Hamburg/Washington DC (USA): Indivumed GmbH, a Hamburg-based company specialized in the analysis and procurement of highly standardized tissue samples and data of tumor patients, for the first time participates in clinical research projects exploring personalized therapies for cancer patients. The trials will be conducted at the newly founded Otto J. Ruesch Center for the Cure of Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancers at Georgetown University (Washington, DC).
Since 2007, Indivumed and Georgetown University have been collaborating on the establishment of a high-quality biobank and clinical database for the analysis of tumor specimens with the aim to improve cancer diagnostics and to better understand the complex interaction of the cells within a tumor.
“In the context of this extended collaboration, we will for the first time use our knowledge to treat cancer patients under the conditions of a clinical trial,” said Prof Dr Hartmut Juhl, CEO and founder of Indivumed. “First, during surgery or prior to drug therapy, we sample and process tumor tissue under highly standardized conditions. Following a thorough analysis of the tissue and after considering the tumor characteristics and the clinical history of the patients, we then recommend a targeted therapy for the individual patient. Our goal is to understand the molecular mechanisms influencing the effect of a therapy and to consistently apply drugs to patients meeting the molecular preconditions for efficacy. This approach also saves patients from therapies that might be very stressful but without a therapeutic effect on the tumor.”
Ultimately, the research will result in new diagnostic standards for benefit of tumor patients world-wide. At present, the focus is on gastrointestinal cancers, i.e. esophageal, colorectal, gastric, pancreatic and liver cancers.
The newly founded Otto J. Ruesch Center for the Cure of Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancers of Georgetown University was created at the end of September 2009 and is named after the late businessman and philantropist Otto J. Ruesch, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2004. His widow Jeanne W. Ruesch enabled the establishment of the center by an endowment of US $6.75 million. Further details can be found on the Web site of Georgetown University at http://explore.georgetown.edu/news/?ID=44869&PageTemplateID=295.
