Actualité - Innovation

Ignyta and Institut Curie: an innovative collaboration

04/27/2017

Ignyta, Inc. (California, USA), a biotechnology company focused on precision medicine in oncology, chooses to rely on the molecular expertise of the Institut Curie, a leading actor in oncology, and its molecular tumor board* to support the molecular screening for the STARTRK-2 clinical trial of entrectinib

The objective of this clinical trial is to observe the antitumoral activity of entrectinib in cancer patients with gene fusions of the NTRK1, NTRK2, NTRK3, ROS1 or ALK genes. To this aim, 17 patients per month, on average, are currently screened at the Institut Curie.

We are pleased to work with Institut Curie and Pr. Le Tourneau on our STARTRK-2 clinical study

Amaury Martin, Director of the Technology Transfer and Industrial Partnerships Office of the Institut Curie and Director of the Carnot Curie Cancer Institute, welcomes this cooperation: "It illustrates the Institut Curie MC21 strategic plan, to accelerate research from the laboratory to the patient's bed on the model designed and conceived by Marie Curie. In that perspective, the Institut Curie Molecular Tumor Board* that can screen genetic alterations and guide patients to the best clinical trial available is a strong asset. This collaboration perfectly fits with the “Institut Carnot” spirit: Research & Innovation for industry”

Professor Christophe Le Tourneau, responsible for early clinical trials and precision medicine at the Institut Curie, will supervise the trial. “In October 2014, SHIVA initiated the molecular tumor board for adult and pediatric patients at the Institut Curie. This molecular tumor board gathers multidisciplinary expert including oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, managers of platforms for molecular analysis, bioinformatics specialists, and biologists. Alterations in key cancer genes are screened to guide patients to appropriate trials within a period compatible with routine clinical practice. Since 2014, we have strongly developed our expertise and this has earned the interest of numerous innovative international companies such Ignyta” explains Pr. Le Tourneau.

”We are pleased to work with Institut Curie and Pr. Le Tourneau on our STARTRK-2 clinical study given their extensive experience in conducting molecularly-driven clinical trials”, said Pratik Multani, M.D., Ignyta’s Chief Medical Officer.

* Institut Curie Molecular Tumor Board is composed of Anne Vincent-Salomon (Pathologist ; MD, PhD), Ivan Bièche (Genetician; PharmaD, PhD), Maud Kamal (Scientific Manager; PhD), Claire Morel (Project manager; M.Sc) under the Medical Coordination of Christophe Le Tourneau, MD, PhD