Global collaboration founded by Bristol-Myers Squibb in 2012 now includes 16 leading academic institutions
The II-ON brings industry and academia together with the goal of advancing Immuno-Oncology research
Bristol-Myers
Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) today announced that Yale Cancer Center
has joined the International Immuno-Oncology Network (II-ON), a global
peer-to-peer collaboration between Bristol-Myers Squibb and academia
that aims to advance translational Immuno-Oncology (I-O) science. Formed
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 since expanded from 10 to 16 sites across
North America, Europe, Japan and Australia. Today, the partners
collaborate to generate innovative I-O science, launch biology-driven
trials and apply cutting-edge technologies with the goal of translating
research findings into clinical trials and, ultimately, supporting
efforts to improve survival outcomes across tumor types.
“The II-ON gives us the chance to work more efficiently and
collaboratively with Bristol-Myers Squibb and the other II-ON academic
centers to address scientific questions in I-O,” said Roy Herbst, M.D.,
Ph.D., director of the Center of Immuno-Oncology at Yale Cancer Center
and Yale’s principal investigator of the II-ON team. “The hope is this
early research can someday inform clinical trials and ultimately help us
to achieve our goal of transforming the way we treat people affected by
cancer.”
The II-ON was formed on the foundation of three fundamental scientific
pillars aimed at addressing key research priorities in I-O:
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. By providing a streamlined framework
for peer-to-peer collaboration among global cancer research leaders, the
network is able to more rapidly facilitate I-O innovation and drug
discovery.
“Translational medicine and the understanding of cancer biology are
foundational to our oncology R&D program, which is why we’re invested in
furthering our understanding of early I-O science through the II-ON,”
said Nils Lonberg, head of Oncology Biology Discovery at Bristol-Myers
Squibb. “By adding Yale Cancer Center to the network, we are
strengthening our collective ability to address essential scientific
questions and advance clinical discovery, which we hope will eventually
translate to meaningful outcomes for patients.”
Bristol-Myers Squibb believes the future of cancer research is dependent
on investments in science and partnerships. In addition to the II-ON,
the company has invested in several other models of scientific
collaboration with academic partners across the globe, including the
Global Expert Centers Initiative (GECI), the Immuno-Oncology Integrated
Community Oncology Network (IO-ICON) and the Oncology Academic Research
(OAR) Group.
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 early scientific research findings into clinical trials
and drug discovery, with the goal of one day introducing new treatment
options into clinical practice.
In addition to Bristol-Myers Squibb, the II-ON currently comprises 16
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, Columbia University
Medical Center, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, and now, Yale Cancer
Center.
Bristol-Myers Squibb & Immuno-Oncology:
Advancing Oncology Research
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 for
hard-to-treat cancers that could potentially improve outcomes for these
patients.
We are leading the scientific understanding of I-O through our extensive
portfolio of investigational compounds and approved agents. Our
differentiated clinical development program is studying broad patient
populations across more than 50 types of cancers with 14 clinical-stage
molecules designed to target different immune system pathways. Our deep
expertise and innovative clinical trial designs position us to advance
I-O/I-O, I-O/chemotherapy, I-O/targeted therapies and I-O/radiation
therapies across multiple tumors and potentially deliver the next wave
of therapies 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 how patients’ tumor biology can be used as a guide
for treatment decisions throughout their journey.
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
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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, 2017 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.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Media: Rose Weldon, 215-801-7644 rose.weldon@bms.com or Yale Cancer Center: Anne Doerr anne.doerr@yale.edu