The NRG Oncology Biospecimen Bank will be awarded an additional 6 years of funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). This grant will provide biospecimen banking support for the NCI National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) group NRG Oncology. During the peer-review grant-renewal process, the Biospecimen Bank was ranked within the “exceptional” range, with a score of 18. Reviewer comments highlighted the exceptional organizational structure, strong leadership and execution of biospecimen banking activities, and support provided to NRG clinical trials and translational research activities.
The NRG Biospecimen Bank—with locations in Pittsburgh; San Francisco; Houston; and Columbus, Ohio—collects, manages, and distributes high-quality and well-annotated biospecimens that are used in NRG Oncology phase I, II, and III NCTN and NCI Community Oncology Research Program clinical trials. The Biospecimen Bank inventory through August 2019 included 3,276,452 biospecimens collected from 182,749 patients across 404 clinical trials. The biospecimens collected from the banks have been integral in the evolution of cancer care and have led to 82 influential and practice-changing scientific publications.
Looking Ahead
Richard Jordan, DDS, PhD
“The work of the NRG Biospecimen Bank is an important component of both NRG Oncology cancer clinical trials and translational research, where biospecimens are utilized to test and validate biomarkers of tumor prognosis and to predict patients’ responses to treatments. Our goal is to support NRG Oncology’s mission to improve the lives of those affected by cancer,” stated Richard Jordan, DDS, PhD, Contact Principal Investigator for the NRG Biospecimen Bank grant and Professor of Pathology, Oral Pathology, and Radiation Oncology at the University of California, San Francisco. “We look forward to the advanced and continued efforts of our excellent team that will extend through the next 6 years of this grant cycle.”
The new cycle will begin on September 1, 2020. NRG Oncology aims to enroll 3,183 patients per year in future trials, and the Biospecimen Bank will strive to secure better-quality samples, expand access for translational scientists, and improve research outcomes.
