Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Champions Oncology Initiate Study Evaluating TumorGrafts' Ability to Predict Treatment Benefit in Patients with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

NEW YORK and HACKENSACK, N.J., June 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Champions Oncology (OTC: CSBR), a company engaged in the development of advanced technology solutions and services to personalize the development and use of oncology drugs, today announced the initiation of a clinical trial evaluating the use of Champions TumorGrafts® in 100 patients with triple-negative breast cancer. The study will also include a side-by-side genomic analysis of the patients' tumor and TumorGraft mouse avatars before and after treatment. Principal investigators from the Dubin Breast Center and Icahn Institute for Genomics are leading this effort at Mount Sinai, and the project is being coordinated through the Tisch Cancer Institute.

"Mount Sinai is at the forefront of new advancements and innovation in breast cancer treatment," said Elisa Port, MD, Chief of Breast Surgery and Director of Dubin Breast Center at The Mount Sinai Hospital. "This trial is one of several looking at a more individualized approached to treating breast cancer patients. These findings will provide invaluable information on the best course of treatment for the individual instead of a one size fits all approach."

In this study, researchers will create TumorGrafts and use clinical genomics to analyze tissue obtained during initial biopsies. Patients will then undergo traditional neo-adjuvant therapy and resection surgery. Clinical genomics will be performed on the tissue obtained from the resection and the TumorGraft mouse avatars, which will be compared to evaluate how closely the TumorGrafts continue to resemble the patients' progress. The resulting TumorGrafts will also form a tumor bank that can be used for future drug research and development, with the goal of advancing therapies for patients who are resistant to the standard of care.

"This is our largest study in the use of our TumorGrafts in a specific cancer type to date, and is designed to show the high predictability of the mouse avatars for triple-negative breast cancer patients as well as further demonstrate the close resemblance of TumorGrafts to a patient's tumor, even over time," said Ronnie Morris, M.D., President of Champions Oncology. "We are proud to partner with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, a prominent institution in breast cancer research and treatment, in this study that will enroll patients of diverse backgrounds, and continue to grow the body of data demonstrating the benefits of our approach."

Champions TumorGrafts are a personalized approach used to guide physician treatment decisions for cancer patients. A piece of the patient's living tumor is removed during surgery or biopsy and engrafted in immune-deficient mice. After the TumorGraft grows, still closely resembling the patient's tumor, Champions Oncology tests drug treatments in the TumorGraft and measures the response.  TumorGraft has demonstrated high rates of predictability using multiple therapies, including single-agent and combination, chemotherapy regimens and targeted biological drugs, with data recently published in Cancer and Clinical Cancer Research.

Every TumorGraft is preserved as a living sample for future patient use. These banked TumorGrafts can be re-grown and tested in the event of cancer progression or recurrence. They have been successfully utilized in most solid tumor types including colorectal, ovarian, lung, breast, sarcoma, pancreatic, stomach, esophageal and others.

About the Mount Sinai Health System

The Mount Sinai Health System is an integrated health system committed to providing distinguished care, conducting transformative research, and advancing biomedical education. Structured around seven member hospital campuses and a single medical school, the Health System has an extensive ambulatory network and a range of inpatient and outpatient services—from community-based facilities to tertiary and quaternary care.

The System includes approximately 6,600 primary and specialty care physicians, 12-minority-owned free-standing ambulatory surgery centers, over 45 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, and Long Island, as well as 31 affiliated community health centers. Physicians are affiliated with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, which is ranked among the top 20 medical schools both in National Institutes of Health funding and by U.S. News & World Report.

About the Dubin Breast Center

Encompassing more than 15,000 square feet at 1176 Fifth Avenue, the Dubin Breast Center represents a bold new vision for breast cancer treatment and research—one that focuses on the emotional, as well as the physical health of individuals who have or are at risk of developing breast cancer, as well as survivors and their families, and breast cancer related research aimed at improving treatment choices and survival. The Center also includes an evaluation and treatment center for breast medical oncology and an infusion center for chemotherapy. Additional services include screening, genetic and nutritional counseling, access to research protocols and trials, breast reconstruction, psychosocial support and other complementary services, such as massage therapy, for the patient and his or her family.

About the Tisch Cancer Institute

The Tisch Cancer Institute (TCI) is a world-class translational cancer institute established in December 2007. TCI has recruited more than 30 acclaimed physicians and researchers specializing in basic research, clinical research, and population science; built outstanding programs in solid tumor oncology; enhanced existing robust programs in hematological malignancies; and advanced the study of cancer immunology and vaccine therapy. The completion of the Leon and Norma Hess Center for Science and Medicine in 2012 is enabling the recruitment of up to 20 additional cancer researchers on two full research floors, with 48,000 square feet of space dedicated to cancer research.

To learn more about clinical trials at Mount Sinai, visit http://icahn.mssm.edu/research/clinical-trials.

About Champions Oncology

Champions Oncology, Inc. is engaged in the development of advanced technology solutions and services to personalize the development and use of oncology drugs. The company's technology platform is a novel approach to personalizing cancer care based upon the implantation of primary human tumors in immune-deficient mice to create TumorGrafts that preserve the biological characteristics of the original human tumor in order to determine the efficacy of a treatment regimen. The company uses this technology in conjunction with related services to offer solutions for two customer groups: Personalized Oncology Solutions, in which results help guide the development of personalized treatment plans, and Translational Oncology Solutions, in which pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies seeking personalized approaches to drug development can lower the cost and increase the speed of developing new drugs. For more information, please visit www.championsoncology.com.

SOURCE Champions Oncology, Inc.