The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center

Techstars, a company that invests in early-stage startups, Johns Hopkins and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, announced the launch of a new healthcare accelerator program designed to support early-stage entrepreneurs using artificial intelligence to improve care pathways. With the backing of Johns Hopkins and CareFirst, Techstars AI Health Baltimore utilizes the university's proficiency in converting research into commercially feasible businesses. It also takes advantage of CareFirst's experience in advancing access to economical, fair, high-quality healthcare and Techstars' accelerator model. The Baltimore-based accelerator program aims to build on the success of Techstars Equitech, which is a three-cohort series in conjunction with UpSurge Baltimore that ended in May. Baltimore’s technology ecosystem builder, UpSurge will continue to ensure that Techstars founders can leverage the wide continuum of assets that exist in the greater Baltimore area. Adam Phillips, former managing director of Techstars Equitech, will spearhead the 13-week program focused on supporting entrepreneurs leading healthtech, medtech and biotech startups. Startups will get capital, guidance from experts and other support needed to navigate the complexities of the healthcare ecosystem and regulatory environment. Applications open on Aug. 26 and will be accepted through Nov. 20. Myra Norton, head of startup acceleration at Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures, the university’s commercialization and entrepreneurship arm, said that "by collaborating with Techstars at the intersection of healthcare and AI, Johns Hopkins aims to bring more entrepreneurs to our ecosystem and catalyze more startup activity to bring high-impact healthcare innovation to market." THE LARGER TREND In 2021, Techstars was among the investors in UAEs Klaim, a healthtech startup that raised $1.6 million (€1.4 million) in funding in a pre-Series A round. The funding enabled Klaim's penetration in the Saudi and U.S. markets. On Aug. 15, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center investigators revealed a novel test may provide gastroenterologists with insight into which patients with Barrett’s esophagus are likely to progress to esophageal cancer or an abnormal collection of cells called high-grade dysplasia. The information could help physicians determine how to monitor or manage patients during clinical care. In July, Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures announced the development of special nanoparticles that can send gene treatment directly to various types of cells in bone marrow to correct the disease-causing mutations. That same month, using genetic engineering techniques, investigators at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and its Ludwig Center, the Lustgarten Laboratory and Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy designed a novel type of cell to recognize and fight cancer. Other companies offering healthcare accelerator programs include Duke-NUS Medical School, which launched a $20 million incubator, LIVE Ventures, in July, to help commercialize academic research projects and transform scientific breakthroughs into clinical applications. The incubator aims to supply academic innovators with expertise and resources from the public and private sectors – including pharmaceutical companies, market data research professionals, investors and industry experts – to conduct product-market fit evaluations for project commercialization. Mayo Clinic's Platform_Accelerate is a 30-week program that helps early-stage health tech AI startups get market ready. Penn Health-Tech's Health-Tech Accelerator is a yearlong, cohort-based program that is intended to provide support through advising and funding aimed at accelerating the life cycle of innovative health technologies. The HIMSS AI in Healthcare Forum is scheduled to take place Sept. 5-6 in Boston. Learn more and register.

