Healthcare Industry News: National Comprehensive Cancer Network
News Release - November 15, 2007
NCCN Receives Major Grant for Anti-Cancer Drug Study
JENKINTOWN, Pa.--(HSMN NewsFeed)--The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), ImClone Systems Incorporated and Bristol-Myers Squibb have entered into a collaboration to conduct a multi-institutional, investigator-initiated study in head and neck cancer using cetuximab. Fox Chase Cancer Center (FCCC) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the coordinating center for this study, with Corey Langer, M.D., serving as Project Chairman.Cetuximab, also known by its brand name ERBITUX®, is currently indicated either as a single agent or in combination for the treatment of patients who have metastatic colorectal cancer. It is also approved for the treatment of a certain type of locally or regionally advanced head and neck cancer. Cetuximab binds to the EGFR on the surface of the cancer cells, thus interfering with their growth. EGFR is part of a signaling pathway involved in many types of human cancers, including head and neck, lung, esophagus, stomach, colon, rectum and many others.
The NCCN Oncology Research Program (ORP) facilitates all phases of clinical research by identifying clinical investigators and initiating trials at NCCN Member Institutions. The ORP draws on the expertise of investigators at 21 of the world’s leading cancer centers and helps to establish collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotech companies in order to advance therapeutic options for patients with cancer.
“We are pleased to collaborate with NCCN by supporting this important research,” said Eric Rowinsky, M.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, ImClone Systems Incorporated. “Clinical research that brings together the expertise of such esteemed institutions can only improve outcomes for patients with cancer.”
For more information, please contact Thomas Mitchell or visit www.nccn.org.
About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), a not-for-profit alliance of 21 of the world’s leading cancer centers, is dedicated to improving the quality and effectiveness of care provided to patients with cancer. Through the leadership and expertise of clinical professionals at NCCN Member Institutions, NCCN develops resources that present valuable information to the numerous stakeholders in the health care delivery system. As the arbiter of high-quality cancer care, NCCN promotes the importance of continuous quality improvement and recognizes the significance of creating clinical practice guidelines appropriate for use by patients, clinicians, and other health care decision-makers. The primary goal of all NCCN initiatives is to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of oncology practice so patients can live better lives.
The NCCN Member Institutions are: City of Hope, Los Angeles, CA; Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center | Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA; Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center, Durham, NC; Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA; Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, WA; Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital & Richard J. Solove Research Institute at The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH; The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute at the University of South Florida, Tampa, FL; Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY; Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital/University of Tennessee Cancer Institute, Memphis, TN; Stanford Comprehensive Cancer Center, Stanford, CA; University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center, Birmingham, AL; UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA; University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI; UNMC Eppley Cancer Center at The Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE; The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN.
For more information on NCCN, please visit www.nccn.org.
For more information on ERBITUX, please visit www.erbitux.com.
ERBITUX is a registered trademark of ImClone Systems Incorporated.
Source: National Comprehensive Cancer Network
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