Caris Precision Oncology Alliance Welcomes Penn's Abramson Cancer Center

Renowned NCI-designated cancer center becomes the 38th member of Caris Life Sciences' collaborative network focused on research and the application of precision medicine in oncology

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Caris Life Sciences

Jul 07, 2020, 06:30 ET

IRVING, Texas, July 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Caris Life Sciences^®, a leading innovator in molecular science focused on fulfilling the promise of precision medicine, today announced that the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania has become the 38^th member of the growing Caris Precision Oncology Alliance^™ (POA). The POA is a collaborative network of leading cancer centers with a commitment to precision medicine. These centers work together toward a common goal to advance molecular science, enhance research and scholarly activities in precision oncology, and establish new standards for molecular testing in oncology.

The Abramson Cancer Center is a pioneer in cancer research and treatment, with a distinguished history of paradigm-shifting contributions to the scientific community on the genomics of cancer. The Abramson Cancer Center harnesses the expertise of 314 Penn Medicine faculty members across 47 academic departments in its pursuit of new and ground-breaking therapeutic advancements for cancer patients. In recent months, the Center has published several studies advancing the use of liquid biopsy in cancer care across multiple tumor types.

"The Caris Precision Oncology Alliance is focused on collating the latest scientific developments in genomics in order to help ensure the availability of individualized data to oncologists and patients and to further advance the integration of molecular profiling into all aspects of cancer care," said Chadi Nabhan, MD, MBA, FACP, Chairman of the POA. "Caris is proud to welcome the Abramson Cancer Center into our collaborative network and we look forward to their contributions as we deliver on our commitment to support precision medicine in clinical practice."

Through the POA, Abramson Cancer Center 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 solutions available through the Caris Molecular Intelligence^® platform, physicians from the Abramson Cancer Center will be able to prioritize therapeutic options and determine which clinical trial opportunities may benefit their patients. Additionally, the Center's researchers will partner with other Alliance members to contribute to and publish data, as well as advance collaborative clinical trials. These researchers will join colleagues in 15 distinct working groups, each focused on advancing research and precision oncology in a specific disease area.

"The highly collaborative scientific community at the University of Pennsylvania understands that major advances in cancer research often are the result of dedicated teamwork and combined expertise," said Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, Director of the Abramson Cancer Center. "We are excited to join the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance and further our shared mission to promote clinical trials that harness the power of clinical-genomic data, as well as to expand the role of molecular testing in cancer care, with the ultimate goal of altering progression of this disease in patients."

The Caris Precision Oncology Alliance comprises 38 academic, hospital and community-based cancer institutions, including 13 NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers. The Alliance now includes over 2,000 physicians, spanning more than 425 locations, who provide services for over 330,000 people with cancer each year. 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.

"The Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania continues to transform the cancer treatment paradigm through new and innovative research initiatives," said Brian J. Brille, Vice Chairman of Caris. "The expanding Caris Precision Oncology Alliance is driven by its mission to enhance the application of molecular profiling across the oncology community through its partnership with nationally recognized institutions like the Abramson Cancer Center."

Find out more about the POA 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 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 a Just-In-Time (JIT) Research System, site activation and patient enrollment is achievable within 14 days for pre-registered locations with pre-qualified patients.

Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Caris Life Sciences offers 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).

Caris Life Sciences Media & Company Contact:
Lindsey Bailys
GCI Health
[email protected]
+1-212-798-9884

SOURCE Caris Life Sciences