DURHAM, N.C. — The Rare Cancer Research Foundation (RCRF) is proud to announce an exciting collaboration with Spanios aimed at propelling the discovery and validation of groundbreaking therapeutic options for rare cancers. This partnership, facilitated through RCRF’s innovative initiative, Pattern.org, marks a significant step towards addressing the pressing need for effective treatments in the realm of rare cancers.
Pattern.org, a patient-centric platform, empowers individuals battling rare cancers across the United States to donate fresh tumor tissue, irrespective of their treatment center, thereby driving forward scientific research. Despite their individual rarity, rare cancers collectively represent over 25% of annual cancer diagnoses. However, patients facing these conditions often encounter significant challenges due to limited understanding of their disease’s biology and vulnerabilities, resulting in a scarcity of resources and treatment options.
Marshall Thompson, President of RCRF, emphasizes, “Connecting rare cancer patient sample donations with cutting-edge diagnostic and therapeutic researchers lies at the heart of RCRF’s mission. This partnership with Spanios will catalyze the discovery of new biomarkers and validate therapeutic approaches previously inaccessible to rare cancer patients.”
Barbara Van Hare, President of Pattern.org, adds, “We’re delighted to collaborate with Spanios to facilitate the development of physiologically relevant patient-derived models, revolutionizing oncology research, therapeutic validation, and precision medicine for rare cancer patients.”
Vivek Ravi, Chief Executive Officer of Spanios noted, “We are excited to collaborate with the inspirational team at RCRF to advance therapeutic research for challenging cancer types, including rare and pediatric cancers. By combining our expertise, resources, and innovative platforms, we will deliver on our mission of identifying, discovering, and delivering effective treatments to the most underserved segments of our community.”
About the Rare Cancer Research Foundation (RCRF)
The mission of the Rare Cancer Foundation (RCRF) is to cure rare cancers through strategic investments and innovative collaborations that facilitate effective research and accelerate deployment of promising therapies. Pattern.org, the flagship initiative of RCRF, is a patient-driven platform that empowers rare cancer patients to expedite research through tissue and data donation regardless of treatment location.
About Spanios
Founded with the mission to fast-track the discovery, identification, and delivery of oncology drugs in rare and difficult to treat cancers, Spanios enables the recreation of human solid tumors and their microenvironment ex-vivo (outside the body), eliminating the need for historically less predictive animal models. Its unique platforms facilitate the most rigorous assessments of therapeutic efficacy, providing decision-making confidence around candidate selection and patient stratification earlier. Spanios’ enhanced representativeness of preclinical models empowers researchers and drug developers to more accurately predict therapeutic responses, ultimately paving the way for more effective treatments.
For more information
Susan Horrell
Director of Strategic Partnerships
[email protected]
rarecancer.org
Dean P. Remy
Head of Global Commercial Development
[email protected]