Manufacturer Launches Cancer Immunotherapy Research Network

Roche recently announced the launch of the global cancer immunotherapy Centers of Research Excellence (imCORE) Network to advance the treatment of cancer.

This novel network aligns many scientific and clinical experts in immunotherapy research to create new treatment approaches for patients with various cancers, according to a press release from Roche.

The main goal of the imCORE Network is to initiate pre-clinical and clinical trials based on scientific discoveries that would only be possible through the collaboration of multiple scientists. Roche also hopes to collect and share data that will be able to speed up research into cures for different cancers.

The imCORE Network will also focus on determining new methods that could increase the number of patients who can benefit from certain immunotherapies. They plan to accomplish this by finding novel ways to activate the immune system to fight cancer.

Roche plans to invest 100 million Swiss Francs to fund research collaborations related to immunotherapy, which reinforces their commitment to the research and development of investigational cancer immunotherapy drugs, the company stated in a press release.

The imCORE Network will include scientists from 21 academic research institutions who focus on cancer immunotherapy. These scientists will work closely with Roche scientists to identify promising new treatment approaches, and conduct clinical trials.

Personalized cancer immunotherapy treatments offer patients the advantage of a therapy that is designed to target their specific tumor, and the pathways involved. These treatments use reliable biomarkers that correspond with clinical benefits across tumor types as a monotherapy or as part of a combination, according to Roche.

Traditional treatments, such as chemotherapy, can cause serious side effects and adverse events, while these personalized immunotherapy treatments target specific areas of the body and do not have a toxic effect on all cells. Immunotherapy cancer treatments can offer significant benefits to patients, but more research is needed to develop them further, which is why Roche has created this network.

Roche has been creating novel treatment options for patients with cancer for the past 50 years, and their most recent effort is their latest commitment to these patients.

“We believe the fastest way to advance progress against cancer is through collaboration, and consistent with our values, the goal of imCORE is to facilitate access to new technologies and emerging data among the top researchers around the world,” said Sandra Horning, MD, chief medical officer and head of Global Product Development. “imCORE represents our most recent commitment to collaborate with the global cancer community to further understand the biology and immunology of cancer and to develop new treatments that may one day offer a cure for people with cancer.’’