Bristol-Myers Squibb announced that Columbia University Medical Center and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre joined the International Immuno-Oncology Network (II-ON), a global peer-to-peer collaboration between BMS and academia that aims to advance immuno-oncology science and translational medicine to improve patient outcomes.
Launched in 2012 by BMS, the II-ON was one of the first networks to bring academia and industry together to further the scientific understanding of I-O, and has expanded from ten to 15 sites including more than 250 investigators working on over 150 projects across 20 tumor types.
The II-ON has generated cutting-edge I-O data that have informed the development of new I-O agents, yielded publications and produced some of the earliest findings on a variety of biomarkers and target identification and validation.
Through the II-ON, Bristol-Myers Squibb is collaborating with leading cancer research institutions around the world to generate innovative I-O science, launch biology-driven trials and seek out cutting-edge technologies with the goal of translating research findings into clinical trials and, ultimately, clinical practice. Building on the II-ON, BMS has invested in several other models of scientific collaboration with academic partners across the globe, including the Global Expert Centers Initiative and the Immuno-Oncology Integrated Community Oncology Network.
The research in the collaboration is focused on three fundamental scientific pillars: understanding the mechanisms of resistance to immunotherapy; identifying patient populations likely to benefit from immunotherapy; and exploring novel combination therapies that may enhance anti-tumor response through complementary mechanisms of action.
The II-ON facilitates the translation of scientific research findings into drug discovery and development, with the goal of introducing new treatment options into clinical practice.
In addition to Bristol-Myers Squibb, the II-ON comprises 15 cancer research institutions, including: Clinica Universidad Navarra, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, The Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Institut Gustave Roussy, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, National Cancer Center Japan, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and The Institute of Cancer Research, University College London, the University of Chicago, West German Cancer Center/University Hospital Essen, and now Columbia University Medical Center and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
