HJF Joins ORIEN Research Partnership

November 13, 2015

TAMPA, Fla. – The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. (HJF), in collaboration with military cancer researchers headed by the Murtha Cancer Center, is the newest member of the Oncology Research Information Exchange Network (ORIEN). Anchored by the Moffitt Cancer Center and The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, ORIEN is a unique research partnership among North American cancer centers that recognizes collaboration and access to data are keys to cancer discovery.

ORIEN Clinical Trial Matching a Good Fit for the Military’s Younger Patients
With approximately 1,000 of the nation’s 1.2 million active-duty troops diagnosed with cancer every year, researchers have identified many cases that involve younger cancer patients and discovered that the chances of a cure without reoccurrence or remission are much higher than the general population, but only if an effective intervention can be identified. As the 10th organization to join ORIEN, HJF and its researchers at Murtha will adopt the Total Cancer Care® (TCC) protocol to share de-identified data and match eligible patients to clinical trials. More than 130,000 TCC-consented patients have agreed to donate their tissue and clinical data for research to understand cancer at the molecular level.

That number is expected to grow exponentially, as existing ORIEN members add new patients and more cancer centers join the partnership. ORIEN, launched in May 2014, includes its founding centers, as well as City of Hope, University of Virginia Cancer Center, University of Colorado Cancer Center, University of New Mexico Cancer Center, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Morehouse School of Medicine and the University of Southern California (USC) Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. ORIEN operations, through M2Gen, support collaborative research by managing funding, access to data, trial matching governance and client relationships.

By participating in the ORIEN network, eligible individuals can benefit from ORIEN network facilities and clinical research conducted with other member centers. The network’s aim in working with military medical researchers is to contribute to the overall readiness of the armed forces. Studies have shown that improved cure rates through genetically matched, personalized treatments allow cancer patients to return to their work.

Delivering Precision Medicine to Military Populations Nationwide
As it implements the TCC protocol, HJF and its supported cancer researchers will include eligible military beneficiaries in various clinical trial programs starting with patients in the National Capital Region. Eventually, the intent is to link patients into the program from various other sources such as the Department of Veterans Affairs.

According to Michael Caligiuri, M.D., Director of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center and CEO of the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, “As ORIEN members collaborate to identify cutting-edge treatments, we have the opportunity to contribute to research that will lead to better outcomes for the brave men and women who serve our country and all Americans.”

Patients who consent to TCC have consented for molecular profiling of their tumor tissue and the potential to participate in trials designed to target the main driver of their cancer. “Younger active-duty cancer patients have the most to gain from this protocol, as they are otherwise healthy and have a lot of life ahead of them. We hope to bring clinical trials for agents that target a specific mutation to help realize this potential,” said Thomas Sellers, Ph.D., M.P.H., Center Director and Executive Vice President of Moffitt. “This is an exciting time in cancer care research, and it is an honor to see that benefit extended to the terrific people who serve this country in the military.”

About Moffitt Cancer Center
Located in Tampa, Moffitt is one of only 45 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, a distinction that recognizes Moffitt’s excellence in research, its contributions to clinical trials, prevention and cancer control. Moffitt is the top-ranked cancer hospital in Florida and has been listed in U.S. News & World Report as one of the “Best Hospitals” for cancer care since 1999. With more than 5,000 team members, Moffitt has an economic impact in the state of $1.9 billion. For more information, visit MOFFITT.org, and follow the Moffitt momentum on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

About the OSUCCC – James
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute strives to create a cancer-free world by integrating scientific research with excellence in education and patient-centered care, a strategy that leads to better methods of prevention, detection and treatment. Ohio State is one of only 45 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and one of only four centers funded by the NCI to conduct both phase I and phase II clinical trials on novel anticancer drugs. As the cancer program’s 306-bed adult patient-care component, The James is one of the top cancer hospitals in the nation as ranked by U.S. News & World Report and has achieved Magnet designation, the highest honor an organization can receive for quality patient care and professional nursing practice. At 21 floors with more than 1.1 million square feet, The James is a transformational facility that fosters collaboration and integration of cancer research and clinical cancer care. For more information, visit cancer.osu.edu

About City of Hope
City of Hope is a leading research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Designated as a comprehensive cancer center, the highest recognition bestowed by the National Cancer Institute, City of Hope is also a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, with research and treatment protocols that advance care throughout the nation. City of Hope’s main hospital is located in Duarte, Calif., just northeast of Los Angeles, with community clinics in southern California. It is ranked as one of “America's Best Hospitals” in cancer by U.S. News & World Report. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a pioneer in the fields of bone marrow transplantation and genetics.

About Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey (www.cinj.org ) is the state’s first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. As part of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, the Cancer Institute of New Jersey is dedicated to improving the detection, treatment and care of patients with cancer, and to serving as an education resource for cancer prevention. Physician-scientists at the Cancer Institute engage in translational research, transforming their laboratory discoveries into clinical practice, quite literally bringing research to life.

About Morehouse School of Medicine
Founded in 1975, Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) is among the nation’s leading educators of primary care physicians, biomedical scientists and public health professionals. In 2011, MSM was recognized by Annals of Internal Medicine as the nation’s No. 1 medical school in fulfilling a social mission. MSM faculty and alumni are noted for excellence in teaching, research and public policy, as well as exceptional patient care. MSM is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award doctoral and master’s degrees. For more information, please visit http://www.msm.edu.

About USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center has been leading the fight to make cancer a disease of the past. As one of the eight original comprehensive cancer centers in the United States, our mission is to treat and prevent cancer by advancing and integrating education, research, and personalized patient care. For 40 years, we have been revolutionizing cancer research with innovative surgical techniques and novel cancer treatments. Our breakthroughs and discoveries in the field of epigenetics have led the way to a greater understanding of the underlying causes of cancer and new methods of prevention, detection, and treatment. With a multidisciplinary team of over 250 dedicated scientists and physicians, we offer patients hope in the battle against cancer.

About University of Virginia Cancer Center
UVA Cancer Center is accredited by the Commission on Cancer and is one of 68 National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated cancer centers in the U.S. for its work in cancer research, prevention, detection and treatment. UVA Cancer Center provides comprehensive, world-class cancer treatment in an environment of caring for patients across Virginia, led by doctors who have been honored by publications such as Best Doctors in America® and America’s Top Doctors®.

About University of Colorado Cancer Center
The University of Colorado Cancer Center, located at the Anschutz Medical Campus, is Colorado’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, a distinction recognizing its outstanding contributions to research, clinical trials, prevention and cancer control. CU Cancer Center’s clinical partner for adult care, University of Colorado Hospital is ranked 15th by US News and World Report for Cancer and Children’s Hospital Colorado is ranked 9th by the same organization. The CU Cancer Center is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network®, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers working to establish and deliver the gold standard in cancer clinical guidelines. CU Cancer Center is a consortium of more than 400 researchers and physicians at three state universities and three clinical institutions, all working toward one goal: Translating science into life. For more information visit Coloradocancercenter.org and follow CU Cancer Center on Facebook and Twitter.

About UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center
The University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center is the Official Cancer Center of New Mexico and the only National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center in a 400-mile radius. One of the premier cancer centers nationwide, the UNM CCC has 128 board-certified oncology physicians, forming New Mexico’s largest cancer care team. It treats about 60 percent of adults and virtually all the children in New Mexico diagnosed with cancer — more than 10,000 people— from every county in the state in more than 135,000 clinic visits each year. Through its partnership with the New Mexico Cancer Care Alliance, an “exemplary national model for cancer health care delivery,” the UNM CCC offers access to more than 160 clinical trials to New Mexicans in every part of the state. Annual research funding of more than $72 million supports the UNM CCC’s 132 cancer scientists. Working with partners at Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, and New Mexico State University, they have developed new diagnostics and drugs for leukemia, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, liver and pancreatic cancer, brain cancer, and melanoma; garnered 33 new patents and 117 patents pending; and launched 13 new biotechnology companies since 2010. Learn more at cancer.unm.edu.

About M2Gen®
M2Gen® is Moffitt Cancer Center’s wholly owned, for-profit, informatics solution subsidiary advancing personalized medicine by using high quality tissue, clinical data and molecular technology to accelerate the discovery and delivery of personalized medicine. Using a rapid learning approach, the goal of M2Gen is to accelerate the science of precision medicine by creating evidence and knowledge-based solutions that identify a patient’s susceptibility to disease, predict how the patient will respond to a particular drug, and match patients to the best therapies for an optimal treatment outcome. M2Gen, along with Moffitt and partnering community hospitals, has created a large, cancer-focused, biorepository linked to clinical and molecular data. For more information, visit www.m2gen.com.

About The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine
The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. (HJF) is a global organization dedicated to advancing military medical research. The not-for-profit Foundation is authorized by Congress to support research at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and throughout military medicine. Since its founding in 1983, HJF has served as a vital link between the military medical community and its federal and private partners. Its support and administrative draft capabilities allow military medical researchers and clinicians to maintain their scientific focus and to accomplish their research goals effectively and efficiently.

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