Cancer Genetics enters into research collaboration with Moffitt Cancer Center

The studies, led by Moffitt researchers Heather Jim, PhD, Diane Portman, MD, Howard McLeod, PharmD, and Gillian Bell, PharmD will examine a number of genetic variants as predictors for the most common side effects associated with chemotherapy treatment.

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is a significant clinical challenge experienced by over 50% of patients receiving chemotherapy, even when general-purpose prophylactic anti-emetic therapies are prescribed according to clinical guidelines.

The first of these collaborative studies will seek to validate and improve existing risk prediction indices of acute and delayed CINV in patients undergoing chemotherapy.

This prospective study will determine whether the inclusion of variations in genes involved in the metabolism of anti-emetic drugs improves the ability to accurately predict which patients are more likely to experience side effects from chemotherapy regimens.

Tailored anti-emetic treatment in patients at risk of CINV has the potential to significantly reduce incidence, while decreasing CINV-related medical visit costs, which average $4,0001 per patient.

A second collaboration will examine the role of individual genetic variants in the effectiveness of pain control in cancer. Pain is one of the most difficult symptoms associated with cancer and its treatment.

Opioid and non-opioid analgesics and co-analgesics are frequently used to improve pain control, but patients vary considerably in their response to these drugs. This study will include Moffitt cancer patients treated in the outpatient setting and will seek to identify genetic associations for patient-reported pain outcomes.

"The empirical evidence needed to guide treatment decisions in the management of cancer is incomplete since we cannot precisely predict individual responsiveness to therapies. Our studies, in collaboration with Cancer Genetics are designed to examine the influence of genetic and phenotypic variants on personalized responsiveness to chemotherapeutic agents and analgesics," says Howard McLeod, PharmD, Medical Director of the DeBartolo Family Personalized Medicine Institute at Moffitt Cancer Center.

Through these studies, genetic biomarkers found to have clinical significance in predicting CINV and effectiveness of pain control in patients will be integrated into the company’s comprehensive pharmacogenomics panels.

These panels will allow clinical trials investigators and oncologists to better tailor treatments to reduce CINV-related side effects. Cancer Genetics plans on launching a comprehensive next-generation sequencing based panel focused on pharmacogenomics later this year.

"There continues to be a significant unmet medical need for improving the personalized management of patients that suffer from side-effects of chemotherapy," said Scott Clark, VP of Global Scientific Operations of Cancer Genetics, Inc.

"Our collaboration with Moffitt Cancer Center, is designed to develop new genomics insights and tools that can manage the many side-effects associated with chemotherapy by tailoring the treatment regimen to individual patient response."

?Results from the CGI’s partnerships with leading cancer research organizations help guide the development of treatment options and provide critical information to improve clinical cancer treatment. Through its partnerships and continued efforts on its discovery research, CGI remains committed to its mission of empowering personalized cancer treatment.