The goal is to accelerate the adoption of genomics and combination therapy in oncology
SAN DIEGO, CA – March 30, 2017 – CureMatch, the developer of a decision support platform for personalized combination therapy in cancer, and Patient Power, an online news source for patients with cancer, today announced a collaborative project designed to empower both patients and oncologists to make the most informed decisions when considering advanced cancer treatments. The goals are to educate patients and their families about cutting-edge treatment options and to support oncologists with actionable knowledge and insight so that they can more easily select available personalized therapies for their patients.
Patient Power is devoted to providing knowledge to cancer patients and their families so that they can get the best possible treatment and return to or maintain good health. The Patient Power site welcomes more than 60,000 monthly visits. Patients and their “circle of support” learn from leading medical experts, researchers, advocates, and other patients about their disease; they can attend in person and online events and forums; and can subscribe to receive regular updates on new findings and treatments.
CureMatch is the only company to offer a report that guides oncologists in the selection of personalized combination therapies, using supercomputing and the latest discoveries in genomics and proteomics. CureMatch analyzes more than 4.5 million different drug combinations to find and rank the most advanced cancer treatments, customized specifically for the individual patient. The technology was originally developed at the UCSD Moores Cancer Center and San Diego Supercomputer Center to guide clinical decision-making when discussing potential therapy options for patients with complex cases.
The new collaboration will enable the joint team to develop content targeting patients who are interested in topics such as next-generation sequencing and personalized combination therapy. This material will be used to better educate patients and their families about options that are on the leading edge of cancer treatment.
“In our experience, patients and caregivers are the biggest advocates for personalized medicine,” said Blaise Barrelet, CEO and Co-Founder of CureMatch. “However, the vast majority are not aware that these options exist. Patient Power knows exactly how to reach patients and caregivers and provide content for them in a way that is effective and actionable.”
The first content released was a web interview with Patient Power Host Andrew Schorr, a two-time cancer survivor, and Dr. Razelle Kurzrock, CureMatch Co-Founder and Chief Medical Advisor, and Director of the Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy at UC San Diego. In the interview, Dr. Kurzrock describes the limitations of cancer care, how supercomputing and genomics are used to treat cancer today, and what patients can do to understand the complex data. The collaboration is also focused on helping oncologists make more informed decisions when considering advanced treatment options. Today, only about 2% of cancer patients have their tumors profiled using techniques such as next-generation sequencing, and only a fraction of those patients is given cancer treatments that actually make use of this data. The slow adoption of personalized medicine is largely due to the information burden that has been placed on oncologists. This burden is the result of the explosion of new sources of data, new and experimental cancer drugs, and new discoveries in fields such as immunotherapy and targeted therapy.
The approach taken by CureMatch and Patient Power is to reach out to oncologists – and patients – and show them how decision support can be used to provide actionable knowledge and insight rather than simply providing more information. Access to knowledge and insight enables oncologists to make rapid, informed decisions, and is the key to the adoption of personalized medicine in oncology.
“The science of cancer treatment is moving so rapidly that most oncologists – and certainly their patients – can’t keep up,” said Esther Schorr, Chief Operating Officer/Co-Founder of Patient Power. ”There is exponential growth in the scientific understanding of how genetics plays a role in cancer, which is great. However, at the same time, matching an individual’s genetic profile with the right treatment plan is growing in complexity…this is where decision support tools like CureMatch, along with education of patients about their options, becomes even more critical.”
About CureMatch
CureMatch™, Inc., based in San Diego, is a digital health company focused on personalized medicine and combination therapy in oncology. Combination therapy has been used effectively in the treatment of other diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, and is considered by many to be the future of cancer treatment. CureMatch’s decision support system guides oncologists in the selection of combinations of cancer drugs that are personalized for individual patients, based on the molecular profile of the patient’s own tumor. The CureMatch platform, with a foundation in oncology, genetics, proteomics, biochemistry, and cell biology was originally developed and licensed by a multidisciplinary team at UC San Diego Moore’s Cancer Center and the San Diego Supercomputer Center. For more information, visit www.curematch.com
About Patient Power
Patient Power® is a service of Patient Power, LLC, with team members around the world. Founded by Carlsbad residents Andrew and Esther Schorr, Patient Power® produces video programs and live events across numerous health conditions – primarily cancers. These programs feature top medical experts from some of the world’s leading medical institutions, dedicated advocates and inspiring, knowledgeable patients. For more information, visit www.patientpower.info.
Media Contact
Joleen Schultz
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joleen@joleenschultzassociates.com
