The O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB is Alabama’s only cancer center designated by the National Cancer Institute and is at the forefront of improving cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
IRVING, Texas, August 26, 2021 – Caris Life Sciences®, a leading innovator in molecular science and artificial intelligence focused on fulfilling the promise of precision medicine, announced today that the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has joined Caris’ Precision Oncology Alliance™ (POA). The POA is a collaborative network of leading cancer centers that work together to advance comprehensive cancer profiling and establish standards of care for molecular testing in oncology through research focused on predictive and prognostic markers that improve the clinical outcomes of patients with cancer.
The O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB is among the nation’s leading cancer research institutions and one of only 51 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Being routinely recognized as among the nation’s best means the citizens of Alabama have access to the latest therapies, cutting-edge clinical trials and the expertise needed to treat their cancer right in their own backyard. UAB Medicine, which includes the Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute, is also the first and only health system in Alabama to offer precision medicine services as part of overall patient care.
“We are thrilled to join the POA’s collaborative network of experts and research initiatives to improve individualized therapy options and help reduce the burden of cancer in patients,” said Barry Sleckman, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB.
The O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center offers a full array of treatment options from multidisciplinary clinics filled with experts from across cancer fields to the latest state-of-the-art technology. The center is home to an outstanding faculty of roughly 400 clinicians, scientists and clinician-scientists, many of whom are internationally and nationally recognized for their expertise in oncology. The O’Neal Cancer Center treats approximately 20,000 patients annually, with an estimated 5,000 new patients each year.
“The O’Neal Cancer Center is a national leader in driving cancer research, advancing new cancer treatments and leading cancer prevention and early detection initiatives,” said Chadi Nabhan, M.D., MBA, FACP, Chairman of the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance. “The POA is excited to work with partners like the O’Neal Cancer Center who support eliminating the threat of cancer by offering access to high-quality, innovative, research-based cancer care to everyone in their community.”
“The O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB is a recognized leader in cancer care, and the only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center located in a four-state area that includes Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas,” said Brian J. Brille, Vice Chairman of Caris Life Sciences. “By utilizing research to provide personalized and targeted therapies to thousands of patients annually, they are dedicated to providing leading-edge care while developing comprehensive treatment plans specifically designed for each patient they serve.”
The Caris Precision Oncology Alliance includes 52 cancer centers and academic institutions. These institutions have early access to the extensive database and artificial intelligence platform within Caris to establish evidence-based standards for cancer profiling and molecular testing in oncology. By leveraging the comprehensive genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic profiling available through the Caris Molecular Intelligence® platform, Caris seeks to provide this network with the ability to prioritize therapeutic options and determine which clinical trial opportunities may benefit their patients. POA members are also able to integrate with a growing portfolio of biomarker directed trials sponsored by biopharma. Additionally, as a member of the POA, institutions have access to Caris CODEai™, the most comprehensive data solution in the industry with cancer treatment information and clinical outcomes data for over 275,000 patients covering over 1,000,000 data points per patient.
Find out more about the Precision Oncology Alliance by visiting the Caris website at CarisLifeSciences.com/Collaboration.
About Caris Life Sciences
Caris Life Sciences® is a leading innovator in molecular science and artificial intelligence 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 Artificial Intelligence, combining its market leading service offering, 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.
Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Caris Life Sciences has offices in Phoenix, Denver, New York, and Basel, Switzerland. Caris provides services throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia and other international markets. To learn more, please visit CarisLifeSciences.com or follow us on Twitter (@CarisLS).
About the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center:
The O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB is among the 51 cancer centers in the nation to meet the stringent criteria for the National Cancer Institute’s comprehensive designation. The center is a leader in conducting groundbreaking research, reducing cancer disparities and providing leading-edge patient care. Known for its innovative and interdisciplinary approach to education at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a part of the University of Alabama System, is the state of Alabama’s largest employer and an internationally renowned research university and academic medical center with over $600 million in research awards annually; its professional schools and specialty patient-care programs are consistently ranked among the nation’s top 50. Learn more at www.uab.edu and www.uabmedicine.org.
Caris Life Sciences Media Contact:
Nadia Gidwani
GCI Health
nadia.gidwani@gcihealth.com
312-459-7189
O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center Media Contact:
Adam Pope
University Relations
arpope@uab.edu
205-410-1353
Download PDF: Caris’ Precision Oncology Alliance Welcomes The O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at University of Alabama at Birmingham