NCCN Oncology Research Program to Oversee Trials of the FGFR Inhibitor Futibatinib in Tumors with Aberrant FGFR Expression, in Collaboration with Taiho Oncology

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., Jan. 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®) Oncology Research Program (ORP) today announced plans to evaluate futibatinib (TAS-120), a potent and selective inhibitor of the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR). The project will include pre-clinical, translational and clinical trials using futibatinib as monotherapy and in biologically relevant combination regimens for malignancies with FGFR 1-4 aberrations. This project will be the first NCCN research program to study an FGFR inhibitor. Specific research areas will be determined by a group of cancer research experts from NCCN Member Institutions who form a Request for Proposals (RFP) Development Team. The research funding is supported by a $2-million grant from Taiho Oncology.

"We're excited to help facilitate new research into innovative ways for managing cancer," said Wui-Jin Koh, MD, Chief Medical Officer, NCCN. "We still have a lot to learn about FGFR signaling and how to optimally target this receptor as a component of cancer therapy. We look forward to the potential new discoveries that may come from these investigations."

"We are proud to support NCCN ORP research to better understand the optimal role of futibatinib in treating malignancies with FGFR 1-4 aberrations," said Martin J. Birkhofer, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Taiho Oncology, Inc. "Every day, we are learning more and more about futibatinib, and this research will expand our knowledge of how this investigational compound works, with the goal of being able to better target its use in those who may see the greatest benefit from it."

The first phase of this project will involve the creation of an RFP, which will be distributed in the next few months. The awarded projects will be announced following review of submitted proposals.

The NCCN ORP fosters innovation and knowledge discovery that improves the lives of people with cancer and supports preclinical, translational, and clinical research and quality improvement projects in oncology at NCCN Member Institutions. In an effort to improve collaboration in cancer research, the NCCN ORP also maintains a shared resources website and an informed consent database. For more information, visit NCCN.org/orp.

About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®) is a not-for-profit alliance of 28 leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. NCCN is dedicated to improving and facilitating quality, effective, efficient, and accessible cancer care so patients can live better lives. Through the leadership and expertise of clinical professionals at NCCN Member Institutions, NCCN develops resources that present valuable information to the numerous stakeholders in the health care delivery system. By defining and advancing high-quality cancer care, NCCN promotes the importance of continuous quality improvement and recognizes the significance of creating clinical practice guidelines appropriate for use by patients, clinicians, and other health care decision-makers around the world.

The NCCN Member Institutions are: Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, Omaha, NE; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center/University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, OH; City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA; Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center | Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA; Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC; Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA; Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, WA; The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ, Jacksonville, FL, and Rochester, MN; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Columbus, OH; O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB, Birmingham, AL; Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY; Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; St. Jude Children's Research Hospital/The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN; Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA; UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA; UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA; University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, CO; University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN; and Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital, New Haven, CT.

Clinicians, visit NCCN.org. Patients and caregivers, visit NCCN.org/patients. Media, visit NCCN.org/news. Follow NCCN on Twitter @NCCN, Facebook @NCCNorg, and Instagram @NCCNorg.

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SOURCE National Comprehensive Cancer Network

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