The power of purpose

Our cover story this month features Amar Urhekar, CEO at Avalere Health, and I spoke to Amar about his professional journey within healthcare marketing and his experiences working in China, Japan, Singapore and the US.

Amar says: “It has been quite a journey over the last 20 to 25 years, living and working in different countries, experiencing new cultures and mastering the changing regulations of each new place. During that time, I experienced an earthquake, a tsunami and a nuclear plant disaster in Japan in 2011, not to mention the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. This has shaped me into who I am today, as a leader, husband, father, son and friend – I am the sum of all my experiences.”

In one of the year’s most anticipated congresses, ASH 2024 took place in San Diego in December, ‘delivering a blockbuster line-up of advances in haematology’. Covering all the excitement from the event, Susanne Bobadilla and Georgia Attfield write: ‘From practical guidance on optimising current treatments to game-changing gene therapies and AI disruption, sessions showcased progress and challenges in equal measure. Discussions on health equity and intergenerational mentorship highlighted the importance of collaboration and inclusion, while a fascinating plenary session looked at how diet – specifically keto – could enhance the effectiveness of CAR-T therapies.’ Read more on page 24.

The article from Dan Williams focuses on the science behind gene-silencing technology and the barriers and challenges faced by drug developers. As Dan says: “‘Gene editing’ is a term used to describe the process of stopping a specific gene from making its associated protein. It is different from ‘gene editing’ in that the gene itself is untouched; only its expression as a protein is affected.

“One form of gene-silencing technology, antisense oligonucleotides, has proved to be particularly effective, not least because it is highly targeted and produces far fewer side effects than gene editing.” Find out more on page 22.

Our next issue, in February 2025, will look at promoting inclusion through patient diversity. If you would like to make your voice heard on this topic, please get in touch at sales@pmlive.com

I hope you enjoy this issue!

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