AON Announces Forthcoming Collaboration with Sarah Cannon to Expand Cancer Research

Recently, the American Oncology Network, LLC (AON) and the Sarah Cannon Research Institute (Sarah Cannon) announced that they will be collaborating to increase patient’s access to community-based clinical research.

This alliance will expand the chances patients have to be involved in novel cancer research without requiring them to travel long distances or go out of state to get to the clinical trial site. Patients will have access to more clinical trial options through AON’s network of oncology practices.

“We are excited to form a strategic partnership that will advance cancer research to help better the lives of patients with cancer,” Brad Prechtl, MBA, chief executive officer, AON said in a statement. “Community-based clinical trials come with many benefits. They enable patients to be matched with potentially life-saving research while staying within the comfort and familiarity of their local oncologist’s office.”

Sarah Cannon is a global leader in community-based clinical trials and AON’s network contains practices in 12 states, which provide in-house laboratory, pathology, and oral pharmacy services for patients to get all their care in one place. This convenient set-up allows patients to have access to their physician care, support services, and a comprehensive range of treatments they may need, all while staying close to their homes.

The first strategic research site under the new alliance will be a Louisiana practice partnered with AON—the Hematology/Oncology Clinic (HOC). They will be offering clinical trials as a part of their oncology services at their recently constructed site in Baton Rouge, which includes 20 exam rooms and 37 chemotherapy chairs in a 17,000 square-foot facility. Gerald Miletello, MD, ChristopherMcCanless, MD, Michael Castine, III, MD, Pavani Ellipeddi, MD, Lauren Juneja, MD, and Sanjay Juneja, MD, are the medical oncologists at HOC’s site that will be caring for patients.

“By bringing both cancer care and research under one roof, our physicians are able to provide their patients with convenient access to a robust menu of treatment options that can be personalized to their individual needs,” Stephen “Fred” Divers, MD, AON advisory board member and chairman, stated in a press release.

Before Sarah Cannon was a global leader in early phase research of clinical trials, they were the first to pioneer oncologic drug development program in the community-based setting. They have conducted over 400 first-in-human trials thus far and serve thousands of patients every year through its network of strategic research sites, which will now include AON’s network as well. Sarah Cannon’s efforts to advance treatment for patients with cancer have pushed it to become a leader in many of the approved cancer therapy trials in the last decade.

“At Sarah Cannon, we are focused on offering patients cutting-edge cancer therapies closer to home—a commitment shared by our colleagues at AON,” Howard A. “Skip” Burris, III, MD, president of clinical operations and chief medical officer at Sarah Cannon, said in a press release.

“By bringing together our scientific and operational expertise, this collaboration will make a greater impact on the field of cancer research, advancing therapies and providing access to patients who vitally need the latest treatment options,” he concluded.

_Reference:

_{American Oncology Network & Sarah Cannon Research Institute Announce Research Collaboration [press release]. AON oncology. Published June 15, 2020. Accessed June 17, 2020. https://bit.ly/3edapmL}