American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Accepted 52 Sarah Cannon Research Institute Abstracts for Presentation at 2011 Annual Meeting
June 01, 2011
NASHVILLE, TN – June 1, 2011 – The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has selected 52 abstracts by Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI) for presentation at the 2011 ASCO Annual Meeting, the premier educational and scientific oncology conference, which takes place June 3-7 in Chicago.
Of the 52 accepted abstracts, 12 will be presented orally in cancer-specific sessions; five will be presented at poster discussions; three will be presented at Trials in Progress poster sessions; and 32 will be presented at general poster sessions. A complete schedule of the presentations can be found on sarahcannonresearch.com.
The studies focus on the efficacy of new combinations of medications and radiation in the treatment of breast, lung and gastrointestinal cancers, hematologic and refractory malignancies as well as cancers of unknown primary origin. Moreover, several studies are examples of successful personalized treatments directed by exploratory molecular assays to advance personalized medicine. They were completed through the collaborative effort of physician researchers across SCRI’s community-based network in the United States and United Kingdom.
“ASCO’s selection of 52 SCRI abstracts demonstrates the power of the clinical research driven by our physicians,” SCRI CEO Dee Anna Smith said. “The record number of acceptances for our program, including two Best of ASCO studies and three clinical science symposium presentations, further confirms the importance of our mission to advance therapies for patients.”
Two of SCRI’s studies were chosen for the Best of ASCO program, which condenses highlights from ASCO’s Annual Meeting into a two-day program and reflects research that is particularly significant in oncology today. In addition to two domestic Best of ASCO meetings in Miami and Seattle, there will be approximately eighteen international Best of ASCO meetings held this year.
SCRI Director, Lung Cancer Research Program David R. Spigel, M.D. is author on both of the Best of ASCO abstracts. He will present final efficacy results from OAM4558g, a randomized phase II study evaluating MetMab or placebo in combination with erlotinib in advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Dr. Spigel co-authored the second Best of ASCO study, which is a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind phase III study (MONET1) of motesanib plus carboplatin/paclitaxel (C/P) in patients with advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer. Additionally, Dr. Spigel co-authored a study to be orally presented at the meeting that shows findings from a randomized phase III trial of amrubicin versus topotecan (topo) as second-line treatment for small cell lung cancer (SCLC).
Additionally, three SCRI abstracts were selected for oral presentation at a clinical science symposium. These high-profile sessions incorporate the presentation of meritorious abstracts with an instructive lecture by an expert who summarizes the field and places the abstracts in the appropriate context, with a focus on how the findings apply to clinical practice.
Jeffrey R. Infante, M.D., SCRI’s director, drug development program, will present a phase I/II study to assess safety, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of the oral MEK 1/2 inhibitor GSK1120212 (GSK212) dosed in combination with the oral BRAF inhibitor GSK2118436 (GSK436) in a clinical science symposium session titled BRAF: From Biology to Patients. Dr. Infante also co-authors a study selected for clinical science symposium, which shares tumor genetic analyses of patients with metastatic melanoma treated with BRAF inhibitor GSK2118436 (GSK436).
SCRI Scientific Director, Drug Development Program Suzanne F. Jones, Pharm.D. will also present results in a clinical science symposium on a phase I study of PF-04554878, a second-generation focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitor, in patients with advanced solid tumors.
SCRI Chief Medical Officer Howard A. Burris III, M.D. will present an oral abstract on developmental therapeutics and SCRI Director, Myeloma Research Jesus G. Berdeja, M.D. will present an oral abstract on multiple myeloma.
In addition to Dr. Spigel, Dr. Infante, Dr. Jones, Dr. Burris and Dr. Berdeja, SCRI principal investigators that will present at the meeting include John D. Hainsworth, M.D.; F. Anthony Greco, M.D.; Hendrik-Tobias Arkenau, M.D., Ph.D; Johanna Bendell, M.D.; Nancy W. Peacock, M.D.; Ian W. Flinn, M.D., Ph.D.; and Denise A. Yardley, M.D.
SCRI Associate Director, Drug Development and Director, GI Cancer Research Johanna Bendell, M.D. will also lead an education session at the meeting titled, Career Choices: Options in Academic, Private Practice, Industry, and Government, on Friday, June 3.
About SCRI
Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI) is a global strategic research organization focusing on advancing therapies and accelerating drug development. It is one of the largest clinical research programs, conducting community-based clinical trials in oncology, cardiology, gastroenterology and other therapeutic areas through affiliations with a network of more than 700 physicians in the United States and United Kingdom. Additionally, SCRI offers management, regulatory and other research support services to drug development sponsors and strategic investigator sites. For more information, please visit www.sarahcannonresearch.com.