Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center–Jefferson Health and Sarah Cannon Research Institute announced a collaboration to advance clinical research through an expanded early phase drug development program and investigator-initiated trials.
The organizations will combine expertise in drug development and research support services, which will expand the menu of clinical trials to patients across the Delaware Valley and beyond. Additionally, Sarah Cannon will provide SKCC-designed clinical trials in sites within their national network.
“By combining the strengths of SKCC and Sarah Cannon’s robust cancer programs, we are bringing together experts who share a mission to advance cancer research so that patients will have greater access to the latest treatment options that focus on personalized care,” Karen Knudsen, director of Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center – Jefferson Health, said in a statement. “We are excited to form a strategic partnership that will accelerate drug development both nationally and globally, with the goal of impacting a larger population of patients seeking new therapies.”
“At Sarah Cannon, we are focused on offering patients cutting edge cancer therapies closer to home – a commitment shared by our esteemed colleagues at SKCC,” Howard “Skip” Burris, president and chief medical officer at Sarah Cannon, said in a statement. “Together, this collaboration will make a greater impact on the field of cancer research through the synergy of our scientific and operational expertise.”
Burris is also the incoming president-elect of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
In addition to the collaboration in clinical research, SKCC and Sarah Cannon will work together to advance blood cancer care through Sarah Cannon’s Blood Cancer Network. Sarah Cannon is one of the world’s largest providers of hematopoietic cell transplantation, performing more than 1,000 transplants per year.
