Montreal and San Diego, June 3, 2024 – Oncopole, the FRQ’s cancer cluster, unveils the results of the PROVEM (PRObantes éValuées En Milieu réel) competition. This announcement is part of the BIO international congressheld in San Diego from June 3 to 6, in the presence of Oncopole representatives, the Minister of the Economy, Mr. Christopher Skeete, founding partner Merck Canada, and partners GSK and Pfizer Canada.

The integration of innovations in healthcare, particularly in oncology, is essential, while the growing complexity of these advances can bring a level of uncertainty about their real value. It is therefore necessary to develop processes for evaluating and adopting innovations that can overcome these uncertainties to enable rapid, optimal use for patients and the healthcare system.

It’s against this backdrop that Oncopole, a major player in oncology research in Quebec, is announcing $2M in support for two teams as part of its PROVEM competition. This initiative is supported by the Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie, Oncopole’s founding partner Merck Canada, and its partners GSK and Pfizer Canada.

The two winning platforms in the PROVEM competition are :

• “Leveraging real-world care data for responsible, efficient and equitable introduction of therapeutic innovations in oncology” led by Hermann Nabi and Isabelle Laverdière (CHU de Québec, Université Laval).
• “Creating timely real-world evidence and economic evaluations to improve decisions for cancer patients” led by Elena Alice Dragomir (Université de Montréal) and Armen G. Aprikian (McGill University Health Centre)

These two teams will develop a range of services to obtain evidence-based data in a real-life context, reduce uncertainties and accelerate the integration of innovations into cancer treatment. Accompanying innovations as close as possible to the point of use will have a direct impact on the quality of care and services offered to people affected by cancer in Quebec.

“We’re delighted to support these two platforms, which have the potential to make a major impact by contributing to the accessibility of advances made possible by research,” says Carole Jabet, Director of Oncopole and Scientific Director of the FRQ – Santé. “Oncopole will continue to play a leading role in funding and promoting oncology research, with a focus on scientific excellence and improving clinical outcomes for patients.”

“We congratulate Oncopole and the brilliant research teams dedicated to innovation for people with cancer. We understand the profound impact of oncology research on patient outcomes, and recognize the potential of this program to advance groundbreaking discoveries and new therapeutic approaches,” says Jennifer Chan, Executive Director of Policy at Merck Canada. “Our collaboration with Oncopole and other stakeholders in the PROVEM program underscores our commitment to improving patient outcomes through a better evaluation process to access innovative medicines. We look forward to supporting further progress.”

“Innovation is at the heart of GSK’s mission, and strategic partnerships are essential to opening up new avenues of discovery. Thanks to our partnership with Oncopole, we are proud to contribute to improving and accelerating access to the latest advances for patients,” he adds. Alison Pozzobon, Vice President Communications, GSK Canada Pharma.

“This announcement is a source of hope for cancer sufferers. The level of excellence in cancer research in Quebec is among the highest in the world. We are proud to continue to support cancer research in Quebec through our support of the Oncopole. Karine Grand’Maison, Vice-President, Access and Government Relations, Pfizer Canada. “Collaboration in Quebec’s life sciences ecosystem is of great importance so that we can continue to develop our strengths in this province.”