Adnkronos Rome, October 10 (Adnkronos Salute) – "In recent years, thanks to research, numerous advances have been made in the diagnosis and management of respiratory diseases. What likely still represents a significant unmet need is reaching a level that goes beyond optimal disease control." This was stated yesterday in Rome by Matteo Bonini, full professor of Respiratory Diseases at Sapienza University of Rome, at the Investigator's Meeting, which focused on various areas of clinical research conducted by AstraZeneca in Italy, involving over 160 clinicians.
"Oncology, rheumatology, and other fields," Bonini explained, "have taught us how to aspire to cure a disease, whether 'on-treatment' or 'off-treatment,' and having this kind of ambition, given the possibility of endotypical diagnoses and therapeutic strategies that are tailored to the individual patient, I believe is a must for all healthcare professionals. Beyond the goal of cure, we are currently accustomed to treating diseases based on their presenting state, with a predominantly cross-sectional assessment, looking at the patient's retroactive risk of exacerbations and current symptoms. Taking an approach that targets future risk, and that aims to identify disease trajectories in order to take early action and predict the prognosis, can certainly represent a further step forward."
"At least in Italy," the expert emphasized, "there is a need for a significantly higher level of training for all clinical research participants—doctors, nurses, and all other professionals actively involved in conducting a randomized controlled trial. Appropriate staff training goes hand in hand with appropriate training for facilities, enabling them to anticipate potential study management needs in advance, predicting enrollment requirements, and thus anticipating any potential unforeseen events."
Bonini is undeniable about how research and public-private partnerships can accelerate access to innovative therapies in a field like respiratory diseases, where increasingly personalized medicine is needed: "I believe that, also in light of previous experiences in England and the United States, public-private partnerships, particularly between academia and industry, are crucial. I believe that a collaborative approach between experts from different backgrounds and with different approaches always yields improved and more positive outcomes. The exchange of ideas, discussion, and discussion are essential," she concluded. "There is currently industry expertise that isn't available in academia, and vice versa. So this type of close collaboration aimed at achieving a common goal can certainly lead to even more satisfying results than what we're currently achieving."