Conference will also be streamed virtually

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Friends of Cancer Research (Friends) is proud to host our 17th Annual Meeting. This year’s annual meeting will explore three different topics that focus on approaches for streamlining trial designs and data collection to support efficient regulatory processes and decision-making. Topics presented at the 2024 Annual Meeting will address frequently encountered challenges that can impact the efficiency and conduct of clinical trials, and ultimately, the collection of evidence necessary to support new drug approvals. Please register above and stay tuned for additional updates. 

Draft Agenda

10:00 AM: Opening Remarks 

10:05 AM: Morning Keynote 

• Robert Califf, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• Patrizia Cavazzoni, CDER, U.S. Food and Drug Administration

10:35 AM: Session 1 – Interim Overall Survival Evaluations and Implications for Trial Designs and Analysis Plans  

Interim overall survival (OS) data, evaluated alongside early endpoints like progression-free survival and response rate, help assess the risk-benefit profile of new cancer drugs but can be confounded by factors like data maturity and study design features. This session will discuss best practices for trial designs and analysis plans for interim OS analyses in cancer clinical trials as well as the formation of a multistakeholder consortium to conduct simulations, aiming to enhance the accuracy and reliability of interim OS data interpretation. 

11:35 AM: Break

11:50 AM: Session 2 – Enhancing Post-Marketing Studies with Pragmatism 

Incorporating pragmatic elements into clinical trial designs can enhance the generalizability and efficiency of clinical trials. This session will explore several case studies to inform incorporation of individual pragmatic elements into clinical trials after initial approval to answer specific research questions, enhancing their applicability and efficiency while maintaining regulatory rigor. 

12:50 PM: Lunch

1:20 PM: Lunch Keynote

• Kimryn Rathmell, National Cancer Institute

1:50 PM: Session 3 – A Common Strategy for Using ctDNA as an Intermediate Endpoint in Prospectively Designed Trials 

Over the last 5 years, Friends has collaborated with various stakeholders to develop data that supports using change in ctDNA levels as an intermediate endpoint in oncology drug development by demonstrating its association with OS. To standardize ctDNA measurement methodologies, this session will discuss an aligned approach for assessing ctDNA changes, focused on using ctDNA in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with immunotherapy. 

3:00 PM: Meeting Adjournment

Draft agenda is subject to change.