GEECS holds annual meeting in Barcelona

Dear Colleagues,

In this issue we are pleased to report TRANSPERS contributions to the global understanding of Precision Medicine with participation in ISPOR Europe 2019 held in Barcelona. TRANSPERS Director, Kathryn Phillips has taken on new roles by joining the Editorial Board of JAMA Internal Medicine and being appointed as the inaugural Section Editor for "Economics and Precision Medicine" for Genetics in Medicine. Additionally, we highlight a number of high-profile publications including a Journal of Clinical Oncology Precision Oncology Commentary and TRANSPERS Collaborator, Deborah Marshall's recent publication in Genetics in Medicine.

Please share and circulate our announcements of position openings for post-doctoral fellowships with TRANSPERS, one in partnership with the World Economic Forum to examine global issues.

As always, we welcome your thoughts, comments, and ideas for collaboration.

Best,

Kathryn Phillips, PhD

TRANSPERS Founding Director

In this issue

• The Global Economics and Evaluation of Clinical Genomics Sequencing Working Group (GEECS) held their annual meeting in Barcelona
• Director and Founder Kathryn Phillips to join JAMA Internal Medicine Editorial Board and appointed as inaugural section editor on economics and precision medicine for genetics in medicine
• Recent TRANSPERS and collaborator publications
• Kathryn Phillips talks to reporters and to employers
• TRANSPERS seeks postdoctoral fellows

The Global Economics and Evaluation of Clinical Genomics Sequencing Working Group (GEECS) held their annual meeting in Barcelona

The Global Economics and Evaluation of Clinical Genomics Sequencing Working Group (GEECS) held their annual meeting in Barcelona in conjunction with the ISPOR Europe Conference. The Working Group, chaired by Kathryn Phillips, is made up of an esteemed group of health economists and policy researchers from major institutions across the globe who have been at the forefront of the incorporation of genomics into clinical care. More details: Global Economics and Evaluation of Clinical Genomics Sequencing Working Group (GEECS).

Director and Founder Kathryn Phillips to join JAMA Internal Medicine Editorial Board and appointed as inaugural section editor on economics and precision medicine for genetics in medicine

Kathryn Phillips has taken on new editorial positions with two leading journals. JAMA Internal Medicine is an international peer-reviewed journal providing innovative and clinically relevant research for practitioners in general internal medicine and internal medicine subspecialties. Genetics in Medicine is the official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics with a mission to enhance the knowledge and practice of medical genetics and genomics . Congratulations Kathryn

Recent TRANSPERS and collaborator publications

• TRANSPERS and collaborators from the Centers for Business Models in Healthcare published a commentary in Journal of Clinical Oncology Precision Oncology on the broad implications of the new Medicare Coverage policy for NGS Tumor Sequencing: New Medicare Coverage Policy for Next-Generation Tumor Sequencing: A Key Shift in Coverage Criteria With Broad Implications Beyond Medicare. In this commentary, we argue that the new CMS policy presents a key shift in coverage criteria for NGTS tests and has important implications beyond Medicare for private payer and Medicaid coverage policies.

• TRANSPERS collaborator Deborah Marshall from University of Calgary, recently published an original article in Genetics in Medicine on the direct health-care costs for children diagnosed with genetic diseases: Direct health-care costs for children diagnosed with genetic diseases are significantly higher than for children with other chronic diseases. The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study using population-based provincial health administrative data and found that direct health-care costs for children with genetic diseases are significantly higher than children with/without a chronic disease (asthma, diabetes), particularly in the year after diagnosis. These findings are important when considering resource allocation and funding prioritization for children with genetic diseases.

Kathryn Phillips talks to reporters and to employers

In a January 18 article titled “As Genetic Testing Blossoms, Companies Search for a Killer App” by Bloomberg News, Kathryn Phillips said: “There is a shift going on, and increasingly, hybrid companies like Color and Invitae that straddle the world between consumer and medical are entering the market. But those companies may have to recalculate to win over not just patients but providers and payers as well. And they must convince them all that there’s value in the tests.”

Kathryn also was delighted to serve as the Plenary Speaker at the annual summit of the National Business Group on Health. She laid out key considerations for large employer benefit managers as they look to help their employees receive evidence-based and appropriate genetic testing and treatment.

TRANSPERS seeks postdoctoral fellows

As of January 18, 2019, TRANSPERS is seeking two postdoctoral fellows:

1. The first post-doctoral position offers a unique opportunity for fellows to both develop their own research program and work with leading faculty and collaborators at UCSF and elsewhere. Fellows will participate in team-based projects as well as career-development activities such as training and hands-on experience with grantsmanship and publication. Fellows will also have the opportunity to engage with senior level industry and policy officials and there is the possibility of conducting consulting projects with these groups. A particular focus of this post-doctoral fellowship is the translation of new technologies such as precision medicine into clinical care and health policy. Interested parties should review the full description and application materials: Postdoctoral Fellowship: 1 of 2.
2. The second position is a joint fellowship with the World Economic Forum. The Fellow will be based jointly in the Forum’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (“C4IR”) in San Francisco, California, which is dedicated to addressing the possibilities and challenges posed by the explosion of technological innovation - from AI to biotechnology, and TRANSPERS The Fellow will work with Forum partners and UCSF faculty on initiatives to tackle policy and governance challenges related to accelerating precision medicine and realizing its societal benefits. This Fellowship position is unique in that it offers an opportunity for a mix of research and applied policy work leveraging the academic reputation of UCSF and the World Economic Forum’s global network of partners and stakeholders. The Fellow’s primary role will be to participate in and/or lead projects exploring economic or policy models, cost analyses, and or coverage and reimbursement relevant to precision medicine approaches, with a strong international focus. Interested parties should review the full description and application materials: Postdoctoral Fellowship: 2 of 2.