In this webinar, Dr Clare Fedele will take us through the full journey from lab to clinic, covering the critical steps of preclinical research, clinical trials, regulatory approval, and commercialisation. You will gain insight into the scientific, financial, and strategic considerations that shape whether a promising idea becomes a viable treatment.
Adding a real-world perspective, Dr Nicole van der Weerden will share her company’s experience navigating this complex process in the development of their unique invariant Natural Killer T (iNKT) cell cancer therapy platform.
This session is essential for all members of the community who want to understand how innovation moves from discovery to patient care. Do not miss this opportunity to learn what drives success, what challenges must be overcome, and why collaboration across science, business, and healthcare matters.
Prof Andrew Scott leads the Tumour Targeting Laboratory at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute; is Director, Department of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, Austin Health; and is Professor, University of Melbourne and La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. Prof Scott's clinical and research interests are focused on developing innovative strategies for targeted therapy of cancer, and molecular imaging and theranostics in oncology. There have been 7 therapeutic antibodies developed in his laboratory that have been licenced to Pharma and Biotech, and four have progressed to Phase I/II/III clinical trials. Prof Scott has published 500 peer reviewed papers and 27 book chapters, is an inventor on 25 patents, and has received over $40 million in peer reviewed grant funding.
Dr Fedele advises emerging life science innovators on integrated product development, including clinical, regulatory, commercialisation, and market access strategies. She draws on her deep scientific expertise, strategic insight, and specialisation in science communication, developed through over 20 years of research experience across academia and industry, to enable her to guide new therapies from discovery through to patient impact.
Prior to joining Biointelect, Dr Fedele held senior research positions at CSL Ltd, The University of Melbourne Centre for Cancer Research and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. She earned her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Monash University (2010) with a Cancer Council Victoria Scholarship, followed by postdoctoral fellowships from NHMRC and Victorian Cancer Agency.
Her additional experience includes strategic science communications and public engagement, narrating Peter Mac’s bioanimation series and bringing science to the public as a resident science expert on ABC Melbourne radio. In 2017, she was recognised as a Superstar of STEM by Science and Technology Australia.
Dr van der Weerden is a biotechnology executive with over 15 years’ experience in the development of novel therapeutics, spanning discovery research, translational science, and early-phase clinical development. She holds a PhD in Biochemistry from La Trobe University (2007), an MBA from Melbourne Business School (2013) and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Dr van der Weerden has led drug development programs across biologics and cell therapies, integrating preclinical, manufacturing, regulatory and clinical strategies to advance innovative therapies into the clinic. At Arovella, she leads a team progressing a novel allogeneic cell therapy into first-in-human clinical trials in Australia.
