MedPage Today, a property of Everyday Health, Inc. (NYSE: EVDY), and CollabRx, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLRX) announced today the introduction of a new physician resource, CancerRx,™ an IOS application designed to help oncologists and pathologists navigate the complex landscape of oncology therapeutic options.
"The introduction of CancerRx expands MedPage Today's relationship with CollabRx to provide our professional readers and all those who treat cancer with a powerful decision support tool that will directly impact cancer treatment planning on an individual patient level," said Ben Wolin, CEO of Everyday Health Inc. "Based on our experience with CollabRx's tools on our website, we believe that the combination of their tools combined in a mobile context with MedPage Today's top-tier news coverage will result in an immediate and positive impact on the way oncologists practice medicine."
The initial focus of the app will be the molecular aspects of laboratory testing and therapy development in cancer, the foundation of "precision" oncology in which each patient's cancer treatment plan is individually tailored to reflect the genetic profile of their tumor. Precision oncology is the most promising area of cancer drug development and CancerRx will broadly enable and empower oncologists to use this approach in treating their patients.
"Our partnership with MedPage Today will provide oncologists and pathologists with a physician resource unlike any other, in that it synthesizes and makes easily accessible complex and rapidly evolving medical and scientific knowledge and cancer related news to provide users with real time tools that will aid them in providing the best possible care for their patients," said Thomas Mika, chairman, president and CEO of CollabRx.
The CancerRx app offers expert-vetted guidance of treatment options for lung cancer, melanoma, metastatic breast cancer and colorectal cancer based on tumor genetic profiles, stage, and histology in addition to other important clinical parameters, as relevant, such as treatment history. All are developed in close collaboration with CollabRx's expert advisory network, which is composed of over 75 leading physicians, scientists, and researchers from the nation's most prestigious academic and medical institutions as well as thought leaders spanning diverse backgrounds.
"The CancerRx app provides physicians and their patients with a clear and high-level understanding of how tumor genetics are being leveraged to inform therapy development through easy to navigate, cancer specific Therapy Finder tools," said Ravi Salgia, MD, PhD, professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago and the CollabRx lung cancer Therapy Finder lead clinical advisor. "This resource will allow physicians to consider all possible options in designing an optimal treatment plan for their patients."
In addition to treatment options based on the current standard of care, CancerRx helps physicians identify the most relevant clinical trials of investigational therapies, and provides summaries and links to clinical findings published in top tier medical journals and presented at national conferences for oncologists and other physicians involved in the care of cancer patients.
A special feature of CancerRx is a daily oncology newsfeed from MedPage Today, all with real-time over the air updates. MedPage Today users can easily access the CancerRx app with their existing MedPage Today usernames and passwords or can register as new users.
CancerRx is now available at the iTunes store and can be accessed through iPhones or iPads. In addition, representatives from MedPage Today and CollabRx will be available to discuss CancerRx at the 2014 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting taking place May 30-June 3, 2014 in Chicago (CollabRx Exhibitor Booth #4020).
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