Outspoken ex-senator John Crown has joined this growing Dublin med-tech outfit
The leading oncologist will help OncoMark further develop its breast cancer test.
AN OUTSPOKEN FORMER senator who is also one of Ireland’s leading oncologists has been recruited by a Dublin med-tech company as its new chief medical officer.
Professor John Crown, who served in the Seanad between 2011 and 2016, will join OncoMark, based out of NovaUCD, which has been developing a diagnostic test for early-stage breast cancer patients.
The test, called OncoMasTR, helps doctors to determine when a patient needs chemotherapy. The company believes it can reduce the number of patients undergoing unnecessary treatment.
Founded in 2007, the company raised €2.1 million in funding last year.
A note attached to the company’s 2017 accounts said it planned to start product sales in mid-2018 and that would generate “material turnover” during the year. It had an average of 18 staff on its books at the time.
Professor Crown is a specialist in oncology and breast cancer research. He will help the company in developing its technology and expanding the business.
He is based in St Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin. He also is founding chairman of the Irish Cooperative Oncology Research Group and serves as Newman Clinical Research Professor at UCD’s School of Medicine.
New markets
Crown’s expertise in oncology and biomarking tests for patients, which determine the best treatment routes, will help inform OncoMark’s launch in global markets, chief executive Des O’Leary said.
Crown said OncoMark’s test “delivers on the promise of personalised treatment choices in a cost-effective manner” and would bring more accurate diagnostics to women who couldn’t currently access them.
Crown has been a vocal critic of Ireland’s healthcare system, once calling it the worst-managed healthcare system in the developed world. However he recently weighed in with his support for the controversial BreastCheck screening programme.
He did not seek re-election as a senator claiming the process of electing members of the Seanad was an “affront to democracy”.
