Centre for Cancer Prevention and Support

Words on screen: Canada is home to world-class cancer research. Now, it’s time to turn that innovation into solutions that save lives – right here at home. The Canadian Cancer Society and Creative Destruction Lab convened cross-sector leaders to explore how Canadian cancer breakthroughs can reach the people who need them most. Bringing cancer solutions to all Canadians.

[Annemarie Edwards appears on screen.]

Words on screen: Annemarie Edwards. Vice President, Cancer Strategy & Innovation, Canadian Cancer Society

Annemarie Edwards: My team has actually worked really closely in partnership with the Creative Destruction Lab to co-design today's workshop on how to optimize commercializing cancer research and innovation in Canada.

[Close-up of a daffodil pin on a suit lapel; Andrea Seale, CEO of the Canadian Cancer Society, speaks at a podium; attendees speak with one another in small groups.]

Annemarie: Canada doesn't have an innovation problem. Canada has an implementation problem.

[David O’Neill appears on screen.]

David O’Neill: We need national stakeholders that are focused on solving this innovation challenge for patients with cancer because of the long lead time to developing innovations to impact patients, but also because a lot of our institutions weren't set up with the entire innovation cycle in mind.

[Attendees speaking and exchanging at the event; a poster featuring the Canadian Cancer Society logo and the words “It takes a society.”]

Words on screen: David O’Neill. Former President, FACIT | Oncology Innovation Investor

[Attendees speaking in small groups.]

[Laura Pearce appears on screen.]

Words on screen: Laura Pearce. Executive Director, Cell Therapy Program & Senior Investigator. Canadian Cancer Trials Group

Laura Pearce: The work that the Creative Destruction Lab is doing, this initiative to really help support startups and to help accelerate their move from research through to clinical trials and then eventually to bringing medicines to patients is really important and exciting.

[Attendees seated at a table, listening and nodding.]

[Peter Liu appears on screen.]

Words on screen: Peter Liu. CEO and Co-founder of Oxford Cancer Analytics Ltd

Peter Liu: We'll be contributing to the discussing how you can take an idea innovation from startup to scale up and truly bring these innovation, scientific and clinical ideas into patients and hands of people who need it most.

[Peter Liu speaks at a table during the discussion.]

Words on screen: Robby Spring. Patient Advocate & Lead, Patient Contribution Group, CDL Cancer

[Robby Spring appears on screen.]

Robby Spring: A lot of companies have issues scaling up or they leave, or they don't have the right supports in place, and so CDL really provides that environment, but also it helps push forward these amazing scientific discoveries that we have. What excites me the most, I think is the diagnosis side, because having access to less expensive, quicker, scalable diagnostics for cancer will allow people to get caught earlier because you're screening more people and screening them more regularly.

[Attendees speaking and interacting around the room.]

Annemarie: Just to have the most brilliant minds in Canada's cancer system come together and talk about how we can solve the problem of bringing innovations to the people who need them the most.

[Andrea Seale speaks to an audience at the front of the room.]

Annemarie: This is a really rare opportunity and it's only through kind of the ventures that we have graduating in CDL Cancer this year that we are ultimately going to be successful changing the future of cancer.

[The Canadian Cancer Society logo appears on screen with the words “It takes a society.”]

Words on screen: Together we’re building a future for cancer care.