On September 8, 2021 Science 37 and Foundation Medicine reported a collaboration to enable decentralized clinical research in oncology that will optimize recruitment and enrollment, improve patient retention, and expand access to precision cancer care (Press release, Foundation Medicine, SEP 8, 2021, View Source [SID1234587449]).
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It is estimated that less than 1 in 20 patients with cancer participate in clinical trials.1 Further, more than 80 percent of clinical studies globally fail to enroll patients within the sponsor’s desired timeline.2 Lack of participation in clinical research may hinder a patient’s ability to access the latest therapeutic options and slow the pace of treatment discovery.
As part of this novel offering, Foundation Medicine’s FoundationSmartTrials patient identification solution will be used to identify patients who may be eligible for a trial based on results from its tissue and blood-based comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) tests. Science 37 will then enroll the appropriate patients and provide ongoing support via its operating system—underpinned by its technology platform and specialized networks of mobile nurses, telemedicine investigators, remote coordinators and connected devices.
"Many advanced cancer patients are unable to travel to or visit in-person clinical trials sites, so it’s critical that we work across the ecosystem towards new and innovative solutions to improve access to clinical trials regardless of a patient’s location," said Jonathan Cotliar, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Science 37. "Combining our operating system with Foundation Medicine’s precision oncology expertise sets us on an exciting path with the goal of accelerating treatment discovery while bringing the research directly to patients."
This partnership builds on a collaboration between Foundation Medicine and Science 37 to provide decentralized trial services for Roche’s ALPHA-T trial. The ALPHA-T trial seeks to assess the efficacy and safety of alectinib for patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) positive locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors excluding lung cancer. This type of tumor-agnostic approach represents a ground-breaking advance in cancer treatment and demonstrates further progress towards achieving personalized healthcare for patients with these types of cancers.
"Beyond providing high quality genomic profiling to support informed decision making, we’re committed to empowering practitioners to act on those decisions by identifying personalized treatment options, including clinical trials. Through this partnership with Science 37, leveraging our combined assets and expertise, our goal is to improve access to clinical trials for patients who aren’t frequently able to participate," said Brian Alexander, M.D., M.P.H., Chief Executive Officer at Foundation Medicine. "As we explore this decentralized approach to research, we hope to continue innovating on this model for other clinical programs in the future. Ideally, we’ll create a learning system where physicians and patients have more options, and their experiences help inform treatment for patients in the future."