BMS Forms Immuno-Oncology Network

Bristol-Myers Squibb has formed the International Immuno-Oncology Network (II-ON), a global collaboration between industry and academia intended to further the scientific understanding of immuno-oncology. Immuno-oncology focuses on the potential of harnessing the body’s immune system to fight cancer. In addition to BMS, the II-ON is currently comprised of ten leading cancer-research institutions, including:

• Clinica Universidad Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
• The Earle A. Chiles Research Institute (Providence Health & Services), Portland, OR
• Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
• Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori “Fondazione G. Pascale,” Naples, Italy
• Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, Baltimore MD
• Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
• The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
• The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, NL
• The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

The collaborative forum aims to facilitate the translation of scientific research findings into clinical trials and clinical practice, and will also work to further advance innovation in drug discovery and development.

“The International Immuno-Oncology Network facilitates a public-private partnership that will leverage intellectual capabilities across a global network,” said Elliott Sigal, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president, chief scientific officer and president, R&D, BMS. “The shared commitment of all those participating in this collaboration is to evolve our understanding of immuno-oncology towards our ultimate goal of improving patient outcomes.”