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- Posted Thursday August 28, 2014
TGen receives approval for patient enrollment in brain cancer clinical trial
Glioblastoma (GBM) pilot trial funded by Ivy Foundation
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Aug. 28, 2014 - In 2012,
The Ben & Catherine Ivy Foundation awarded $10 million in
grants for two groundbreaking brain cancer research projects at the
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).
One of those projects has officially received the final regulatory
approval from University of California, San Francisco, which means
patient enrollment for the trial can begin.
In the $5 million project, "Genomics Enabled Medicine in
Glioblastoma Trial," TGen and its clinical partners will lead
first-in-patient clinical trial studies that will test promising
new drugs that might extend the survival of GBM patients. This
multi-part study will take place in clinics across the country and
TGen laboratories.
"GBM is one of the top three fastest-killing cancers out there and
it affects people of all ages," said Catherine (Bracken) Ivy,
founder and president of The Ben & Catherine Ivy Foundation.
"It is critical that we fund research that will help patients live
longer so we can study and treat brain cancer."
The project begins with a pilot study of 15 patients, using whole
genome sequencing to study their tumor samples to help physicians
determine what drugs might be most beneficial.
To support molecularly informed clinical decisions, TGen labs also
will examine genomic data from at least 536 past cases of
glioblastoma, as well as tumor samples from new cases, developing
tools that will produce more insight into how glioblastoma tumors
grow and survive. TGen also will conduct a series of pioneering lab
tests to measure cell-by-cell responses to various drugs.
"GBM is a disease that needs answers now, and we strongly believe
those answers will be found in the genome," said Dr. David Craig,
TGen's Deputy Director of Bioinformatics, Director of TGen's
Neurogenomics Division, and one of the projects principal
investigators. "Identifying the genes that contribute to the
survival of glioblastoma will provide valuable information on how
to treat it, and may also lead to an improved understanding of what
drives other cancers as well."
To get new treatments to patients as quickly as possible, this
five-year study will include a feasibility study involving up to 30
patients, followed by Phase II clinical trials with as many as 70
patients. TGen is teaming with the Ivy Early Phase Clinical Trials
Consortium that includes: University of California, San Francisco;
University of California, Los Angeles; the MD Anderson Cancer
Center; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; University of Utah;
and the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center.
The results of these clinical trials should not only help the
patients who join them, but also provide the data needed for FDA
approval and availability of new drugs that could benefit tens of
thousands of brain cancer patients in the future.
"Working with physicians, the project will aim to understand
treatment in the context of the tumor's molecular profile. We will
have the opportunity to determine when combinations of drugs might
be more effective than using a single drug, quickly identify which
therapies don't work, and accelerate discovery of ones that might
prove promising for future development," said Dr. John Carpten,
TGen's Deputy Director of Basic Science, Director of TGen's
Integrated Cancer Genomics Division, and another of the project's
principal investigators.
In addition to helping patients as quickly as possible, the
project should significantly expand Arizona's network of brain
cancer experts.
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About The Ben & Catherine Ivy
Foundation
The Ben & Catherine Ivy Foundation, based in Scottsdale,
Ariz., was formed in 2005, when Ben Ivy lost his battle with
glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Since then, the Foundation has
contributed more than $50 million to research in gliomas within the
United States and Canada, with the goal of better diagnostics and
treatments that offer long-term survival and a high quality of life
for patients with brain tumors. The Ben & Catherine Ivy
Foundation is the largest privately funded foundation of its kind
in the United States. For more information, visit http://www.ivyfoundation.org.
We have regular updates via social media - please find us on:
Blog: Ivy Foundation http://www.IvyFoundation.wordpress.com
Facebook: Ivy Foundation http://www.facebook.com/IvyFoundation
Twitter: @IvyFoundation https://twitter.com/IvyFoundation
Google+: Ivy Foundation https://plus.google.com/105982076267406579679/posts
LinkedIn: Ivy Foundation
http://linkedin.com/company/the-ben-and-catherine-ivy-foundation
YouTube: IvyFoundationGBM http://www.youtube.com/user/IvyFoundationGBM
Press Contact:
Beth McRae
The McRae Agency
480-990-0282
[email protected]
About TGen
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a
Phoenix-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting
groundbreaking research with life changing results. Research at
TGen is focused on helping patients with diseases such as cancer,
neurological disorders and diabetes. TGen is on the cutting edge of
translational research where investigators are able to unravel the
genetic components of common and complex diseases. Working with
collaborators in the scientific and medical communities, TGen
believes it can make a substantial contribution to the efficiency
and effectiveness of the translational process. For more
information, visit: www.tgen.org.
Press Contact:
Steve Yozwiak
TGen Senior Science Writer
602-343-8704
[email protected]