NEW YORK – Caris Life Sciences and McKesson subsidiary Ontada said Thursday that they have inked a partnership focused on advancing precision oncology by combining their respective genomic and clinical data resources.
Caris operates a multimodal database, including whole-exome and whole-transcriptome sequencing data, from more than 6.5 million clinical tests. Ontada, meanwhile, has a real-world database of over 2.4 million cancer patients with more than 80 tumor types. Most of Ontada's data were collected in the community oncology setting, where some 85 percent of patients receive their care.
The firms plan to use their combined data to advance oncology treatment with partnered research projects. They also hope to support life sciences companies developing next-generation oncology treatments.
"By bringing together two of the most extensive clinical and genomic datasets in community oncology, we have developed a unique resource for life sciences companies," Ontada President Christine Davis said in a statement.
"Caris and Ontada will collaboratively work to bridge the gap between research and real-world application, creating a streamlined pathway from research and development to clinical practice to benefit patients with faster access to more informed treatment decisions, personalized therapies, clinical trials, and improved outcomes," James Hamrick, chairman of the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance, added.