Schulman IRB Selected as National IRB for Cancer MoonShot 2020 Initiative

Partnership to accelerate next generation immunotherapy in cancer

CINCINNATI, March 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Schulman IRB, the industry-leading central IRB in customer service and technology, has been selected as the national IRB for the Cancer MoonShot 2020 program.

The Cancer Moonshot 2020 program is a historic national coalition formed to accelerate next generation immunotherapy in cancer. Led by the team at NantKwest, a clinical-stage immunotherapy company, this extraordinary venture includes leaders from large pharma, biotech, major academic cancer centers, community oncologists, and a pediatric consortium. Schulman IRB will serve as the IRB of record for all participating research sites.

"We are honored to be a part of this momentous initiative," said Michael Woods, President and CEO of Schulman IRB. "Schulman's IRB members and staff are excited to partner with leaders in the oncology field in these landmark studies, and we look forward to contributing to the next generation of cancer therapies."

The coalition will design, initiate and complete randomized clinical trials at all stages of cancer in up to 20 tumor types in as many as 20,000 patients in multiple phase I-III trials by the year 2020. Research participants with cancer across all tumor types will undergo next-generation molecular sequencing and gain access to over 60 novel and approved molecules to be tested as immunotherapy combinations. The studies will be conducted by leading oncology experts at the country's preeminent research institutions.

Schulman's IRB membership includes multiple oncologists and research professionals experienced in oncology research. These experts are led by an IRB Chair with extensive oncology experience in an institutional setting.

About The Cancer Moonshot 2020 Program
The Cancer Moonshot 2020 Program is the nation's most comprehensive cancer collaborative initiative seeking to accelerate the potential of combination immunotherapy as the next generation standard of care in cancer patients. This initiative aims to explore a new paradigm in cancer care by initiating randomized Phase II trials in patients at all stages of disease in 20 tumor types in 20,000 patients within the next 36 months. These findings will inform Phase III trials and the aspirational moonshot to develop an effective vaccine-based immunotherapy to combat cancer by 2020. For more information, please visit http://www.CancerMoonShot2020.org and follow Cancer MoonShot 2020 on Twitter.

About Schulman IRB
Schulman IRB has been a leader in the protection of human research participants in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada since 1983. Schulman offers thorough, timely IRB review services – including dedicated review capabilities for all phases of research across all therapeutic areas – to clinical trial sponsors, CROs, investigators and institutions. Schulman also provides global consulting services through Provision Research Compliance Services, offering comprehensive solutions to improve overall quality standards for clinical studies and data integrity, and to maximize the protection of human subjects. Schulman is fully accredited by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP).

For more information, visit http://www.sairb.com and follow Schulman IRB on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SchulmanIRB or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/schulman-irb.