The Parexel Podcast

Episode 5: CAR-T: How far have we come and where are we going?

In this episode, Doug Olson, one of the first CAR-T patients treated on a clinical trial for CLL almost 10 years ago, details his experiences with this therapy in its earliest days. Parexel’s experts Mo Heidaran, Alexander Gee and host Alberto Grignolo, all part of our newly-integrated Regulatory & Access consulting unit, also weigh in on the current regulatory and reimbursement landscape for CAR-T and what we might look forward to in the future for this and other cell and gene therapies.

Episode 3: Bridging the Gap – How Minimizing Patient Barriers Can Improve Clinical Research

In this episode Alberto Grignolo, Corporate Vice President, Parexel, Sy Pretorius, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical and Scientific Officer, Parexel, and Roz Round, Director of Parexel's Patient Innovation Center, team up to discuss how the clinical research industry can bridge the gap between the scientific needs of research and development and the needs of patients. Stemming from feedback based on a survey looking at perceptions of clinical trials, the episode explores current barriers to clinical trial participation patients face, how we can make research more patient-centric, and techniques to adopt to increase patient-centricity. Later, Roz interviews Shannon Scarlett, a Parexel employee and cancer survivor, about her experience as a trial participant.

Episode 2: Tackling Rare Diseases & Inside the FDA

Recorded during the 2019 World Orphan Drug Congress, this episode brings together Amy McKee and Mo Heidaran who both recently joined PAREXEL from the FDA, as well as Zizi Imatorbhebhe, an expert in rare disease drug development. Amy, Mo and Zizi discuss how the industry can work to deliver more innovative treatments for rare disease patients and the reality of working with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In the first segment, the experts share their insights working with the rare disease/orphan drug community, including patients, physicians, regulators and patient advocacy groups. Next, they focus on FDA’s recent leadership change and tackle some common misconceptions about working with the Agency.

Episode 1: International Women's Day

In our inaugural podcast, Siri Chilazi, a gender equality expert and Harvard Kennedy School Research Fellow, speaks with female leaders from PAREXEL - Dr. Kemi Olugemo, Dr. Ubavka DeNoble, Aida Sabo, and Peyton Howell - in celebration of International Women’s Day. They discuss what it means to be a female leader in a STEM field and what challenges they have faced throughout their journeys, with the hope that their stories and lessons learned will inspire other young women currently rising through the ranks. They also dive into how their experiences at PAREXEL have influenced their leadership, and what the 2019 International Women’s Day motto of “Balance for Better” means to them.