One is an ‘adrenalin-seeker’, the other a ‘voice of reason’. Now, after years of ‘serious graft’, EY award-winning pharma entrepreneurs Sharon Cunningham and Orlaith Ryan are poised to expand their portfolio of cancer treatments
Shorla Oncology chief executive Sharon Cunningham and chief technical officer Orlaith Ryan. The co-founders were recently named EY Entrepreneurs of the Year. Photograph: Alan BetsonThe much-prized award – “we were so shocked,” says Cunningham – delivered a great big dose of validation in November when they were named the emerging entrepreneur category winners and also claimed the overall title. “It’s just a huge honour,” says Ryan.
Shorla Oncology, which has a portfolio of four drugs approved by the US Federal Drug Administration , specialises in “formulation re-innovation”. This means it develops and also commercialises reformulated versions of certaintreatments. Its priority is to launch products, often for paediatric and orphan cancers , that are more convenient in some way than the existing treatments or provide an alternative where there is a shortage.
Some rare cancers are overlooked by larger pharmaceutical companies, while certain patient populations can be underserved. “That’s where we come in,” she says. “We are very targeted, very focused on looking at the current treatments, identifying the problems – the pain points – for patients, caregivers, hospital pharmacists, clinicians, and then looking to see where we can bring a solution through our R&D and formulation expertise.”
We are speaking in The Irish Times office the day after Cunningham, who relocated to Boston with her husband and three children in 2021, flew back to Ireland for Christmas. “Some things I come out with are probably bizarre, and it’s great that Orlaith is there as the voice of reason,” says Cunningham. “Now sometimes my ideas are good,” she clarifies. “They’re not all bad.”“I’m not into routine,” says Cunningham. “I’m into spontaneity. I like having flexibility within a plan.”
“We had many hurdles to overcome, it was not all easy for sure. So when we did get that first approval, it was a huge celebration, a huge milestone for the company, and, you know, the result of serious graft,” says Ryan. Jylamvo, which also has the advantage of remaining stable at room temperature, was initially approved only for the treatment of adults, but Shorla recently received expanded FDA approval for its use with children and this product – Jylamvo for paediatric indications – will be launched soon.
Not every formulation will result in a product with a commercial shelf-life, but it is the technical complexity of the R&D process that creates the opportunity for a company like Shorla, says Ryan.“We focused to begin with on the US market to get established and because it would allow us to scale, but we absolutely have ambition to make these products available globally,” Cunningham says.
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