Atlantic Health System Unveils
New ‘Future of Cancer Care’
New ‘Breakthrough Oncology Accelerator’
platform to drive greater access
to cutting-edge cancer treatments
at a lower cost
On October 3rd at Morristown Medical Center, Atlantic
Health System announced the launch of an exciting new partner-
ship aimed at addressing the cost and availability barriers cancer
patients often face when trying to get access to innovative and
often life-saving new treatments.
The new partnership – known as the ‘Breakthrough Oncology
Accelerator’ – is a platform that will promote faster access to inno-
vative cancer treatments through greater collaboration with clini-
cians and researchers nationwide while reducing financial barriers
to access by developing new payment models. Through the
unique model, the partners — Atlantic Health System, a leading
New Jersey-based healthcare provider serving nearly five million
residents throughout 11 counties, Translational Genomics
Research Institute (TGen), an affiliate of City of Hope and
Phoenix-based leader in cutting-edge ‘translational’ research (e.g.,
the process of rapidly moving research towards patient benefit),
and Origin, a leader in the development of new products and
markets that combine breakthroughs in medicine, technology, and
finance — will leverage their proprietary platforms, expertise, and
networks to identify and deploy those resources that best help
oncologists meet the needs of their patients.
“It’s about providing patients with outstanding, compassionate
medical care and greater access to the latest treatments while
reducing the ‘financial toxicity’ of these treatments – e.g., making
great drugs more available and affordable,” shared Eric Whitman,
M.D., Medical Director of Atlantic Health System Cancer Care.
New drug therapies such as immunotherapies, which bolster
the body’s own ability to fight cancer, have revolutionized cancer
treatment in the U.S. and are expected to become first-line treat-
ments for many cancers over the next five years – save for a costly
and complex system that often limits patient access to them.
“Advancements in science have been remarkable,” agreed
Cosmo Smith, Managing Partner at Origin Commercial Ventures,
“but in order to find, market, and nurture novel therapies and
identify, treat, and monitor patients, we need an infrastructure
From left, Brian Gragnolati, president and CEO, Atlantic Health
System; Deborah Hartel, deputy commissioner, State of New Jersey
Department of Health; Tess Burleson, COO, TGen; Dr. Eric Whitman,
medical director, Atlantic Health System Cancer Care; Cosmo Smith,
managing partner, Origin Commercial Ventures; Trish O'Keefe,
president, Morristown Medical Center; and Lydia Nadeau, director,
Oncology Service Line, Atlantic Health System Cancer Care
announce the Breakthrough Oncology Accelerator at Atlantic Health
that will be smarter and ensure that patients are looked after.
This new partnership will combine scientific advancement with
patient access.”
“In cancer care, it’s about access to trials and cutting-edge
breakthroughs, and we’re partnering to bring that kind of technol-
ogy to patients,” said Brian Gragnolati, President & CEO of
Atlantic Health System.
“The Future of Cancer Care”
According to Whitman, the Breakthrough Oncology
Accelerator will expand an already-existing Phase 1 Research
Program at Morristown Medical Center to test promising drugs
just out of the lab “and has already brought 15 new clinical trials
to Morristown Medical Center and Atlantic Health System,”
including the groundbreaking new ‘Catalyst Trial’ for patients
with Stage IV pancreatic cancer. “Pharmaceutical companies need
a clinical center that provides patients for research trials and this
partnership will accelerate that,” Whitman said. “However, as
most patients go to a community hospital for treatment, we’re
unique in that we’re a community hospital that has the expertise
to perform these clinical trials safely and effectively and to have
the infrastructure to support them successfully.”
For more information, visit atlantichealth.org.
Supplement to wayne magazine