University of Cincinnati Cancer Institute Joins Caris Life Sciences' Precision Oncology Alliance

IRVING, Texas, Dec. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Caris Life Sciences^®, a leading innovator in molecular science focused on fulfilling the promise of precision medicine, today announced that the University of Cincinnati Cancer Institute (UCCI) has joined Caris' Precision Oncology Alliance™ (POA). UCCI marks the 20^th institution to join the growing alliance, which was established to develop standards of care and best practices for tumor profiling by leveraging the Caris experience dataset of more than 125,000 clinical cases with thousands of associated patient outcomes.

"The University of Cincinnati Cancer Institute has been a longstanding cancer treatment leader that brings a multi-disciplinary approach to treat patients with complex and advanced diseases in the greater Cincinnati metropolitan area," said W. Michael Korn, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Caris Life Sciences. "Their commitment to cutting edge research and new approaches to personalized diagnostics and treatment make them an excellent member for the alliance and we look forward to working closely with them to contribute and explore the Caris experience dataset to advance the utility of tumor profiling in oncology."

The POA, which now consists of 20 academic, hospital and community-based cancer institutions, including five NCI-Designated Cancer Centers, is broadening patient access to precision medicine tools and establishing evidence-based standards for tumor profiling and molecular testing in oncology. The health system will leverage Caris' comprehensive genomic profiling plus (CGP+) tumor profiling service, Caris Molecular Intelligence^®, to enable the practice of precision medicine by identifying therapy options and clinical trial opportunities based on the unique molecular characteristics of a patient's tumor. UCCI will also actively participate in collecting molecular data and longitudinally tracking outcomes data for those patients that have had their tumors profiled.

"Cancer care is rapidly evolving toward treatment management based on the molecular profile of the tumor rather than its tissue of origin," said Thomas Herzog, M.D., Deputy Director for UCCI and Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UC College of Medicine. "This is exemplified by the approval of pembrolizumab for microsatellite-high expressing tumors, PARP inhibitors for BRCA mutations and the development of larotrectinib for treating tumors that express TRK fusion. Given this pivot, we anticipate tumor profiling to become the standard of care diagnostic approach for all patients with malignancies. We look forward to contributing to the development of this important platform to optimize cancer treatment and improve outcomes for our patients."

Since 2008, Caris Molecular Intelligence has been assessing DNA, RNA and proteins to reveal a molecular profile to guide more precise and individualized treatment decisions. By analyzing the unique molecular characteristics of an individual patient's cancer, our results help inform treatment decisions by identifying therapies that have the potential to be most effective and to rule out those that are less likely to work.

About Caris Life Sciences^®
Caris Life Sciences® is a leading innovator in molecular science focused on fulfilling the promise of precision medicine through quality and innovation, and the world's leading immunotherapy diagnostic expert. Caris Molecular Intelligence®, the company's Comprehensive Genomic Profiling Plus (CGP+) molecular testing service, assesses DNA, RNA and proteins, including microsatellite instability (MSI), total mutational load (TML) and PD-L1, to reveal a molecular blueprint to guide more precise and personalized treatment decisions. The ADAPT Biotargeting System^™, the company's revolutionary and unbiased profiling platform, is currently being utilized for drug target identification, therapeutic discovery and development, fixed tissue-based companion diagnostics, blood-based cancer screening and biomarker identification. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Caris Life Sciences offers services throughout the U.S., Europe and other international markets. To learn more, please visit www.CarisLifeSciences.com.

About the Precision Oncology Alliance™
The Precision Oncology Alliance (POA) was established by Caris Life Sciences to promote the study and appropriate use of molecular testing in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The POA consists of 20 leading cancer centers, including 5 NCI-Designated Cancer Centers, worldwide that have demonstrated a commitment to precision medicine and work collaboratively toward a common goal: to advance tumor profiling and establish standards of care for molecular testing in oncology. The POA has produced more than five peer-reviewed manuscripts and presented over 40 posters at industry conferences.

Media Inquiries: 
The Ruth Group
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University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center
Katie Pence
Tel: 513-558-4561
www.healthnews.uc.edu  

SOURCE Caris Life Sciences