With over 250 investigators, the II-ON has undertaken more than 150 research projects across 20 tumor types including 12 clinical trials since its launch in 2012
Global collaboration now includes 15 leading academic institutions
Bristol-Myers
Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) today announced that Columbia University
Medical Center and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (Peter Mac) have joined
the International Immuno-Oncology Network (II-ON), a global peer-to-peer
collaboration between Bristol-Myers Squibb and academia that aims to
advance Immuno-Oncology (I-O) science and translational medicine to
improve patient outcomes. Launched in 2012 by Bristol-Myers Squibb, the
II-ON was one of the first networks to bring academia and industry
together to further the scientific understanding of I-O, and has
expanded from 10 to 15 sites including more than 250 investigators
working on over 150 projects across 20 tumor types. The II-ON has
generated cutting-edge I-O data that have informed the development of
new I-O agents, yielded publications and produced some of the earliest
findings on a variety of biomarkers and target identification and
validation.
“Bristol-Myers Squibb has long believed the future of cancer research is
dependent on investments in science and partnerships. We formed the
II-ON to facilitate innovation in I-O science and drug discovery by
providing a streamlined framework for peer-to-peer collaboration among
global cancer research leaders,” said Nils Lonberg, Head of Oncology
Biology Discovery at Bristol-Myers Squibb. “The significant discoveries
generated by the II-ON over the past five years have not only informed
our robust early I-O pipeline, but also serve to advance the entire
field. We are proud to collaborate with Columbia University Medical
Center and Peter Mac, and together with the entire II-ON will continue
to lead pioneering research and heighten our collective understanding of
the science behind I-O.”
Through the II-ON, Bristol-Myers Squibb is collaborating with leading
cancer research institutions around the world to generate innovative I-O
science, launch biology-driven trials and seek out cutting-edge
technologies with the goal of translating research findings into
clinical trials and, ultimately, clinical practice.
“I-O research may be transforming the way we treat cancer,” said Charles
G. Drake, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Medical
Center and Director of Genitourinary Oncology and Associate Director for
Clinical Research at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at
New York-Presbyterian/Columbia. “The II-ON offers a tremendous
opportunity to work smarter and faster along with our colleagues to
address fundamental scientific questions in I-O.”
“We believe the collective knowledge and research power of the II-ON
will generate groundbreaking findings in I-O with the potential to
improve outcomes for people affected by cancer,” said Professor Joe
Trapani, Executive Director Cancer Research and Head of the Cancer
Immunology Program at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne,
Australia.
Building on the success of the II-ON, Bristol-Myers Squibb has invested
in several other models of scientific collaboration with academic
partners across the globe, including the Global Expert Centers
Initiative (GECI) and the Immuno-Oncology Integrated Community Oncology
Network (IO-ICON). "We believe a one-size-fits-all research approach
does not facilitate innovation,” said Lonberg. “Our tailored
collaborations with academic centers expand our research capabilities
and accelerate our collective ability to deliver potentially
life-changing results for patients."
About the International Immuno-Oncology Network
(II-ON)
The II-ON, formed in 2012, is a global peer-to-peer collaboration
between Bristol-Myers Squibb and academia advancing the science of
Immuno-Oncology (I-O) through a series of preclinical, translational and
biology-focused research objectives. The research in the collaboration
is focused on three fundamental scientific pillars: understanding the
mechanisms of resistance to immunotherapy; identifying patient
populations likely to benefit from immunotherapy; and exploring novel
combination therapies that may enhance anti-tumor response through
complementary mechanisms of action. The II-ON facilitates the
translation of scientific research findings into drug discovery and
development, with the goal of introducing new treatment options into
clinical practice.
In addition to Bristol-Myers Squibb, the II-ON currently comprises 15
leading cancer research institutions, including: Clinica Universidad
Navarra, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, The Earle A. Chiles Research
Institute (Providence Health & Services), Institut Gustave Roussy,
Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori “Fondazione G.
Pascale”, Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at the
Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer
Center, National Cancer Center Japan, The Netherlands Cancer
Institute, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and The Institute of
Cancer Research, University College London, The University of Chicago,
West German Cancer Center/University Hospital Essen, and now Columbia
University Medical Center and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
Bristol-Myers Squibb: At the Forefront of
Immuno-Oncology Science & Innovation
At Bristol-Myers Squibb, patients are at the center of everything we do.
Our vision for the future of cancer care is focused on researching and
developing transformational Immuno-Oncology (I-O) medicines that will
raise survival expectations in hard-to-treat cancers and will change the
way patients live with cancer.
We are leading the scientific understanding of I-O through our extensive
portfolio of investigational and approved agents – including the first
combination of two I-O agents in metastatic melanoma – and our
differentiated clinical development program, which is studying broad
patient populations across more than 35 types of cancers with 13
clinical-stage molecules designed to target different immune system
pathways. Our deep expertise and innovative clinical trial designs
uniquely position us to advance the science of combinations across
multiple tumors and potentially deliver the next wave of I-O combination
regimens with a sense of urgency. We also continue to pioneer research
that will help facilitate a deeper understanding of the role of immune
biomarkers and inform which patients will benefit most from I-O
therapies.
We understand making the promise of I-O a reality for the many patients
who may benefit from these therapies requires not only innovation on our
part, but also close collaboration with leading experts in the field.
Our partnerships with academia, government, advocacy and biotech
companies support our collective goal of providing new treatment options
to advance the standards of clinical practice.
About Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission
is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help
patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information about
Bristol-Myers Squibb, visit us at BMS.com or
follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as that term
is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
regarding the research, development and commercialization of
pharmaceutical products. Such forward-looking statements are based on
current expectations and involve inherent risks and uncertainties,
including factors that could delay, divert or change any of them, and
could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from
current expectations. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed.
Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated
together with the many uncertainties that affect Bristol-Myers Squibb’s
business, particularly those identified in the cautionary factors
discussion in Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2016 in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and
our Current Reports on Form 8-K. Bristol-Myers Squibb undertakes no
obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as
a result of new information, future events or otherwise.