Good Clincal Charles Beasley

Today’s guest is Dr Haruna Suzuki-Kerr, Research Fellow at the University of Auckland in the Auditory & Vestibular Translational Neuroscience Cluster.

This episode is part of the Te Titoki Mataora Podcast Series, in collaboration with Te Titoki Mataora, the MedTech Research Translator.

Hearing loss is a common problem, in fact 1 in 6 people experience some form of hearing loss. Broadly speaking, hearing loss can be broken down into conductive hearing loss - think glue ear or damage to the ear drum - or sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). SNHL is the most common type of hearing loss, and is caused by a pathology of the cochlea, auditory nerve, or central nervous system.

The problem - the inner ear apparatus is embedded deep within the skull, is very small, and thus is very difficult to study.

Enter Dr Haruna Suzuki-Kerr. Haruna and her team, with seed funding fro m Te Titoki Mataori, are developing a novel, non-invasive, light-based, medical technology and device for the investigation of the 1) structure and 2) chemistry of the inner ear.

To date Haruna and her team have assembled a multi-disciplinary team to inform the design of their medical device and increase the likelihood of commercial success. The initial proof of concept will be tested in sheep tissue, before moving into live sheep model, and then into man!

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
02:00 The Different Types of Hearing Loss
04:50 Architecture of the Inner Ear
07:00 Studying Sensorineural Hearing Loss
11:00 Haruna's previous research experience and Holy Grail of this project
14:30 Inception of the Idea and Design
18:00 Why use light-based techniques?
22:30 Current Status of the Project
28:00 Commercialization Journey and TTM support
36:00 Next Steps for the Project and the ultimate goal

Keywords: hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss, medical device, TTM, Te Titoki Mataora, biomedical science, research, research translation, medtech, medical technologies, university research, intellectual property, commercialization.

Using Light to Elucidate the Secrets of the Inner Ear | Dr Haruna Suzuki-Kerr | TTM Ep02

Good Clinical has teamed up with Te Titoki Mataora, the MedTech Research Translator, to bring you the Te Titoki Mataora Podcast Series. 

Te Titoki Mataora (TTM) is a New Zealand-based organization focused on translating basic science into real outcomes in healthcare.

Here to provide an background to Te Titoki Mataora, the current framework to support research translation and some forward thinking perspectives is Distinguished Professor Sir Peter Hunter. 

After identifying a need to translate basic science into real outcomes in healthcare Sir Peter Hunter and Di Siew founded the Consortium for Medical Device Technologies (CMDT). Over years this resulted in the spin out of a number of companies, as well as a bid for a MedTech Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE), and more recently Te Titoki Mataora, the MedTech Research Translator. 

Te Titoki Mataora aims to develop a New Zealand-wide approach to medical technology translation by collaborating with universities, Callaghan Innovation, and the healthcare system. Supported by the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and the University of Auckland, the organization provides funding and support through programs like the Research Acceleration Program (RAP) to help researchers and spin-out companies progress from ideation to commercialization. TTM has already funded 69 projects and aims to create more high-paying jobs and successful medtech companies in New Zealand.

In Sir Peter's Words, "I don't see any reason why we can't be creating, over the next 10 years, another ten Fisher and Paykel Heathcares". 

Keywords
Te Titoki Mataora, TTM, Consortium for Medical Device Technologies, CMDT, medical technology, translation, New Zealand, research acceleration program, RAP, spin-out companies, funding, high-paying jobs, medtech ecosystem

Sound Bites
"Te Taitoki Mataora is focused on translating basic science into real outcomes in healthcare."
"TTM aims to create more high-paying jobs and successful medtech companies in New Zealand."
"The Research Acceleration Program (RAP) provides funding and support for researchers and spin-out companies."

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background of Te Titoki Mataora (TTM)
03:46 Collaboration for Medical Technology Translation
09:06 The Research Acceleration Program (RAP)
12:15 Future Aspirations for TTM

Today’s guest is Charlotte Bradshaw, the Founder & CEO of Evrima Technologies.

This episode is brought to you by SAPRO Consulting: https://www.saproconsulting.com.au/

Evrima aims to solve the problem of finding patients for clinical trials by building networks of clinicians and integrating trial information into their workflow. The goal is to make it easier for healthcare providers to identify eligible patients and provide them with trial options, with the ultimate vision is to have a measurable impact on the clinical trial value chain, enabling research to happen faster and getting treatments to the people who need them.

