kentucky, compared to the coastal cities where people often move on in a short time span. Northern Kentucky’s surrounding universities also provide young talent that these companies and researchers can recruit in the effort to continue the fight on cancer.
Finally, as Ohio has just passed legislation to allow medical marijuana, it’s likely that the issue will arise in Kentucky in the coming months. Dr. Flora was asked about the issue. He rattled off a list of benefits that marijuana has in helping to cope with cancer treatment and spoke about how it helps his patients.
“Probably one in five of my patients finds it illegally anyway.” Dr. Flora said. “Our problems as prescribing physicians is you need to have a dose, you need a reliable reproducible way of producing this drug.”
The Eggs ‘N Issues discussion takes place monthly at Receptions Banquet and Conference Center in Erlanger. For more information on Eggs “N Issues, click here.
David Kubota is an intern at the NKyTribune and a student at the University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media. Contact him at david@nkytrib.com
