The Global Oncology Venture Event: Innovations in Cancer Research took place in Moscow on 28 September. The conference was dedicated to integrating Russian applied oncology research into the international community. Particular emphasis was placed on establishing relations between Russian innovators and international venture capitalists, as well as on creating an environment in which Russian developments in the field of oncology are in high demand and among the leading methods for combating cancer.
The conference was organised by the Skolkovo Foundation (the biomedical technology cluster) and the Swiss venture capital Foundation Nextech Invest Ltd., which specialises in investments in the most promising methods to fight cancer in different countries.
Bruce Ponder, Head of the Oncology Department at Cambridge University (UK), spoke about cellular and genomic technologies being the new word in cancer therapy. In addition, the conference offered a place to compare criteria for selecting projects, as well as agree on the possible cooperation of a team of experts to evaluate Skolkovo projects.
Professor Sergei Tyulyandin, deputy director and head of Clinical Pharmacology at the N.N. Blokhin Russian Cancer Research Centre, gave a speech at the conference, as did Igor Goryanin, head of the Skolkovo Foundation’s biomedical cluster. The event included presentations from Skolkovo participant companies that are developing innovative projects in the field of oncology. The conference was also attended by representatives of RUSNANO, Russian Venture Company and RVC BioFoundation.
According to organisers, the conference is the starting point for regular meetings between Russian oncologists involved in inventive and innovative activities and international and local investors under the auspices of Skolkovo and the Ministry of Health and Social Development.