SHARE For Cures Joins Cancer Moonshot Initiative to Study Immunotherapy

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As part of the White House's Cancer Moonshot Initiative, today, SHARE For Cures (www.SHAREForCures.org) launched a technology platform and study aimed to gather a better understanding of the real-world use of novel cancer immunotherapy drugs.   

SHARE For Cures' new SHARE platform will easily and securely gather clinical, wellness, lifestyle, and patient-reported data about cancer immunotherapy use, side effects and benefits.  Once gathered, the data will enable researchers to better understand how these new therapies are being used outside of clinical trials, as well as the health impact of specific drugs on real-world patients. 

SHARE For Cures is collaborating with patient advocacy groups, Lung Cancer Alliance and Melanoma Research Foundation, to study patients that have taken a type of immunotherapy called checkpoint inhibitors to treat their cancer.  While widely publicized, checkpoint inhibitors, which includes Keytruda, Opdivo, and Tecentriq, are new to the market. As a result, there is very little knowledge about how the therapies are being used outside of clinical trials and which groups of patients may have better or worse responses or side effects.  

"In support of Cancer Moonshot, SHARE For Cures is breaking down barriers to research by putting the patient in control of his or her own data and removing the data silos that exist in the current health care and health research systems. Putting patients first is key to our SHARE platform," Co-Founder and President Joshua Mann said.

The SHARE (System for Health And Research data Exchange) platform is a new online system that allows users to easily and securely gather all of their health, wellness, and lifestyle data in one place.  A user can then set very specific preferences to share whatever data he or she feels comfortable sharing for research. 

While the system is currently only open for individuals able to participate in this cancer immunotherapy study, SHARE for Cures aims to make the SHARE platform available to anyone, free of charge, so that everyone can contribute to research.  Individuals are the only ones who have a complete view of their own health and SHARE empowers them to use this information to move research progress forward, faster and find more cures.

Financial support for the SHARE system was provided by Connecting Care Fund at St. Joseph Hospital Foundation. The data exchange within the SHARE platform is powered by Human API.

About SHARE For Cures

SHARE For Cures is a 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in 2014, with a mission to empower anyone to donate their individual health data to advance medical research and save lives. Through the development of its SHARE platform, SHARE For Cures aims to make it possible for more researchers to access the critical information they need to better understand, prevent and cure disease. Learn more and donate to help expand the platform to everyone at www.shareforcures.org.

SOURCE SHARE For Cures

Related Links

http://www.shareforcures.org