GSK launches global consortium with six cancer research centres

Published: 10-Dec-2013

With the aim of developing novel cancer therapeutics


GlaxoSmithKline has formed the Oncology Clinical and Translational Consortium (OCTC), a collaborative scientific research network of six cancer centres, with the aim of developing innovative cancer therapeutics.

The centres include Gustave Roussy (Villejuif, France), University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, US), Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (New York, US), Netherlands Cancer Institute (Amsterdam, the Netherlands), Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network (Toronto, Canada) and Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology – VHIO (Barcelona, Spain).

In forming the consortium, GSK says it will gain OCTC’s expertise in preclinical, translational and clinical development of novel anticancer therapeutics including kinase inhibitors, epigenome modulating compounds and immunotherapies.

The centres will have access to studies with GSK’s early stage cancer pipeline and 'opportunities to advance the next-generation of novel oncology therapeutics'.

Members will collaborate on processes to ensure the highest quality standards for the collection of biological samples, as well as conduct of biomarker and clinical research.

'Each OCTC member institution is recognised internationally as a leader in clinical and translational research,' said Rafael Amado, Head Oncology R&D at GlaxoSmithKline. 'The consortium together with GSK will design and execute research programmes in a focused and expeditious way, allowing us potentially to develop new diagnostic tools and medicines to treat cancer patients better.'

Projects driven through the OCTC will include Phase I/II single agent and novel combination trials with GSK’s targeted and immune therapies as well as translational and preclinical studies.

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