Weill Cornell Medicine Announces Collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Innovation to Investigate New Cancer Treatments in Preclinical Models

Dr. Silvia Formenti

Strategic Preclinical Research Alliance Focused on Developing External-Beam Radiotherapy and Immunotherapy Combinations

NEW YORK (March 11, 2016) — Weill Cornell Medicine has formed a strategic, preclinical research alliance with Janssen Biotech, Inc. (Janssen), one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, to develop new treatment approaches for certain types of cancer, the institution announced today.

Led by Dr. Silvia C. Formenti, chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Weill Cornell Medicine and radiation oncologist-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, investigators will study the preclinical efficacy of combining external-beam radiotherapy with Janssen's immuno-oncology drugs with the ultimate goal of translating findings into clinical trials to benefit patients with various types of solid tumors, including prostate and lung cancers. A renowned expert in external-beam radiotherapy, a well-established and highly effective, non-invasive treatment for solid tumors and lymphomas, Dr. Formenti has pioneered a treatment strategy that combines localized radiotherapy with immunotherapy to control cancer cell growth, and potentially vaccinate patients against their own tumors.

"This collaboration will allow us to continue our work and collect important pre-clinical data using the sophisticated, state-of-the-art equipment in our department's new radiation biology lab, including a dedicated small animal irradiator (NCI# 1S10 RR0267619-01+ Formenti SC, P.I.)," Dr. Formenti said. "The information generated in tumor models has the potential to inform the design of clinical trials that combine radiotherapy with immunotherapy."

This research alliance was facilitated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation. As Weill Cornell Medicine investigators conduct this translational research, Janssen and Weill Cornell Medicine's Office of Biopharma Alliances and Research Collaborations will look for ways to advance this promising work for testing in clinical trials and development of commercial applications. The end goal is to get this potentially life-saving treatment approach to patients as soon as possible.

The mission of Weill Cornell Medicine's Office of Biopharma Alliances and Research Collaborations is to proactively generate, structure and market translational research alliances with industry in order to advance promising research projects that have commercial potential. For more information, contact Larry Schlossman at las2041@med.cornell.edu or at 212-746-6909.

Weill Cornell Medicine

Weill Cornell Medicine is committed to excellence in patient care, scientific discovery and the education of future physicians in New York City and around the world. The doctors and scientists of Weill Cornell Medicine — faculty from Weill Cornell Medical College, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, and Weill Cornell Physician Organization — are engaged in world-class clinical care and cutting-edge research that connect patients to the latest treatment innovations and prevention strategies. Located in the heart of the Upper East Side's scientific corridor, Weill Cornell Medicine's powerful network of collaborators extends to its parent university Cornell University; to Qatar, where Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar offers a Cornell University medical degree; and to programs in Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey. Weill Cornell Medicine faculty provide comprehensive patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian/Queens. Weill Cornell Medicine is also affiliated with Houston Methodist. For more information, visit weill.cornell.edu.

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