But because of an organization that bridges Missoula's medical and university communities, big pharma is alive and well in Missoula.
And its presence here, through research that goes on through the Montana Cancer Institute Foundation, makes it possible for Montanans to take part in the cutting-edge treatment and drug trials often available in big cities.
“Part of why this works is because Missoula has developed an exceptional medical community, and much of that is based on the fact that this is a place where people want to live,” said Dr. Pat Beatty, whose practice, Montana Cancer Specialists, plays a major role in the institute's work. “And the other thing is the work done at the pharmacy school at the University of Montana. That's what really makes this possible.”
In fact, the chance to come to Missoula and work with patients and do research is what brought Beatty to Missoula from Salt Lake City.
“It feels like a lot of people are looking for a place where you can work outside the bureaucracy of the big med schools and still do good research,” said Beatty, who serves as the institute's president.
The institute, which pairs the work of doctors with the work of scientists at UM, is currently working on a handful of clinical drug trials.
One of those trials involves a new delivery system for drugs that address breakthrough pain in cancer patients. Another addresses an extremely rare blood disorder called HyperEosinophilic Syndrome.
“What's great about these trials is that we're able to offer people potentially new forms of treatment that would otherwise be unavailable to them,” said Beatty. “Even better, the great thing that can happen in trials is that we find things that actually help patients.”
It doesn't hurt that the drug trials also turn a small profit for the institute, money that is recycled into additional research.
But the bigger benefit is the exposure to new treatments that might otherwise take years to reach Montana.
Part of what draws clinical trials to Missoula is that the research gets done pretty quickly.
“We're just not dealing with all the bureaucracy and inefficiency you sometimes find in larger settings,” Beatty said. “The companies know we can get results, and get them quickly.”
The institute is also doing what's referred to as basic research. And its top project is work that stands to admirably distinguish the center.
It's a foray into pharmacogenics, a study of the way particular genetic factors affect the response people have to particular cancer drugs. Currently, there is intensive research done on Caucasians and nothing done on American Indians. The institute is now addressing that issue by working with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
“We spent a lot of time working with the tribal council and the health service there to make sure this was done in a way that was sensitive to any concerns that they might have,” said Beatty. “And this is going to be groundbreaking research that's done right here in western Montana.”
When the institute first emerged at a ceremony a year ago, the chairman of UM's Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vern Grund, had this to say: “The type of medical research that's done in medical schools can and is being done here.”
And that work is part of a cycle that Beatty said makes Missoula a hotbed of good medicine.
“Most of the opportunities you have for quality work are available here, and you get the lifestyle thrown in,” he said. “It just keeps drawing good people.”
Reporter Michael Moore can be reached at 523-5252 or at mmoore@missoulian.com.
On the Net
To learn more about the Montana Cancer Institute Foundation, go to montanacancer
institutefoundation.org.
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