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Part b

I looked at him and shyly asked who he who he was speaking about. He answered, "the people behind that bag." Puzzled, I looked at the bag, noting in my academic (and very sleep-deprived, first-year fellow) brain that there was indeed not a single person behind the bag. It was, in fact against the wall.

He seemed to understand my confusion and he went on to explain, "Doc, behind that medicine, there was a long struggle to make that chemical and get it into the bag. Behind that chemical which is now to be infused into my son's arm - is a large team. There are chemists and biologists, folks in patient manufacturing, folks in clinical. There is a whole ecosystem in that company that brought that medicine to the clinic. I just hope that they all brought it every single day because their work, you know, their good days and bad days, it is all being infused into my son right now ... and I am just really hoping that they brought their A-game"

I was speechless at his statement. I had not yet thought about the people behind the purple medicine, I was a first year fellow, trying to survive the clinics. I didn't really understand just what went into bringing that medicine to the clinic. Any medicine, for that matter.

"Bringing your A-game" is a colloquial term in American English that is quoted first in a 1969 article in Gentleman’s Quarterly regarding a challenging golf course in Hilton Head, South Carolina. This article is often cited as an early recorded use of the term, requiring the golfers to bring their "A-game". It is used in sports language now, to signify those individuals and teams that succeed at higher levels.

Fast-forward to today and I work with them now - the people behind the purple medicine. They are the chemists and biologists, the manufacturing team and clinical development folks. All working in lockstep (if you are lucky as the CEO) to bring a new medicine to the clinic for patients. Our team at Avacta is bringing forward a new medicine to the clinic. The IND was filed and cleared. Our clinical sites are open. The next step is the first patient. And I can say that 100% we brought our A-game. It is pretty amazing in a small company such as ours to be able to watch something like this unfold. From concept to IND and now to someone receiving that infusion. All of our good days and bad days. Bringing their A-game every single day.

I went back to see them as the infusion was concluding. His son was asleep and the father had tears in his eyes. He told me he was just so relieved that there were no immediate effects, and his son was doing well. I could see the stress in his eyes. He said that signing the consent and watching the infusion was the hardest moment of his life.

"Now I just hope it works for him, we need a win here, Doc" ... It was one of those moments in life that I will never forget.

#BringYourAGame "

thanks for sharing

for those not using linkedin

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part a :

who is behind the purple medicine

christina coughlin

christina coughlin

chief executive officer, avacta

march 23, 2026

it was 23 years ago, i was a first year pediatric oncology fellow. the first year fellows generally had the privilege of treating many patients enrolled in clinical trials and i was no exception. what was a bit less frequent however were those patients we treated as part of a first-in-human (fih) trial, these studies usually never enrolled pediatric patients.

at the time, i had been speaking with a family about a new phase 1 fih, where the study was still in the very earliest days of enrollment. this was an early study of a combination and was the first time this combination was being tested in patients. the family was in the day hospital, or the infusion center as it is often called. the family meeting had occurred sometime in the not too distant past where myself and my attending had described the combination of medicines to the family and the parents had signed the consent form. the father was a senior chemist at a local chemical company in philadelphia; he had mentioned his interest in seeing the chemical structures of one of the drugs in the ****tail that was new. i had known these parents for some time now through their son's treatment, the father and i had figured out that we were both big philly sports fans: he leaned eagles (american football) and i leaned phillies (baseball), but as true philly sports fans, we understood each other and all of our passions.

on the day of the first dose, i walked over the pharmacy with the oncology nurse to pick up the infusion bag when it was ready. i was curious as another oncology fellow had mentioned the hue of the bag was purple on this study and, true that - there was a purple gaze in the bag. i had broken the rule of business attire in clinics and wore my eagles jersey for them that day - it was a big day.

the nurse started prepping for the infusion, his port had been accessed, she was setting up and flushing the lines to ready for the infusion. we were all standing there by the boy's infusion chair, myself and the parents ... and his father said something that i will never, ever forget.

"i hope they brought their a-game, doc."

Good Morning Would imagine Avacta team will be on tenterhooks waiting for first patient AVA6103 dosing to start .

Best of luck to all involved

Gmcc

=============

Important admin role selecting first patients for AVA6103 clinical trials . :

Fope Akinwale He/Him Clinical Research Professional Clinical Trial Navigator

NEXT Oncology · Full-timeNEXT Oncology · Full-time

Jan 2025 - Present · 1 yr 3 mosJan 2025 to Present · 1 yr 3 mos

Irving, Texas, United States · On-siteIrving, Texas, United States · On-site

As a Clinical Trials Navigator, I specialize in coordinating referral appointments and supporting patient onboarding for clinical research studies. I manage key administrative tasks, including maintaining patient records, verifying insurance information, and handling communications via phone and email. Collaborating closely with new patients, referring physicians, research coordinators, and medical records teams, I ensure seamless integration and support for ongoing clinical trials. My role requires strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and effective communication to facilitate the success of research initiatives "

------------------------

Maybelle De la Rosa

She/Her

Referral Coordinator @ NEXT Oncology| Health Science, Healthcare

Referral Coordinator

Referral Coordinator

NEXT Oncology Virginia · Full-timeNEXT Oncology Virginia · Full-time

Oct 2023 - Present · 2 yrs 6 mosOct 2023 to Present · 2 yrs 6 mos

On-siteOn-site

• Schedules and arranges referral appointments.

• Maintains ongoing tracking and appropriate documentation on referrals to promote team awareness and ensure patient safety.

• Ensures complete and accurate registration, including patient demographic and current insurance information.• Schedules and arranges referral appointments. • Maintains ongoing tracking and appropriate documentation on referrals to promote team awareness and ensure patient safety. • Ensures complete and accurate registration, including patient demographic and current insurance information.

Patient Advocacy, Patient Support and +8 skills"

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