Yale Cancer Center joins BMS’ II-ON

Bristol-Myers Squibb has bolstered the International Immuno-Oncology Network (II-ON) with the addition of the Yale Cancer Center.

Launched in 2012, the II-ON sees the collaboration of industry and academia driving the further enhancement of immuno-oncology research.

Operating under a peer-to-peer approach, the network - which was the first of its kind - has expanded from 10 to 16 sites spanning across North America, Europe, Japan and Australia.

Becoming the 16^th organisation to join the network, Roy Herbst, director of the center of immuno-oncology at the Yale Cancer Center, hopes their work can “ultimately help to achieve [the] goal of transforming the way we treat people affected by cancer”.

He added: “The II-ON gives us the chance to work more efficiently and collaboratively with Bristol-Myers Squibb and the other II-ON academic centres to address scientific questions in immuno-oncology.”

Recently, the network has been focusing on generative innovative immuno-oncology science, launching biology-driven trials and applying ‘cutting-edge’ technologies with the goal of translating research findings into clinical trials.

Nils Lonberg, head of oncology biology discovery at Bristol-Myers Squibb, said: “Translational medicine and the understanding of cancer biology are foundational to our oncology R&D programme, which is why we’re invested in furthering the understanding of early I-O Science through the II-ON.

“By adding Yale Cancer Center to the network, we are strengthening our collective ability to address essential scientific questions and advance clinical discovery, which we hope will eventually translate into meaningful outcomes for patients.”

In addition to the II-ON, BMS has invested in several other models of scientific collaboration with academic partners, including the Global Expert Centers Initiative (GECI), the Immuno-Oncology Integrated Community Oncology Network (IO-ICON) and the Oncology Academic Research Group (OAR).