NCCN Receives $2 Million in Oncology Research Funding from Boehringer Ingelheim to Investigate Afatinib in Solid Tumors

NCCN recently received a $2 million research grant from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to gain further insight into the use of the investigational compound Afatinib (BIBW 2992) in solid tumors. Investigators from NCCN Member Institutions are eligible to apply for the research funding.

FORT WASHINGTON, PA — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®) Oncology Research Program (ORP) has been awarded a $2 million grant from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to develop a program to scientifically evaluate and define the clinical effectiveness of Afatinib (BIBW 2992) in solid tumors, including breast, head and neck, and non-small cell lung (NSCL) cancers.

"We are excited and grateful to Boehringer Ingelheim for the opportunity to collaborate on research for Afatinib. This research grant will support innovative studies to help scientists and clinicians find new directions to advance the field of oncology. Our collaboration will provide a forum for the open exchange of information to better define the clinical application for the use of Afatinib in a variety of cancer types," stated Diane Paul, MS, RN, vice president, ORP, NCCN.

The first phase of the program will involve the establishment of an NCCN Afatinib Request for Proposals Development Team to evaluate existing data and to discuss and define the data and type of studies necessary to further characterize the clinical effectiveness of Afatinib in selected solid tumors.

Afatinib is an oral, once-daily, targeted investigational compound currently being investigated for various tumor types, such as NSCL, breast, head and neck, and colorectal cancers and glioblastoma. It is a next generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor, which is an irreversible inhibitor of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Afatinib is currently in Phase III clinical development for NSCL and breast cancers.

The NCCN ORP draws on the expertise of investigators at NCCN Member Institutions to facilitate all phases of clinical research. This research is made possible by collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in order to advance therapeutic options for patients with cancer. The NCCN ORP will utilize the grant from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to support investigator-initiated clinical and correlative studies at its NCCN Member Institutions for Afatinib. To date, this successful research model has received more than $34 million in research grants and provided 86 investigators with funding for clinical and correlative trials that have produced numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals.

About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®), a not-for-profit alliance of 23 of the world's leading cancer centers, is dedicated to improving the quality and effectiveness of care provided to patients with cancer. Through the leadership and expertise of clinical professionals at NCCN Member Institutions, NCCN develops resources that present valuable information to the numerous stakeholders in the health care delivery system. As the arbiter of high-quality cancer care, NCCN promotes the importance of continuous quality improvement and recognizes the significance of creating clinical practice guidelines appropriate for use by patients, clinicians, and other health care decision-makers. The primary goal of all NCCN initiatives is to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of oncology practice so patients can live better lives. For more information, visit NCCN.org.

The NCCN Member Institutions are:

City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center
Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center
Duke Cancer Institute
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center / Seattle Cancer Care Alliance
The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins
Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Moffitt Cancer Center
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital/The University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Stanford Cancer Institute
University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center
UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Colorado Cancer Center
University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center
UNMC Eppley Cancer Center at The Nebraska Medical Center
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center