Launched by Roche last year, the Immunotherapy Centres of Research Excellence (imCORE) Network is a global partnership powered by 25 leading cancer research institutions from 10 countries and leading experts in cancer immunotherapy. Working in collaboration with scientists from Roche and Genentech, renowned researchers and clinical investigators who share the same ambition of advancing immunotherapeutics towards improving outcomes for patients, are driving the application and extension of novel immune-based medicines to more tumor types as well as progressing research into the cellular and molecular mechanisms modulating immune response to cancer.
Celebrated last week, 19 – 21 October, imCORE came to Barcelona for its second Scientific Summit to deliver latest insights from the preclinical, clinical and translational perspectives as well as updates and next directions of key projects ranging from basic studies to better characterize immune phenotypes of cancer and mechanisms of immune response and escape to clinical trials evaluating new therapies and novel combination strategies. Kicking off with a welcome and introduction by Josep Tabernero, VHIO´s Director, who revealed some lesser known facts about Barcelona as a just-for-fun quiz enjoyed by all, and Edith Perez, Chair, Roche imCORE Oversight Committee, the three day packed program began with a celebration of up and coming young talents in the field with an Early Career Faculty Reception and inaugural Poster Session.
The second day focused on the where we are, where to next in terms of the Network´s scientific collaborations, shared technologies and CIT strategies. Coinciding with the lunch break, Summit participants were firstly treated to imCORE Shared Technologies & Knowledge Fair to discuss and debate the framework´s avant-garde approaches and platforms, followed by the Cancer Immunotherapy Focus Sessions with two choices out of a total of eight dedicated to a broad pick of topics including predictive markers, biomarkers, molecular imaging, T Cell bi-specific antibodies, efficacy and long term outcomes of treatments, the precise tailoring of vaccines, the promise of bioinformatics, and the combination of radiotherapy and immunotherapy. The afternoon was dedicated to the issue of how best to harness, share and exchange mass data through a Panel Discussion followed by Hematology and Preclinical Workshops, closing thereafter with a Session for early career imCORE faculty.
The third and final day explored therapies in combination based on proven and predictive preclinical rationale and a choice of three Combination Breakouts focused on complex multi-agent combinations across several tumor types, clinical data to basic discovery, and the interpretation of early phase combinations data. The meeting came fittingly to a close with an overview of the top ten challenges for imCORE as a road mapping exercise towards the future.
Commenting for VHIO Communications Josep Tabernero highlighted the importance of imCORE and relevance of VHIO´s involvement in the project, “This unique network will significantly contribute to advancing anti-cancer immunological strategies as well as accelerate discovery aimed at ultimately benefiting patients who may stand to gain from these novel agents as mono therapy or in combination. As a highly dedicated imCORE partner, VHIO seeks to advance the immuno-oncology field through a large portfolio of trials with some of the most promising targets in immune checkpoints and cytokines. By pairing immune therapeutics with oncogenomics, we will succeed in rendering anti-cancer therapies more precise.”
For more information about VHIO´s participation in imCORE contact: Amanda Wren, Director of Communications at VHIO, Email: awren@vhio.net.
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