Aptium Oncology Launches Multi-Institutional Myeloma Consortium for Early Phase Myeloma Cancer Trials

Dr. Brian G.M. Durie, co-founder and chair of the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF), heads consortium of investigators across U.S.

LOS ANGELES, April 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Aptium Oncology, Inc. today announced the launch of Aptium Oncology Myeloma Consortium (AMyC), a broad-based collaboration that brings together renowned investigators to work with pharmaceutical sponsors to advance clinical and translational research in myeloma and related cancers.

Brian G.M. Durie, M.D., Director, Myeloma Consortium for Aptium Oncology and an internationally recognized expert in multiple myeloma, heads the consortium of investigators and institutions across the United States.  Co-founder of the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF), Dr. Durie is a world-renowned expert in multiple myeloma, as well as highly respected researcher, professor, author and recipient of numerous awards.

AMyC offers an innovative and focused full-service research model that accelerates the design, start-up and completion of early phase myeloma trials to assess new and potentially useful targeted agents.  Dr. Durie states, "We assembled a team of myeloma investigators to assist in the design and rapid completion of Phase IB and Phase II industry-sponsored trials, incorporating translational endpoints. This fills a critical need for pharmaceutical sponsors as there is a current lack of organizations that have the capability of providing this level of strategic, scientific, and operational expertise in a timely manner." He states the AMyC model is uniquely designed to speed decision-making by the sponsors on the development of cancer drugs, which in turn provides sponsors the potential to accelerate their time-to-market.

Building on the success of the Aptium Oncology Gastrointestinal Cancer Consortium (AGICC), a similar model designed for gastrointestinal cancers, AMyC highlights its expertise in the natural history and molecular biology of malignancies.  It taps a cohesive team of investigators with strong institutional track records to test compounds and deliver studies to pharmaceutical sponsors according to agreed-upon metrics.

Marti McKinley, Vice President of Clinical Research Programs for both AGICC and AMyC consortia, says a track record for delivery and a full spectrum of trial management capabilities and services make AMyC attractive to sponsors who want a business model that expedites high-quality new drug development. "Sponsors who have a robust drug development pipeline and want faster go-no go decision-making capabilities will benefit from the brain trust, expertise and patient access AMyC can provide."

After a competitive application process, the following institutions and investigators were selected as founding members of AMyC: Dr. Rafat Abonour, Indianapolis University Simon Cancer Center; Dr. Bill Bensinger, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; Dr. Elber Camacho, Comprehensive Cancer Center of the Desert; Dr. Asher Chanan-Khan, Roswell Park Cancer Institute; Dr. Adam Cohen, Fox Chase Cancer Center; Dr. Cristina Gasparetto, Duke Comprehensive Cancer Institute; Dr. Sundar Jagannath, St. Vincent's Comprehensive Cancer Center; Dr. Suzanne Lentzsch, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute; Dr. Sagar Lonial, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University; Dr. Jatin Shah, MD Anderson Cancer Center; and Dr. Edward Stadtmauer, University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center.

About AGICC and AMyC

The Aptium Oncology GI Cancer Consortium and Aptium Oncology Myeloma Consortium provide expertise and innovative solutions for the rapid start-up and completion of complex cancer trials with translational endpoints. These consortia bring together the highest quality institutions and pharmaceutical sponsors to use the best possible data in the fastest way possible, to facilitate and speed the decision-making process in drug development.  For more information, visit www.agicc.org or (www.ammyc.org).

SOURCE Aptium Oncology