Pharmatech Oncology Announces Completion of SBIR Grant Research

DENVER, Oct. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Pharmatech Oncology announces completion of a phase I Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant project, funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). 

The SBIR grant project evaluated Pharmatech Oncology's innovative enrollment model called Just-in-Time (JIT) to enroll cancer patients into clinical trials.  The JIT model is prioritized around detection of patients with qualifying diagnoses across many research practices. Patients who meet study entry criteria and have interest in receiving the investigational treatment are enrolled into the trial within two weeks through rapid regulatory activation of their care center as a study site.  JIT is a patient-focused approach designed to align clinical research with cancer patient care as it is currently delivered in the US.

The SBIR project evaluated the feasibility and efficiency of JIT in five separate studies, comparing the research performance of JIT-initiated sites to traditionally managed sites in retrospective analyses.  JIT demonstrated advantages in several important areas:

• Higher patient enrollment rates (3.1x greater at six months)
• Fewer non-enrolling sites (77% reduction)
• Reduced time to first patient enrolled  (79-95% fewer days)
• Lower administrative cost per site
• No reduction of patient safety or data quality

"The SBIR phase I results have significant implications for the commercial development of the JIT model," remarked Dr. Matthew Wiener, Pharmatech founder.  "The positive impact on the clinical trials we've evaluated has been profound. With this essential validation of the methodology we are beginning to see awareness and adaptation of JIT increase among study centers and sponsors, which is critical to the growth of JIT as a commercial research solution." Pharmatech Oncology has submitted an application for a new SBIR grant to fund a phase II program with the aim to develop the JIT model further toward such commercialization.  Dr. Wiener comments, "Our vision for JIT is that any cancer patient and oncologist in any research-capable practice should have access to all appropriate treatment options, including clinical trials."

About Pharmatech Oncology, Inc.:

Pharmatech Oncology, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, is a Site Management Organization (SMO) and Contract Research Organization (CRO) with a focus on oncology clinical research. Through an organized network of cancer clinics, the Company focuses on advancing the development of products for a broad range of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and on promoting the inclusion of clinical trials in the spectrum of patient treatment options.

For more information about Pharmatech, please visit www.pharmatechoncology.com.

The project described was supported by Award Number R43CA144362 from the National Cancer institute. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Cancer Institute or the National Institutes of Health.

SOURCE Pharmatech Oncology, Inc.