The Office of Research Innovation Validation and Application (ORIVA) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) are partnering to fund the establishment of a new $15M Technology Development Center (TDC) to predict cancer patient responses to therapies using combinatorial, or integrated, human-based New Approach Methodologies (NAMs).

The goal of the new TDC, called “Oncology Precision Trials using Individualized Model Avatars” (OPTIMA), is to develop clinical-grade combinatorial NAMs to inform treatment decisions for colorectal cancer patients. This TDC will integrate these NAM models into ongoing clinical practice by establishing them as reliable tools for guiding treatment decisions and patient selection for clinical trials. 

OPTIMA will use three technologies, one that creates personalized mini organoids using cells from patient biopsies, and two advanced computational systems that will guide patients toward the trials and therapies that are most likely to benefit them. These technologies aim to enhance treatment decisions for cancer patients, accelerate therapeutic development, and advance cell therapies for tumors, with clinical integration setting the stage for regulatory and commercial use.

OPTIMA will be joining the Complement-ARIE consortium, working with other TDCs to advance the development, standardization, validation, and use of innovative NAMs in biomedical research. 

To learn more about the Common Fund Complement-ARIE Program visit the Complement-ARIE webpage.