- Innovative collaboration model designed to accelerate next-generation precision cancer immunotherapy through network of leading research centers and top scientists
- Collaboration will leverage efficiencies in cancer research to rapidly implement novel Immuno-Oncology clinical studies
- Bristol-Myers Squibb is the first industry partner to join a collaboration with the Parker Institute and the Cancer Research Institute
The Parker
Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Bristol-Myers
Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) and the Cancer
Research Institute (CRI) today announced a multi-year clinical
research collaboration to coordinate and rapidly initiate clinical
Immuno-Oncology (I-O) studies across the Parker Institute and CRI
networks. Bristol-Myers Squibb will work closely with leading Parker
Institute and CRI scientists and researchers, soliciting clinical
research proposals from their networks and coordinating multi-site
collaboration clinical studies to pursue some of the most difficult
questions in cancer research. It will provide scientists with an
ecosystem of advanced translational tools, precision immunotherapy and
cutting-edge bioanalytical expertise to maximize learning and ensure the
generation of high quality data to inform future development.
The Parker Institute is a novel collaboration model which includes
industry, academic and philanthropic participants, focused on the shared
goal of accelerating immunotherapy research to develop and deliver new
treatment options for patients. CRI is a nonprofit organization
dedicated to advancing laboratory and clinical research through its
global network of academic, industry, and nonprofit partners with the
goal of developing lifesaving immunotherapies for all forms of cancer.
The collaboration will build on the Parker Institute model that brings
together the nation’s top research institutions to share resources, data
and technology to accelerate research through unifying and managing
clinical trial design and conducting clinical studies across
multi-centers. The Parker Institute currently funds projects across its
network of more than 60 laboratories and 300 researchers who work
together to advance research and potentially develop new therapies. The
Cancer Research Institute will support the collaboration with investment
from its Clinical Accelerator venture philanthropy program and access to
its global network of leading investigators from around the world.
“Bristol-Myers Squibb is initiating this unique collaboration with a
goal of accelerating the identification and development of new treatment
options for patients who are facing very serious disease,” said Fouad
Namouni, M.D., head of Oncology Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb. “We
are excited to partner with the Parker Institute and the Cancer Research
Institute to leverage the unique translational capabilities of their
networks and explore novel mechanisms of action in the field of I-O.”
This is the Parker Institute’s first major agreement with a biopharma
partner. The institute will continue to build key industry relationships
critical for the success of its unique model.
“One of our goals is to help facilitate collaborations between academia
and industry to help advance cancer research,” said Jeffrey Bluestone,
Ph.D., CEO and president of the Parker Institute for Cancer
Immunotherapy. “Partnering with Bristol-Myers Squibb, a renowned leader
in the field of immuno-oncology development, is a major leap forward for
us. We could not be more enthusiastic to start this collaboration, which
we believe will accelerate the process of turning important lab
discoveries by our investigators into the potential for much needed
treatments for patients.”
“Unlocking the full potential of next-generation precision cancer
immunotherapy requires the kind of coordination, resources, and
logistical support that the Parker Institute and the Cancer Research
Institute can offer our research partners, and collaboration with
industry leaders like Bristol-Myers Squibb will be essential to
hastening the development of new cancer immunotherapies,” said Jill
O’Donnell-Tormey, Ph.D., CEO and director of scientific affairs at CRI.
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 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 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.
About Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy
The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy brings together the best
scientists, clinicians and industry partners to build a smarter and more
coordinated cancer immunotherapy research effort. The Parker Institute
is an unprecedented collaboration between the country’s leading
immunologists and cancer centers, including Memorial Sloan Kettering
Cancer Center, Stanford Medicine, the University of California, Los
Angeles, the University of California, San Francisco, the University of
Pennsylvania and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The
Parker Institute network also includes more than 40 industry and
nonprofit partners, more than 60 labs and more than 300 of the nation’s
top researchers focused on treating the deadliest cancers.
The goal is to accelerate the development of breakthrough immune
therapies capable of turning most cancers into curable diseases. The
institute was created through a $250 million grant from The Parker
Foundation. For more information, visit parkerici.org.
About the Cancer Research Institute
The Cancer Research Institute (CRI), established in 1953, is the world’s
leading nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to transforming
cancer patient care by advancing scientific efforts to develop new and
effective immune system-based strategies to prevent, diagnose, treat,
and eventually cure all cancers. Guided by a world-renowned Scientific
Advisory Council that includes three Nobel laureates and 26 members of
the National Academy of Sciences, CRI has invested $336 million in
support of research conducted by immunologists and tumor immunologists
at the world’s leading medical centers and universities, and has
contributed to many of the key scientific advances that demonstrate the
potential for immunotherapy to change the face of cancer treatment. To
learn more, go to cancerresearch.org.
Bristol-Myers Squibb: Media: Ken Dominski, 609-252-5251 ken.dominski@bms.com orLisa McCormick Lavery, 609-252-7602 lisa.mccormicklavery@bms.com or Investors: Tim Power, 609-252-7509 timothy.power@bms.com orBill Szablewski, 609-252-5894 william.szablewski@bms.com or Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy: Shirley Dang, 415-930-4385 (work), 415-374-9987 (cell) sdang@parkerici.org or Cancer Research Institute:W2O GroupElliot Fox, 212-257-6724 efox@w2ogroup.com