FRIDAY, Aug. 9, 2024 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Voranigo (vorasidenib) for grade 2 astrocytoma or oligodendroglioma with a susceptible mutation. The isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 (IDH1) and isocitrate dehydrogenase-2 (IDH2) inhibitor is approved for adult and pediatric patients ages 12 years and older with grade 2 astrocytoma or oligodendroglioma with a susceptible IDH1 or IDH2 mutation (determined by the Life Technologies Corporation Oncomine Dx Target Test) following surgery, including biopsy, subtotal resection, or gross total resection. The approval was based on a trial of 331 patients randomly assigned (1:1) to receive Voranigo (40 mg orally once daily) or placebo orally once daily until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Results showed a significantly lower risk for progression-free survival with Voranigo (hazard ratio, 0.39). The median time to next intervention was 17.8 months in the placebo arm but was not reached in the Voranigo arm (hazard ratio, 0.26). The most common (≥15 percent) adverse reactions included fatigue, headache, COVID-19 infection, musculoskeletal pain, diarrhea, nausea, and seizure, while the most common grade 3 or 4 laboratory abnormalities (>2 percent) were increased alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and gamma-glutamyl transferase and decreased neutrophils. "The possibility of delaying radiation therapy and chemotherapy with this drug could be beneficial to select patients with slow growing IDH-mutant gliomas," Matthias Holdhoff, M.D., Ph.D., from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, and co-investigator on the 2023 clinical trial , said in a statement. "I believe we are looking at a new standard of care option for these types of tumors." Approval of Voranigo was granted to Servier Pharmaceuticals. More Information Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Results from a study published in the journal Cancer by Independence Blue Cross (IBX) and Jefferson Health show positive outcomes to having supportive oncology programs. The study found that these types of programs are associated with fewer in-patient hospital admissions and emergency room visits. They also help lower the total financial costs for patients receiving advanced care, the study shows. Supportive oncology programs integrate social work, nutritional counseling, navigation, financial advocacy, nursing, palliative medicine, and pain management for psycho–oncology with standard oncology treatment to meet the multidimensional care needs of patients with cancer. "Supportive oncology programs are an enormous resource for our members, and the data show how care utilization patterns change in a positive way for those in need of these supportive services," said Aaron Smith-McLallen, Ph.D., director of Health Informatics & Advanced Analytics at Independence Blue Cross and one of the study authors. "My hope is that others in the health care field are encouraged by our work and make it a priority to explore these types of programs. Bridging the gap in resources and expertise can help ensure that everyone benefits from the life-enhancing services that supportive oncology programs can provide." IBX and Jefferson Health, along with Thomas Jefferson University researchers, took a unique approach to the study. They used three distinct comparison groups, so they could ask more questions and account for different types of potential biases. They looked at a treatment group that included patients who were part of a supportive oncology program at Jefferson's Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center and compared it to the following: Patients who received palliative care at Jefferson Health before they had a supportive oncology program in place. Patients who received palliative care in Southeastern Pennsylvania from a non-Jefferson health provider. Patients who received cancer care in Southeastern Pennsylvania from a non-Jefferson health provider but did not have palliative care. The findings provide important new evidence on the positive impact and effectiveness of supportive oncology programs in patients with advanced cancer. They also suggest that these types of programs can improve the quality and efficiency of care for patients with advanced cancer. "Our study demonstrates that supportive oncology programs not only enhance patient care but also lead to more efficient healthcare utilization and lower costs. These findings underscore the importance of integrating comprehensive support services into standard cancer treatment, potentially transforming the landscape of advanced cancer care. This can only be accomplished on a large scale if both payors and healthcare institutions collaborate as we are happy to have done with IBX on this work," said Brooke Worster, M.D., FACP, Associate Professor of Medicine, Enterprise Director Supportive Oncology at Jefferson Health. The authors of the study assert that better health outcomes can be achieved for those with advanced cancer if health plans and providers work together to develop, adopt, and implement supportive oncology programs. There are many ways this could happen. There could be innovative payment models developed that reimburse for the full range of supportive oncology services, training, and education could be provided to clinicians on the benefits of this type of care, and/or supportive oncology programs could be integrated into existing cancer care pathways. About Independence Blue Cross Independence Blue Cross is the leading health insurance organization in southeastern Pennsylvania. For more than 85 years, we have been enhancing the health and well-being of the people and communities we serve. We deliver innovative and competitively priced health care products and services; pioneer new ways to reward doctors, hospitals, and other health care professionals for coordinated, quality care; and support programs and events that promote wellness. To learn more, visit ibx.com. Connect with us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and Instagram. Independence Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. About Jefferson   Nationally ranked, Jefferson, which is principally located in the greater Philadelphia region and southern New Jersey, is reimagining health care and higher education to create unparalleled value. Jefferson is more than 43,000 people strong, dedicated to providing the highest-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients; making our communities healthier and stronger; preparing tomorrow's professional leaders for 21st-century careers; and creating new knowledge through basic/programmatic, clinical and applied research. Thomas Jefferson University, home of Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Nursing, and the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce, dates back to 1824 and today comprises 10 colleges and three schools offering 200+ undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 8,300 students. Jefferson Health, nationally ranked as one of the top healthcare systems in the country and the largest provider in the Philadelphia area, serves patients through millions of encounters each year at 17 hospitals and more than 160 outpatient and urgent care locations throughout the region. Jefferson Health Plans is a not-for-profit managed health care organization providing a broad range of health coverage options in Pennsylvania and New Jersey for more than 35 years. SOURCE Independence Blue Cross