SWOG Cancer Research Network joins Caris’ extensive network of leading cancer institutions and research consortia committed to improving patient outcomes through innovations in precision medicine
IRVING, Texas, June 14, 2023 – Caris Life Sciences® (Caris), the leading molecular science and technology company actively developing and delivering innovative solutions to revolutionize healthcare, announced today that SWOG Cancer Research Network has joined the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance™ (POA). The POA is a growing network of leading cancer centers and research consortia across the globe that collaborate to advance precision oncology and biomarker-driven research, with its members working together to establish and optimize standards of care for molecular testing through innovative research to improve clinical outcomes for cancer patients. POA members are uniquely positioned to leverage Caris’ highly sophisticated AI bioinformatics and machine learning capabilities across the company’s massive clinico-genomic database to enable innovative research to improve clinical outcomes for cancer patients.
SWOG Cancer Research Network is a global oncology research community of over 18,000 members in 45 states and 10 countries who design and conduct publicly funded clinical trials. SWOG trials have led to the approval of 14 cancer drugs, changed more than 100 standards of cancer care, and saved more than 3 million years of human life. The group is a member of the National Cancer Institute’s National Clinical Trials Network and the NCI Community Oncology Research Program, and is a major part of the cancer research infrastructure in the U.S. and the world. Since its founding in 1956, SWOG has established a rich trove of resources. Its online clinical trial and publications search tool includes more than 1,400 trials and over 4,000 trial publications and presentations. SWOG’s biorepository includes more than 1.1 million blood, tissue, and other biological samples. All of these resources are publicly available in order to advance cancer research worldwide.
“SWOG Cancer Research Network is excited to join the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance,” said Charles D. Blanke, M.D., group chair of the SWOG Cancer Research Network. “SWOG brings unique value to this collaboration, including our vast biorepository of specimens linked to clinical data, which are ideal for research to identify biomarkers that will improve treatments for our patients.”
“These are exciting times for Caris and the POA. Welcoming SWOG Cancer Research Network to the growing Caris POA network is a big milestone destined to help all patients diagnosed with cancer,” said Chadi Nabhan, M.D., MBA, FACP, Chairman of the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance. “The expansion of the POA to include SWOG Cooperative Group speaks to our dedication to collaborate with cutting-edge scientists and leaders to identify relevant trials whereby sequencing biorepository specimens can lead to new information that transforms how we approach and treat various cancers. SWOG and the Caris POA have the same vision of transforming cancer care through precision oncology studies and research.”
The Caris Precision Oncology Alliance includes 85 cancer centers, research networks, and academic institutions. These institutions have early access to the extensive database and artificial intelligence platform within Caris to establish evidence-based standards for cancer profiling and molecular testing in oncology. By leveraging the comprehensive genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic profiling available through Caris molecular profiling, Caris seeks to provide this network with the ability to prioritize therapeutic options and determine which clinical trial opportunities may benefit their patients. POA members are also able to integrate with a growing portfolio of biomarker-directed trials sponsored by biopharma. Additionally, POA member institutions have access to the most comprehensive clinico-genomic database in the industry, which includes matched molecular and clinical outcomes data from more than 390,000 patients, covering over 1 million data points per patient.
About Caris Life Sciences
Caris Life Sciences® (Caris) is the pioneer in precision medicine and leading molecular science and technology company actively developing and delivering innovative solutions to revolutionize healthcare and improve patient outcomes. Through comprehensive molecular profiling (Whole Exome and Whole Transcriptome Sequencing) and the application of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms, Caris has created the large-scale clinico-genomic database and cognitive computing needed to analyze and unravel the molecular complexity of disease. This convergence of data and machine learning provides an unmatched resource and the ideal path forward to conduct the basic, fundamental research to accelerate discovery for detection, diagnosis, monitoring, therapy selection and drug development to improve the human condition.
With a primary focus on cancer, Caris’ suite of market-leading molecular profiling offerings assesses DNA, RNA and proteins to reveal a molecular blueprint that helps patients, physicians and researchers better detect, diagnose and treat patients. The company’s latest advancement, Caris Assure™, is a blood-based, circulating nucleic acids sequencing (cNAS) assay that combines comprehensive molecular analysis (Whole Exome and Whole Transcriptome Sequencing from blood) and serial monitoring – making it the most powerful liquid biopsy assay ever developed.
Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Caris has offices in Phoenix, New York, Tokyo, Japan and Basel, Switzerland. Caris or its distributors provide services in the U.S., Europe, Asia and other international markets. To learn more, please visit CarisLifeSciences.com or follow us on LinkedIn.