Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University Joins Caris' Precision Oncology Alliance

IRVING, Texas and ATLANTA, Oct. 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Caris Life Sciences^®, a leading innovator in molecular science focused on fulfilling the promise of precision medicine, announced today that Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University (Winship) has joined Caris' Precision Oncology Alliance™ (The Alliance/POA). The Alliance is a collaborative network of leading cancer centers that work together to advance comprehensive cancer profiling and establish standards of care for molecular testing in oncology through research focused on predictive and prognostic markers that improve the clinical outcomes of patients with cancer.

Winship Cancer Institute is part of Emory University, a renowned academic research institution, and Emory Healthcare, Georgia's largest health care system. As Georgia's first and only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center, Winship is the only institution of its kind in the state, and is a national leader in seeking out new ways to prevent, detect, diagnose and defeat cancer. Its strengths in both research and patient care have made it a leader in discovering and translating knowledge into better outcomes for patients. With over 300 active clinical trials, Winship researchers are dedicated to taking new cancer treatments from bench to bedside. Winship is one of 32 U.S. cancer centers selected as a Lead Academic Participating Site for the NCI's National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN). The NCTN serves as the NCI's primary infrastructure to conduct phase II and III clinical trials.

"Innovation in cancer treatment is realized through collaboration, and the physicians and researchers at Emory's Winship Cancer Institute have consistently shown their commitment to developing novel cancer therapies using this collaborative approach," said Chadi Nabhan, M.D., MBA, FACP, Chairman of the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance. "Winship's contributions to the POA will accelerate our collective goal to develop cross-institutional precision oncology research to improve patient outcomes."

"Winship Cancer Institute prioritizes collaborative relationships that bring together the top experts and resources that advance scientific breakthroughs," said Winship Executive Director Walter J. Curran, Jr., M.D., FACR, FASCO. "Joining Caris' Precision Oncology Alliance will allow us to enhance our research capabilities to ultimately change the landscape of cancer care and patient outcomes."

Through the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance, Winship will partner with other notable cancer centers and academic institutions to broaden patient access to precision cancer care, have early access to Caris MAI™ (Molecular Artificial Intelligence) offerings, and establish evidence-based standards for cancer profiling and molecular testing in oncology. By leveraging the comprehensive genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic profiling available through the Caris Molecular Intelligence® platform, physicians from Winship will be able to further prioritize therapeutic options and determine which clinical trial opportunities may benefit their patients. Additionally, the institute's researchers will partner with other Alliance members to contribute and publish data as well as advance collaborative clinical trials.

"As a member of Caris' POA, Winship will be able to contribute to the growing knowledge on genomic approaches to personalize cancer therapies and development of novel treatment options for patients with rare oncogenic drivers," said Winship Deputy Director Suresh S. Ramalingam, M.D., FASCO.

"The Alliance encourages collaboration with nationally ranked cancer centers like Winship to bring the latest insights in cancer care to clinicians and researchers at every member institution," said Brian J. Brille, Vice Chairman of Caris Life Sciences. "Molecular profiling is a powerful tool that Winship's physicians can utilize to optimize cancer treatments by accessing relevant genetic information that can have a meaningful impact on patient care at a personalized level."

The Caris Precision Oncology Alliance comprises over 40 academic, hospital and community-based cancer institutions, including 17 NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers. Caris Precision Oncology Alliance members also have access to the Caris Pharmatech oncology trial network, which can help reduce the time it takes to identify and connect appropriate patients with novel targeted cancer therapies in clinical development. Moreover, POA member institutions and investigators have access to large repository of molecular data to accelerate ongoing research efforts. Find out more about the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance at www.CarisLifeSciences.com/collaboration.

About Caris Life Sciences
Caris Life Sciences^® is a leading innovator in molecular science focused on fulfilling the promise of precision medicine through quality and innovation. The company's suite of market-leading molecular profiling offerings assesses DNA, RNA and proteins to reveal a molecular blueprint that helps physicians and cancer patients make more precise and personalized treatment decisions. MI Exome^™ whole exome sequencing with 22,000 DNA genes, and MI Transcriptome^™ whole transcriptome sequencing with 22,000 RNA genes along with cancer-related pathogens, bacteria, viruses and fungi analysis run on every patient provides the most comprehensive and clinically relevant DNA and RNA profiling available on the market.

Caris is also advancing precision medicine with Caris MAI^™ (Molecular Artificial Intelligence) that combines its innovative service offerings, Caris Molecular Intelligence® with its proprietary artificial intelligence analytics engine, DEAN^™, to analyze the whole exome, whole transcriptome and complete cancer proteome. This information, coupled with mature clinical outcomes on thousands of patients, provides unmatched molecular solutions for patients, physicians, payers and biopharmaceutical organizations.

Caris Pharmatech is changing the paradigm and streamlines the clinical trial process by assisting biopharma companies with accessing research-ready oncology sites for clinical trials. With over 200 research sites within the Caris Pharmatech Just-In-Time (JIT) Oncology Network, biopharma companies can identify and enroll more patients, faster. Caris Pharmatech Just-In-Time Clinical Trial Solutions focus on rapid site activation and patient enrollment to streamline the drug development process. By implementing Caris' Just-In-Time Trial-Matching System, Caris will automatically match patients to clinical trials and sites can be activated and eligible to enroll patients within one week.

Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Caris Life Sciences has offices in Phoenix, Denver, New York, and Basel, Switzerland. Caris provides services throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia and other international markets. To learn more, please visit www.CarisLifeSciences.com or follow us on Twitter (@CarisLS).

About Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
As the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center for the State of Georgia, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University discovers, develops and delivers some of the world's most effective ways to prevent, detect, diagnose and treat each patient's unique cancer. Leveraging the depth and breadth of Emory University and collaborations with other NCI cancer centers and leading cancer organizations, Winship is devoted to changing the way cancer is predicted, treated and survived for families throughout Georgia, the nation and the world.

Caris Life Sciences Media Contact:
Lindsey Bailys
GCI Health
[email protected]
212-798-9884

Winship Cancer Institute Media Contact:
Catherine Williams
Associate Director, Communications and Media Relations
[email protected]
404-778-5848

SOURCE Caris Life Sciences

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