NCCN recently received two individual $2 million research grants from GlaxoSmithKline to evaluate the effectiveness of ofatumumab in hematologic malignancies and pazopanib in the treatment of solid tumors. Investigators from NCCN Member Institutions are eligible to apply for the research funding.
FORT WASHINGTON, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has been awarded two individual $2 million grants from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to support clinical studies of ofatumumab (Arzerra®, GlaxoSmithKline) in the treatment of hematologic malignancies and pazopanib (Votrient®, GlaxoSmithKline) in the treatment of solid tumors.
“NCCN continues to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to advancing promising clinical research by supporting important scientific exploration through these grants,” said William T. McGivney, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. “Being awarded this research funding underscores NCCN’s achievements in developing and implementing distinctive programs that strive to improve survival and the quality of life for patients with cancer.”
In October 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted approval to ofatumumab for the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) refractory to fludarabine and alemtuzumab. In addition to CLL, it is anticipated that clinical trials at NCCN Member Institutions supported by the grant from GlaxoSmithKline will further evaluate the therapy’s effect in various lymphomas, including follicular, mantle cell, diffuse large B cell, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHL).
Pazopanib is currently approved by the FDA to treat patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma. The research grant to NCCN will evaluate the effectiveness of pazopanib in solid tumors including renal, sarcoma, thyroid, neuroendocrine, and ovarian cancers.
“Collaboration for the advancement of science and patient care is a key component to the spirit of GSK Oncology,” said Jeffrey D. Bloss, M.D., Vice President and Medicine Development Leader at GSK Oncology. “This research funding to NCCN will help expand the research and knowledge base of GSK Oncology’s newer cancer therapies, pazopanib and ofatumumab, as we strive to learn if there are other patient groups that we one day might be able to help with these agents.”
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 establishes collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotech companies in order to advance therapeutic options for patients with cancer. The ORP will use the grants from GlaxoSmithKline to support investigator initiated clinical and correlative studies at its NCCN Member Institutions for both drugs. This research grant model has been very successful in moving science forward as evidenced by the many scientific articles published on ORP supported research.
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 Comprehensive Cancer Center, 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; 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, Tampa, FL; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Columbus, OH; 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 Helen Diller Family 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 MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN.
For more information on NCCN, please visit NCCN.org.
CONTACT:
NCCN
Megan Martin, 215-690-0576
[email protected]
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