Firm becomes a part of consortium that includes institutions and around 25 oncology-related companies.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Norway has joined the Oslo Cancer Cluster. This private-public initiative is established around the Radium Hospital, which has the same Comprehensive Cancer Center status as Dana Farber, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, and Sloan-Kettering. As part of the Oslo Cancer Cluster, Bristol-Myers Squibb Norway is aligned with companies like Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, and AstraZeneca.
The Oslo Cancer Cluster aims to become the most innovative center in Europe for cancer diagnostics and treatment by 2015. “There is no doubt that the initiative is setting up in the right place and at the right time,” notes Jonas Einarsson, chairman of the Oslo Cancer Cluster. “Oslo has all the required elements for success: research institutes, hospitals, Phase I units, an epidemiological network represented by the Norwegian Cancer Registry, and a strong industrial base of around 25 oncology-related companies ranging from spinouts to big pharma.
“With these resources we aim to develop strong areas of cancer research including immunotherapy, breast cancer genomics and proteomics, cancer stem cell biology, and photodynamic therapy and provide the framework for their translation into new therapeutics for the benefit of cancer patients.”
The company has had a long history of successful collaboration with Oslo institutions, according to Ivar Jonsson, medical science manager oncology. “We are currently conducting or supporting several Phase II trials, mainly within the field of leukemia, melanoma, and breast cancer, and we are aiming at launching several new oncology compounds in the coming years,” he adds.