Evrima offers three products:
evripath, a referral network that connects sites, CROs, and sponsors to pharmacists and GPsevrilink, a recruitment platform that securely delivers participant referrals to sites, andevriquest, innovating recruitment marketing solutionsIn this episode, Charlotte describes how the company was built based on feedback from clinical trial teams who struggled with outdated tools like spreadsheets, and emphasizes the importance of technology adoption and collaboration in the clinical trial industry.

Charlotte also shares her experiences and challenges in starting and growing the business, including the decision to raise capital and the need for continuous learning and support.

You can find out more about Charlotte Bradshaw and Evrima here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlottebradshaw/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/evrimatechnologies/posts/?feedView=all https://www.evrima.com/

Podcast Takeaways:
Raising awareness about clinical trials is crucial for the advancement of medicine and human health.Evrima aims to make it easier for healthcare providers to access trial information and provide it to their patients.Integrating clinical trial data into existing systems can help identify eligible patients and streamline the recruitment process.The ultimate goal is to have a measurable impact on the clinical trial value chain and ensure that treatments reach the people who need them.The clinical trial industry needs to adopt and embrace technology to overcome challenges and improve processes.Starting and growing a business requires making pivotal decisions, learning quickly, and seeking support from mentors and advisors.Entrepreneurs in the clinical trial space should prioritize mental health and self-care and build a strong network for guidance and support.Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
06:11 Identifying the Pain Points in Clinical Research
09:31 The Traditional Approach to Finding Patients for Clinical Trials
11:48 Integrating Clinical Trial Information into Healthcare Practice
15:24 Measuring the Impact of Clinical Trial Solutions
21:36 Raising Awareness and Reducing Taboos
24:22 The Vision and Impact of Evrema
29:01 Challenges and Decisions in Starting and Growing a Business
32:13 Prioritizing Progress over Perfection
36:30 Raising Capital and Building a Support Network
43:30 Expanding the Reach of Evrima and the Future of Clinical Trials
46:28 Lessons Learned and Advice for Budding Entrepreneurs

Keywords:
clinical trials, awareness, patients, doctors, Evrema, barriers, participation, healthcare providers, integration, digital phenotype, impact, Evrima, EveryPath, EveryLink, referral network, recruitment platform, clinical trials, technology adoption, collaboration, starting a business, raising capital, challenges, continuous learning, support

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et in touch in the comments below or head to: https://www.instagram.com/_good_clinical/

Developing Technology to Streamline Clinical Trial Recruitment |...

Today’s guest is John Robson (JR), General Manager at Bridgewest Ventures NZ, and Managing Director of BioOra, a company that is automating the manufacture of CAR T-cells.

This episode is brought to you by SAPRO Consulting: https://www.saproconsulting.com.au/

The development of new technologies, whether it be medical or otherwise, requires a lot of resources. One of those resources is capital - financial capital. Financial capital for new ventures can come in many forms, including loans from Mom & Pop or the bank, angel investment, grants, or private capital.

One of the forms of private capital is venture capital, or VC. VC is characterised by investment in young companies with growth potential. But it's not just about the money. As JR puts it, no founder has every said they were successful because they had an endless supply of money...

In this episode, and I discuss:
The idiosyncrasies of the New Zealand start-up ecosystemVenture Capital's role to play in the ecosystemBridgwest's portfolio of companies working in the CAR space....and much much more. 

You can find out more about John Robson and Bridgewest Ventures here:
LinkedIn - John Robson (JR)
LinkedIn - Bridgewest Ventures
https://bridgewest.ventures/
https://bioora.com/

Timestamps:
00:00 Teaser
00:30 Introduction
02:20 True Venture Capital vs. Vulture Capital
05:00 Early Stage / Deep Tech Investment
09:20 Improving the status quo - Infrastructure, Human Capital, Regulation
16:00 Money follows success
20:33 Shaping the world around you
23:15 Doing more with less
25:20 It's not just about the money
26:10 Celebrating, and advertising, our successes
29:45 Where does the money come from - Bridgewest edition
34:30 Industry average is one in ten companies
36:20 Early VC - TechTransfer Office involvement
40:00 Founder Equity - Bespoke arrangements
44:00 Bridgewest's CAR portfolio companies
53:15 Advice for Biotech entrepreneurs

To get in touch head to: https://www.instagram.com/_good_clinical/

Vulture Capital vs. True Venture Capital | John Robson | Ep 25
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Today’s guest is Cameron Quilter, and Clinical Research Associate (CRA) at Novotech.

