Although the outcome for cancer patients in general has improved over the years, cancer continues to be one of the primary causes of death worldwide – and the medical, financial and societal burden of the disease is increasing. With the pressing need for new, effective and personalized therapeutic options for cancer patients worldwide, it is increasingly recognized that the current approach to developing these therapies is falling short.

The development process is expensive, time-consuming and high-risk; it is impeded by limited and fragmented access to the right facilities and expertise; and there is not enough crosstalk between development and clinical practice. More importantly, new therapies often are only effective in a subset of the intended patient population. In other words, there is a need not only for new cancer therapies, but also for an improved way of developing them. The Oncode-PACT program – a public-private initiative funded by the Dutch National Growth Fund and initiated by Oncode Institute and several research institutes – is being set up to address this challenge head-on.

Oncode-PACT program

The Oncode-PACT program helps to shape and improve development plans for new therapies brought forward by both academic institutes and companies. We will provide them with access to expertise, facilities and technologies for a highly efficient patient-driven preclinical development process of cancer therapies.

Our public-private partnership currently consists of 30 partners and is built up of 10 consortia which are coordinated by University Medical Center Utrecht, Princess Máxima Center, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Leiden University, Leiden University Medical Center and Oncode-PACT foundation as the overall program coordinator. All elements of the Oncode-PACT infrastructure will be available on a fee-for-service basis and accessible to the international public and private oncology research & development sector.

To validate the added value of our innovative infrastructure, the program has allocated funding to co-finance preclinical development projects for new and improved therapies. These demonstrator projects will be carefully selected through a transparent process involving an independent advisory board, and will demonstrate how the Oncode-PACT program accelerates the development of innovative patient-specific cancer therapies with lower cost of failure.

At the Oncode-PACT program, we're revolutionizing the way cancer therapies are developed and delivered. Our innovative approach is designed to create a positive societal and economic impact by accelerating the development of safe and effective cancer therapies for specific patient groups.

The program's cutting-edge preclinical development infrastructure reduces the risks, costs, and time needed for development, resulting in better predictive value and ultimately - better outcomes for patients. We work closely with regulatory authorities to adopt and implement new approach methodologies for the validation of cancer therapies. This facilitates the accelerated access to improved therapies for patients.

With this approach, we aim to bring the right therapy to the right patient at the right time. Faster access to improved therapies not only leads to a better quality of care, but also to increased participation of patients in society and in the economy. In addition, our efforts will create a lasting positive economic effect through an increased inflow of private R&D investment in the life sciences sector in the Netherlands, and the establishment of innovative spinout companies. Oncode-PACT will elevate the Dutch oncology ecosystem to a world-renowned place for efficient preclinical development of innovative cancer therapies.