Terms You
Should Know

Key Terms About Clinical Trials and Expanded Access Programs

Adverse Event: Any unexpected medical problem or side effect that happens during the study, whether or not it’s caused by the treatment.

Clinical Trial: A research study where doctors test new medicines or treatments to see if they are safe and effective.

Compassionate Use: A way for patients to receive a medicine still in development when they cannot join a trial and have no other options.

Eligibility Criteria: The specific requirements (such as age, health condition, or previous treatments) you must meet to join a study.

Expanded Access Program (EAP): Another term for Expanded Access. This may also be referred to as compassionate use.

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GIST): A rare cancer affecting the GI system. In most cases, GISTs arise in the stomach or small intestine, but can form anywhere along the digestive tract.

Informed Consent: A process that begins with an explanation of the clinical trial and review of an informed consent form (ICF) that is unique to the clinical trial and that explains the potential risks, benefits, and requirements of receiving an investigational therapy. After reviewing all of the material and getting answers to all the participant’s questions, the participant or their parent/guardian decide whether to participate or not participate in the trial. If eligible, the participant will be asked to review and sign an informed consent form that explains the potential risks, benefits, and requirements of receiving the investigational therapy through the EAP.

Institutional Review Board (IRB): A group that reviews and monitors the study to make sure it is ethical and safe for participants.

Investigational Therapy: A medication or therapy that is still being studied and has not yet been approved by regulatory authorities [such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)] for a specific use.

PHASES OF A CLINICAL TRIAL

The first step in testing a new therapy in humans. It helps doctors figure out if the therapy is safe and what amount can be given safely before moving on to larger studies.

Determines whether a new therapy works for people who have the condition it is meant to treat. It includes more participants and focuses on how well the therapy works and its ongoing safety. Doctors evaluate whether it improves symptoms, slows disease, or provides other benefits.

The final and largest step before a therapy can be considered for approval. It typically includes hundreds of patients. It compares the study therapy to the current standard of care. The goal is to see how well it works in a larger group and to make sure it is safe for most people.
Takes place to keep learning about the therapy’s safety and effectiveness in a larger, real-world population. This is sometimes referred to as a post-marketing study, and it helps doctors and patients understand how the therapy performs outside of a clinical trial.

Placebo: A pill or treatment that doesn’t contain active medicine and used in some studies to compare results with the investigational therapy.

Principal Investigator (PI): The lead doctor or researcher in charge of the clinical trial. The PI oversees the study and the care of participants at their institute. Their role is to keep patients safe, answer questions, and make sure patients feel supported every step of the way. They will explain how a clinical trial works, check in on patients’ health, and ensure everything is done carefully and responsibly.

Randomization: A process where participants are assigned by chance (like flipping a coin) to different treatment groups, so results are fair and unbiased.

Sponsor: The organization (often a pharmaceutical company) that starts and funds the trial.

Standard of Care: The usual therapy or treatment protocol doctors typically use for a condition based on current medical knowledge.

Systemic Mastocytosis (SM): A rare disorder that causes the body to overproduce mast cells, white blood cells that aid the immune system and help fight off illness. There are two types of systemic mastocytosis: Advanced (Aggressive SM, Mast Cell Leukemia, and SM with an Associated Hematologic Neoplasm) and Nonadvanced (Indolent, Bone Marrow, and Smoldering).

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Cole Pinnow

Chief Commercial Officer

Cole is an accomplished executive with extensive commercial development, new product launch, P&L, and strategic leadership experience over a 20 plus year career in the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on oncology. Before joining Cogent as Chief Commercial Officer, he served at Pfizer as the Global Franchise Lead for its Genitourinary, Lung and Breast Oncology Businesses. In this role, he oversaw the global launch and lifecycle strategy for Xtandi® + Talzenna® in mCRPC. Before that, he was President of Pfizer Canada where he was accountable for the company’s operations within the country, including sales, marketing, access and government relations. He was also VP of a US commercial business unit which had tremendous growth under his leadership. Prior to working at Pfizer, Cole held management positions at both Hospira, Inc., a global pharmaceutical and medical device company, in global pharmaceuticals, global marketing and commercial development. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, a Master of Science degree in Microbiology from Iowa State University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from St. Olaf College. In his spare time, Cole enjoys swimming, hiking and skiing.