Miruna Sasu, Former Johnson & Johnson Executive, Takes the Helm at COTA, Inc. as President and CEO

By PR Newswire On Mar 25, 2022

Pharma trailblazer will accelerate growth at COTA with a focus on advancing real-world data use in drug development, increasing diversity in clinical trials, and supporting the move to data-driven, value-based cancer care

COTA, Inc., an oncology real-world data and analytics company, announced that Miruna Sasu, Ph.D., MBA, has been appointed president and chief executive officer. In her new role, she will spearhead efforts to drive broader adoption of real-world data by the life sciences industry to safely accelerate the speed of development and reduce the cost of life-saving cancer drugs. Sasu will also prioritize strategic provider and clinical research partnerships that will support evidence-based standards of care to improve patient outcomes, build health equity for all cancer patients, and drive down costs of cancer care.

Sasu joined COTA in April of 2021 as chief strategy officer and has already started building momentum for the company. She brought extensive experience in senior leadership roles at notable life sciences companies such as Johnson & Johnson and Bristol Myers Squibb. In these previous roles, Sasu built and grew organizations to organically and sustainably adopt emerging digital health innovations — particularly real-world data — aimed at advancing drug portfolios to benefit patients.

“I came to COTA because of my belief that real-world data and analytics can fundamentally improve outcomes for cancer patients,” said Miruna Sasu, president and CEO at COTA, Inc. “My grandfather was diagnosed with lung cancer shortly after we moved to this country. We were lucky he was able to enroll in a clinical trial that saved his life. However, my experience is not the norm. As president and CEO of COTA, I am committed to making clinical trials and cancer care more accessible and affordable to all people regardless of income, race, ethnicity, gender, or geography.”

Since Sasu joined the company, COTA has announced a series of research collaborations focused on investigating racial disparities in cancer care and the drug development process. In 2021, COTA entered into a new partnership with the University of Chicago Medicine. This work specifically aims to investigate racial disparities of care in multiple myeloma patients to better understand differences in the diagnosis, treatment patterns, and outcomes of patients with this type of cancer. Last year, COTA also announced a partnership with MedStar Health focused on addressing the lack of diversity in clinical trials and unequal access to care.

COTA’s focus on addressing inequities in cancer research and treatment aligns closely with President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative. The initiative specifically calls for an “all-hands” approach to cutting the rate of cancer deaths in half by 2047 and also addressing the need to specifically tackle inequities in access, treatment, and affordability.

“I founded COTA with the intent to provide our healthcare system with data and analytics to deliver the best possible outcomes for cancer patients and accelerate the transition to value-based care to make healthcare more equitable and affordable,” said Andrew Pecora, MD, COTA founder and chairman. “Miruna shares this vision and will lead the company as we deliver on our mission to bring clarity to cancer. In her short time at COTA, she has proven herself to be a visionary, a mentor, and an expert in the use of real-world data in clinical development.”

Sasu holds a Ph.D. in biology and statistics from Penn State University and an MBA from Temple University. Throughout her career, Sasu has focused on providing mentorship and support for other young professionals, especially female scientists, and emphasizing the importance of diverse voices in leadership roles.

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