. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Medical
. . . Journal
. . . -.Houston
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May 2016
Page 11
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HOSPITAL
HEADLINES
MD Anderson and Helsinn
Healthcare SA enter strategic
alliance to improve life of
patients conducting clinical
studies in cancer supportive
and palliative care
The University of
Texas MD Anderson
Cancer Center and
Helsinn, a Swiss
pharmaceutical
group focused on
building quality
cancer care, have
announced that
they have signed a
strategic alliance on
a broad, multi-years
program of clinical
studies in cancer
supportive and
palliative care.
Under the terms of the collaboration
agreement, MD Anderson will conduct 14
clinical studies into Helsinn programs with
enrollment projects of 420 patients. The
collaboration aims to investigate new uses
and better outcomes for these programs for
people with cancer in the supportive and
palliative settings. This relationship will
leverage MD Anderson’s significant clinical
expertise and access to world recognized
key opinion leaders, providing Helsinn
with an unparalleled network of oncology
specialists.
The collaboration will focus on six major
disease areas: fatigue, anorexia/cachexia,
diarrhea, chronic nausea, pruritus, and
chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain in
a five-year timeframe.
“MD Anderson is among the world’s most
prestigious
cancer
hospital
networks
with an unparalleled
clinical capability,”
said Riccardo Braglia,
group vice chairman
and CEO at Helsinn.
“At Helsinn, we
are committed to
finding ways to offer
people with cancer
the best possible
quality of life. We
believe that this
collaboration
will
allow us to explore
new outcomes for
our existing commercialized products and
to explore alternative uses for our pipeline
programs to maximize our chances of being
able to offer new, innovative solutions to
people with cancer.”
“There is a great
opportunity to
develop new and
effective drugs
to treat the
main symptoms
caused
by
cancer,
such
as weight loss,
fatigue, nausea,
pain, pruritus,
diarrhea,
and
anorexia/
cachexia,” said
Eduardo Bruera,
M.D.,
chair
of
Palliative,
Rehabilitation & Integrative Medicine
at MD Anderson. “There is also a great
opportunity to develop drugs to treat the
side effects of emerging and highly effective
new targeted and immunological treatments
for cancer patients.”
MD Anderson experts join new
Parker Institute for Cancer
Immunotherapy
Cancer immunotherapy leaders at The
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer
Center will work with experts at five other
cancer centers in a new al