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Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey Joins Caris Life Sciences’ Precision Oncology Alliance

New Jersey’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center becomes the 37th member of Caris’ collaborative network focused on expanding the application of precision medicine in cancer treatment

IRVING, Texas & NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. May 19, 2020 Caris Life Sciences®, a leading innovator in molecular science focused on fulfilling the promise of precision medicine, announced today that Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey has become the 37th member of its Caris Precision Oncology Alliance™. The Alliance is a collaborative network of leading cancer centers that demonstrate a commitment to precision medicine. These centers work together to advance comprehensive cancer profiling and establish standards of care for molecular testing in oncology through conducting research studies focused on predictive and prognostic markers that advance the clinical outcomes of patients with cancer.

Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey is a leader in the use of precision medicine and immunotherapy in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Through a partnership with RWJBarnabas Health, Rutgers Cancer Institute provides comprehensive and compassionate cancer care to adults and children. The Institute has a dual focus on care and research.  More than $100 million in annual federal, state and philanthropic grants support its faculty members and allows the Institute to make meaningful contributions to the oncology community. Currently, the Institute has 56 active clinical trials that have a focus on precision medicine.

“The true power of Caris’ Precision Oncology Alliance is the collective contributions of each member institution towards improving the quality of personalized therapeutic insights in cancer treatment,” said Chadi Nabhan, MD, MBA, FACP, Chairman of the Precision Oncology Alliance. “Caris looks forward to working with the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and its team of internationally recognized physicians and researchers who have a proud legacy of transforming laboratory discoveries into clinical practice in furthering this mission.”

Through the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance, Rutgers Cancer Institute will partner with other notable cancer centers and academic institutions to broaden patient access to precision cancer care, have early access to Caris MAI™ (Molecular Artificial Intelligence) offerings, and establish evidence-based standards for cancer profiling and molecular testing in oncology. By leveraging the comprehensive genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic profiling services available through the Caris Molecular Intelligence® platform, physicians from the Rutgers Cancer Institute will be able to prioritize therapeutic options and determine which clinical trial opportunities may benefit their patients. Additionally, the Institute’s researchers will partner with other Alliance members to contribute to and publish data and advance collaborative clinical trials.

“The dedicated research and healthcare teams at Rutgers Cancer Institute know that a focus on patient experience and outcome is critical to providing comprehensive cancer care,” said Shridar Ganesan, MD, PhD, associate director for translational science and chief of molecular oncology at Rutgers Cancer Institute, who is also a professor of medicine and pharmacology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the Omar Boraie Chair in Genomic Science. “We look forward to harnessing the valuable insights generated by the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance and the opportunity to provide our own valuable contributions to the latest advancements in personalized medicine.”

The Caris Precision Oncology Alliance comprises 37 academic, hospital and community-based cancer institutions, including 11 NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers. The Alliance now includes over 2,000 physicians, spanning more than 425 locations, who provide services for over 330,000 people with cancer each year. Caris Precision Oncology Alliance members also have access to Caris Pharmatech’s oncology trial network, which can help reduce the time it takes to identify and connect appropriate patients with novel targeted cancer therapies in clinical development.

“The Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey is a recognized leader in cutting-edge precision medicine research and therapeutic offerings,” said Brian J. Brille, Vice Chairman of Caris Life Sciences. “The Caris Precision Oncology Alliance continues to grow in new and meaningful ways because of comprehensive cancer centers like the Rutgers Cancer Institute, which is devoted to advancing individualized cancer research and treatments.”

Find out more about the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance at: www.carislifesciences.com/collaboration/#poa.

About Caris Life Sciences
Caris Life Sciences® is a leading innovator in molecular science focused on fulfilling the promise of precision medicine through quality and innovation. The company’s suite of market-leading molecular profiling offerings assesses DNA, RNA and proteins to reveal a molecular blueprint that helps physicians and cancer patients make more precise and personalized treatment decisions. MI Exome™ whole exome sequencing with 22,000 DNA genes, and MI Transcriptome™ whole transcriptome sequencing with 22,000 RNA genes along with cancer-related pathogens, bacteria, viruses and fungi analysis run on every patient provides the most comprehensive and clinically relevant DNA and RNA profiling available on the market.
Caris is also advancing precision medicine with Caris MAI™ (Molecular Artificial Intelligence) that combines its innovative service offerings, Caris Molecular Intelligence® with its proprietary artificial intelligence analytics engine, DEAN™, to analyze the whole exome, whole transcriptome and complete cancer proteome. This information, coupled with mature clinical outcomes on thousands of patients, provides unmatched molecular solutions for patients, physicians, payers and biopharmaceutical organizations.
Caris Pharmatech is changing the paradigm and streamlines the clinical trial process by assisting biopharma companies with accessing research-ready oncology sites for clinical trials. With over 200 research sites within the Caris Pharmatech JIT Oncology Network, biopharma companies can identify and enroll more patients, faster. Caris Pharmatech Just-In-Time Clinical Trial Solutions focus on rapid site activation and patient enrollment to streamline the drug development process. By implementing a Just-In-Time (JIT) Research System, site activation and patient enrollment is achievable within 14 days for pre-registered locations with pre-qualified patients.
Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Caris Life Sciences offers services throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia and other international markets. To learn more, please visit www.CarisLifeSciences.com or follow us on Twitter (@CarisLS).

About Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
As New Jersey’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Rutgers Cancer Institute, along with its partner RWJBarnabas Health, offers the most advanced cancer treatment options including bone marrow transplantation, proton therapy, CAR T-cell therapy and complex robotic surgery.  Along with clinical trials and novel therapeutics such as precision medicine and immunotherapy – many of which are not widely available – patients have access to these cutting-edge therapies at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey in New Brunswick, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey at University Hospital in Newark, as well as through RWJBarnabas Health facilities.
Along with world-class treatment, which is often fueled by on-site research conducted in Rutgers Cancer Institute laboratories, patients and their families also can seek cancer preventative services and education resources throughout the Rutgers Cancer Institute and RWJBarnabas Health footprint statewide. To make a tax-deductible gift to support the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, call 848-932-8013 or visit www.cinj.org/giving.

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Caris Life Sciences Media & Company Contact:
Lindsey Bailys
GCI Health
lindsey.bailys@gcihealth.com
+1-212-798-9884

Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey Media Contact:
Michele Fisher
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
michele.fisher@rutgers.edu
732- 235-9872