Taking cancer care to the next level

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—OneOncology, the national partnership of independent oncology practices, and Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, issued a pair of announcements last week. First, they announced the first clinical trial available to patients through OneR, the OneOncology Research Network, followed by news of a first-of-its-kind, multi-year strategic partnership to collaborate on various clinical trials, scientific research and real-world data studies that will advance personalized cancer care at community oncology centers across the United States. The goals of this initiative are to enhance clinical assessment of comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP), increase access to clinical trials and improve therapeutic options for patients.

“We are very excited about the collaboration between Genentech and OneR which will enhance cancer research and cancer care for patients across the country,” said Dr. Axel Grothey, medical director of OneR and director of GI Cancer Research, West Cancer Center. “One of OneOncology’s key strengths is the ability to offer comprehensive molecular profiling to patients with advanced stage cancers. MyTACTIC realizes the promise of personalized cancer therapy by providing access to targeted treatment approaches to patients in a community oncology setting, where the vast majority of cancer patients in the United States are receiving care, while also advancing scientific discovery.”

“This partnership is an important advancement to bring personalized cancer care to patients at practices across the OneOncology platform,” added Dr. Lee Schwartzberg, chief medical officer of OneOncology and medical director, West Cancer Center. “By combining Genentech’s leadership in both scientific research and clinical development of personalized oncology medicines with OneOncology’s commitment to expanding access to world-class research, we are changing the face of community oncology.”

Genentech's new basket trial—Targeting Actionable Mutation Study in Cancer (MyTACTIC), which is expected to launch in December 2020—will leverage CGP, working to match patient populations with targetable genomic alterations to specific investigational agents. OneR will participate in this trial across its national network.

“Using comprehensive genomic profiling, it is possible to map an individual’s unique genomic profile across all four types of alteration, spanning several hundred different types of mutations,” according to a spotlight on personalized healthcare by Roche. “These deep insights provide invaluable information to physicians that can help them determine the best possible treatment for each patient, and even map their treatment journey to identify future courses of action should the disease progress. Likewise, the integration of these new data sources on a large scale can help biotech companies make more informed decisions in their R&D investments.”

Genentech and OneOncology will establish a joint committee that will design studies assessing how personalized healthcare can affect patient outcomes, the healthcare system and society. The committee will tailor interventional and non-interventional studies to evaluate the use of CGP in routine practice and to provide real-world evidence for its utilization.

“We are excited to collaborate with OneOncology to bring state-of-the-art cancer care to community oncology practices, where the diverse patient population creates a greater opportunity to advance inclusive research,” Dr. Jamie Freedman, head of U.S. Medical Affairs at Genentech, remarked in a press release. “The pandemic dramatically highlights the need to rethink how healthcare is delivered, and our goal is to enable a deeper understanding of each individual patient’s journey and to deliver the highest quality of research and evidence-based care.”

Photo credit: Roche