Newswise — The 2016 annual meeting of the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) and the Cancer Center Administrators Forum (CCAF), will feature Richard Pazdur, MD, Acting Director, Oncology Center of Excellence, United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The meeting will be held October 23-25, in Chicago.
Dr. Pazdur’s opening keynote talk will focus on the current state of drug development in the era of precision medicine and immuno-oncology as viewed from his unique perspective as both a regulator and an advocate.
The FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) leverages the combined skills of the FDA’s regulatory scientists and reviewers with expertise in drugs, biologics and devices to expedite the development of novel cancer products as part of the Vice President’s National Cancer Moonshot Initiative. In his role as OCE acting director, Dr. Pazdur is responsible for leading the effort to develop and execute an integrated regulatory approach to enhance the cross-center coordination of oncology product clinical review.
Dr. Pazdur previously served as the director of the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. That office was formed in 2005 to consolidate the review of drugs and therapeutic biologics for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer as well as the review of drugs and therapeutic biologics for hematologic diseases and for medical imaging. Dr. Pazdur’s position facilitated coordination of oncology activities across all FDA centers and ensured an ongoing outreach and collaboration between FDA, the National Cancer Institute, and other cancer-related organizations within and outside of the government.
Dr. Pazdur was the Director of the Division of Oncology Drug Products from September 1999 to May 2005. Prior to joining the FDA, Dr. Pazdur was Professor of Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Dr. Pazdur was on the faculty of the MD Anderson Cancer Center from 1988 to 1999.
The AACI/CCAF annual meeting will bring together AACI cancer center leaders—directors and executive-level administrators—with representatives from national cancer research and advocacy organizations, industry, and government health agencies. No other program presents information on cancer research and patient care issues as they pertain to academic cancer centers and fosters discussion of common challenges and opportunities and current practices to address them.
AACI and CCAF jointly formulated the meeting program. Scott Lippman, MD, Director, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, chaired the 2016 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting program committee.
Regular online registration for the meeting will remain in effect through September 22. Information on the meeting, including the program and electronic registration, is available on the AACI website.
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The Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) comprises 95 premier academic and freestanding cancer research centers in the U.S. and Canada. AACI is dedicated to reducing the burden of cancer by enhancing the impact of the leading academic cancer centers.
The Cancer Center Administrators Forum (CCAF) provides a network for administrative professionals to exchange knowledge, expertise and share best administrative practices in National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers.
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