This episode is brought to you by SAPRO Consulting: https://www.saproconsulting.com.au/

In most Clinical Research Trials, there are three players:
The "Sponsor" - the entity that is funding the research and could be a pharmaceutical company, insitute or other non-profit entity;The "Site" - hospital or private research clinical that is carrying out the research and administering the treatments and other procedures to the patients, andThe "Contract Research Organization", or CRO, which is delegated various responsibilities on behlaf of the sponsor.The Clinical Research Associate, or CRA, is the workhorse of the Sponsor or CRO. CRAs work with staff at the "site" to ensure that the research is conducted according to local and international regulatory and Ethical requirements, and helping to ensure that safety, rights and well-being of research participants are the priority.

CRAs need to have keen attention to detail, a solid understanding of human biology and pharmaceutical science, and an ability to work well with all different personality types and manage the multitude of different "stakeholders". Oh, and being comfortable travelling to different cities every other day is a plus too!

Despite this, the hardest part about a CRA role? Can often be getting a role in the first place! Yet once one has their foot in the door, the CRA role provides a spring-board to take your Science Career in a multitude of different directions.

In this episode, Cameron and I discuss:
How to get land a Clinical Research Associate (CRA) jobThe different careers paths that one can take after a CRA careerSome thoughts on the future of Clinical Research and biotechnology in New Zealand and AustraliaYou can find out more about Cameron and Novotech here:
LinkedIn - Cameron Quilter
LinkedIn - Novotech

Cameron Quilter | How to get a CRA job and how to make the most of it | Ep 24

#goodclinical #goodclinicalpodcast #goodclinicalexplains #goodclinicalevents #goodclinicalnetwork #innovation #podcast #newzealand #commercialization #clinicalresearchassociate #technologytransfer #biotech #science #choices #country #entrepreneur #products #clinicalresearch #biotech #clinicalpractice #chatgcp #healthcare #clinicaltrials #medicine #humanhealth

Today’s guest is Dr Zahra Champion, Executive Director of BiotechNZ.

This episode is brought to you by SAPRO Consulting: https://www.saproconsulting.com.au/

Biotechnology is a broad category, and ranges from the use of yeast to brew beer, something humans have been doing for the past 9,000 years to manipulating our DNA to fight cancer, something we have been doing for last 20 years. Biotech is a platform technology that sits across all sectors - animal health, agriculture, human health etc.

Modern Biotechnology has the potential to change lives and economies. New Zealand is at a crossroads, after years of onerous regulations stifling advancement in this area, the new government have made moves to re-vamp these regulations to unlock capacity.

But to make a modern biotechnology industry happen, you don't just need benign regulations, you also need smart and motivated individuals and even smarter money. I

n this episode, Dr Champion and I discuss:
What is Biotechnology and where the opportunities areWhat we can learn from other countries that have developed frameworks to support the implementation of biotechnologyAdvice for budding and future biotech entrepreneursYou can find out more about Dr Champion and BiotechNZ here:
LinkedIn - Zahra Champion
BioTECH NZ

Timestamps:
00:00 Teaser
00:30 Introduction
02:50 Regulatory framework holding Biotech back
04:10 Negative implications of not having a Biotech industry
05:30 What is Biotech
08:50 Taking gene technologies from the lab to trial
13:19 Medicinal cannabis: a case study
14:00 New Zealand can adopt the gold-standard of regulations from the world
15:15 Opportunity-cost of NOT having a thriving biotechnology industry
18:20 Biotechnology is expensive
21:00 Early-stage funding is available, but late-stage is not
25:00 Developing a New Zealand flavour for biotech
29:00 Australia vs. New Zealand
31:15 Tall poppy syndrome & showing the world that we are open for business
33:40 Short vs. Long-termism
37:20 Aroa Biosurgery & Neuren Pharmaceuticals set an example
38:50 Smart money = not repeating the same pitfalls
40:30 Internal monologue or dialogue
44:50 Advice for Biotech Entrepreneurs

Dr Zahra Champion | The Future of Biotechnology in New Zealand Ep 23 | Ep23
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