Alliance brings West Michigan patients the latest in
experimental research
PHOENIX, Ariz. - July 27, 2010 - An affiliate of the Translational
Genomics Research Institute (TGen) will provide cancer patients in
West Michigan opportunities to access new drugs to fight their
disease, according to an agreement announced today.
Van Andel Research Institute (VARI), an affiliate of TGen, is
joining with Spectrum Health and Cancer & Hematology Centers of
Western Michigan to develop a Phase I clinical trial program.
The program will be the link between the lab and clinical research
involving patients, allowing faster, close-to-home enhanced access
to potentially life-saving diagnostic and treatment options for
cancer and other clinical conditions.
Phase I clinical trials are initial studies to determine the
actions of drugs in humans, identify the side effects associated
with increasing doses, and gain early evidence of effectiveness.
TGen has had such a program in the Phoenix area since 2005.
"The ultimate focus of VARI's translational research program is
always on the patient," said Dr. Jeffrey Trent, President and
Research Director of both TGen and VARI. "Our goal is to move
scientific discoveries as quickly as possible into clinical
diagnostics and treatments. VARI's emphasis on precision medicine,
joining with physicians and scientists at VARI's Phoenix-based
affiliate, TGen, makes it possible to target specific problems in
the treatment of individual patients."
The partnership will be an efficient way of conducting
translational research, where discoveries in the lab make their way
to the bedside through human research trials. VARI provides
expertise in lab research and clinical trials, and Spectrum Health
and Cancer & Hematology Centers of Western Michigan provide
access to a large population of patients plus the clinical care and
expertise necessary to conduct clinical trials with patients.
"This will be a great resource for cancer patients in West
Michigan. It will give them access to experimental treatments that
otherwise might not be available regionally," said Matt Van
Vranken, Executive Vice President, Spectrum Health System and
President Spectrum Health Hospital Group. "As we develop the
program it also will provide an opportunity for patients with other
clinical conditions to gain access to cutting-edge experimental
treatments."
The Phase I program will be housed in the Spectrum Health
Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion where a dedicated comprehensive
outpatient unit is expected to be completed by June of 2011. It
will be staffed with medical and research personnel who administer
experimental treatments, monitor patients, track patients' progress
and collect trial data.
The first Phase I trials could begin in the next few months in
temporary quarters provided by Cancer & Hematology Centers of
Western Michigan at their office in the Lemmen-Holton Cancer
Pavilion. Physicians from Cancer & Hematology Centers of
Western Michigan will play an active role in the clinical
trials.
"We are seeing over 3,100 newly diagnosed patients each year at
Spectrum Health alone and a number of these patients could benefit
from the research conducted through this new program," said Mark
Campbell, MD, MHA, of Cancer & Hematology Centers of Western
Michigan and Executive Director of the Spectrum Health Regional
Cancer Network. "Our group of 16 physicians is excited to be able
to offer patients this next level of care."
The initiative also will reunite two former colleagues. Dr. Daniel
Von Hoff, the Physician-in-Chief and Director of the Translational
Drug Development Division of TGen, will serve as interim
physician-in-chief, teaming up with Timothy J. O'Rourke, MD, who is
the Betz Family Endowed Chair for Cancer Research at Spectrum
Health. Working together, the pair has produced significant results
in the field of pancreatic cancer research.
"Patient participation in clinical trials is an absolutely
indispensible part of improving the care for patients with cancer,"
said Dr. Von Hoff. "Although currently only about 3% of eligible
patients nationally participate in clinical trials, research shows
that many more patients would choose to participate if given the
opportunity. This program will serve as a boon to the cancer
patients of West Michigan, and, in addition, will strengthen and
quicken the progress of clinical research on the Medical Mile. It
is a privilege to be a part of this initiative."
Spectrum Health usually has about 300 phase II and phase III
clinical cancer trials underway. Last year Spectrum Health earned
full accreditation from the prestigious Association for the
Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs.
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About Spectrum Health
Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system in West Michigan
that offers a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health
Hospital Group, a collection of eight hospitals and more than 140
service sites; the Spectrum Health Medical Group, mmpc® and West
Michigan Heart-physician groups totaling more than 400 providers;
and Priority Health, a health plan with nearly 580,000 members.
Spectrum Health's 16,000 employees, 1,500 medical staff members and
2,000 volunteers are committed to delivering the highest quality
care. The organization provided $79.4 million in community benefit
during its 2009 fiscal year. In 2010, Spectrum Health was named a
Top 10 Health System by Thomson Reuters.
www.spectrum-health.org.
Media Contact:
Bruce Rossman
Media Relations Manager
(616) 391-3706
[email protected]
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About Van Andel Institute
Established by Jay and Betty Van Andel in 1996, Van Andel Institute
(VAI) is an independent research and educational organization based
in Grand Rapids, Mich., dedicated to preserving, enhancing and
expanding the frontiers of medical science, and to achieving
excellence in education by probing fundamental issues of education
and the learning process. VARI, the research arm of VAI, is
dedicated to probing the genetic, cellular and molecular origins of
cancer, Parkinson and other diseases and working to translate those
findings into effective therapies. This is accomplished through the
work of over 200 researchers in 18 on-site laboratories and in
collaborative partnerships that span the globe. VARI is affiliated
with the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) of
Phoenix, Arizona. For more information see: www.vai.org.
Media Contact:
Joe Gavan
Vice President, Communications and External Relations
(616) 234-5390
[email protected]
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About TGen
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix,
Arizona-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. TGen is affiliated
with the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
For more information, visit: www.tgen.org.
Media Contact:
Steve Yozwiak
TGen Senior Science Writer
602-343-8704
[email protected]
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