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“New Leadership, vision for the Worldwide Innovative Network Consortium in Precision Oncology” View Summary

WINning together

WIN was formed on the premise that we can accomplish more together than each organization can achieve working alone. We aim to improve cancer patients’ survival and quality of life. View WIN's history and unique attributes:

WIN represents a global collaboration of cancer centers, life science and biotech organizations, and technology companies and not-for-profit organizations.
The Worldwide Innovative Networking (WIN) Consortium in personalized cancer medicine was initiated in 2010 with leadership from leading cancer centers worldwide. WIN is a non-profit, non-governmental organization headquartered in Paris.

WIN was created to accelerate the pace and reduce the cost of translating novel cancer treatments to the bedside by developing and applying, through worldwide clinical trials and research projects, the most promising advances in genomic-based cancer research. WIN aims to initiate research projects each year in a global consortium guided by an independent scientific advisory board.

WIN now includes 27 institutional members. These stakeholders have come together from all parts of the world to address the challenge of increasing the efficacy of cancer diagnostics and therapeutics by understanding the genetics and biology of each individual’s tumor and accounting for genetic differences across diverse populations—from North and South America, Europe, Asia, Middle East and Australia.

Our goal is to significantly improve outcomes for patients around the globe. We aim to increase the number of patients worldwide that have access to innovative, global clinical trials in the area of genomic-based cancer therapeutics. Global diversity and inclusion of all stakeholders is WIN’s most important and differentiating asset.
WIN is comprised of organizations representing all stakeholders in personalized cancer medicine.
WIN enables cross-sector collaborations designed to accelerate the speed and efficacy with which breakthroughs in personalized cancer medicine can be realized and brought to patients worldwide.

Our members include leading academic, life science, not-for-profit, health, patient advocacy and IT organizations.
Our members include 22 leading academic centers representing 18 countries and five continents, enabling coordinated studies with a global patient population.
The response to a genetically-targeted therapy can vary due to differences in ethnicity and environment. WIN's global studies are designed to identify and account for this variability, enhancing the speed and efficacy with which novel discoveries can be made and brought to patients around the world.

WIN prioritizes cross-sector interaction designed to enhance learning across and between continents and healthcare sectors.
WIN Symposia, held annually, brings together hundreds of leaders representing all stakeholders from around the world in a forum designed to promote the exchange of ideas and information.

Clinical trials, projects and publications

WIN members collaboratively design and carry out global studies designed to achieve breakthroughs for patients worldwide. Our distinguished Scientific Advisory Board oversees WIN studies. Current trials include:

“Digital Display Precision Predictor: the prototype of a global biomarker model to guide treatments with targeted therapy and predict progression-free survival”
WIN's article “Digital Display Precision Predictor: the prototype of a global biomarker model to guide treatments with targeted therapy and predict progression-free survival” published by NPJ Precision Oncology, a Nature Research journal.
SPRING 01 (Survival Prolongation by Rationale Innovative Genomics) proof of concept trial is the first trial exploring the tri-therapy strategy in first line of advanced/metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), following the historical success of this approach in AIDS and tuberculosis for which only tri-therapy demonstrated long term efficacy.
The WIN SPRING trial was conducted in the USA, France, Spain, Luxembourg and Israel in the following cancer centers: University of California - San Diego's Moores Cancer Center, Avera Cancer Center (Sioux Falls, Arizona), Institut Curie (Paris), Centre Léon Bérard (Lyon), Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (Barcelona), Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg (Luxembourg), and Chaim Sheba Medical Center (Israel).

The trial was sponsored by the WIN Consortium and funded by ARC Fondation for cancer research (France). The drugs were donated by Pfizer Inc.
Published in Nature Medicine, results of WINTHER, the first study pioneered by the WIN Consortium.
Published in Nature Medicine, results of WINTHER, the first study pioneered by the WIN Consortium.

Genomic and transcriptomic profiling expands precision cancer medicine: the WINTHER trial - shows that RNA profiling together with DNA testing matches more patients with advanced cancer to personalized therapies than DNA profiling for tumor mutations alone.

WIN is currently planning innovative global clinical trials that represent the next generation of studies focused on lung cancer.
European funded trials WINTHER EU FP7 funded and CHEMORES EU FP6 funded established foundations for WIN future global strategy for lung cancer currently under development.

The concept underlying the new strategy is developed in the following publications:

People leadership

WIN leaders are selected for their contributions and commitment to making effective, personalized cancer medicine a reality for patients around the world. They guide WIN's strategic, operational, and scientific direction.

Organization Photo

Organization

The WIN Consortium is organized in the following groups who collectively work together to achieve WIN's common goals

Wafik El-Deiry Photo
Chair, WIN Consortium
Wafik El-Deiry

Chair, WIN Consortium; Director, Legorreta Cancer Center at Brown University (USA)

Richard L. Schilsky Photo
Chair Emeritus, WIN Consortium
Richard L. Schilsky

Chair Emeritus, WIN Consortium; Professor Emeritus, University of Chicago; past President and former Executive Vice President & Chief Medical Officer (ASCO) (USA)

Razelle Kurzrock Photo
Chief Medical Officer, Executive Committee, Equal Opportunity and Diversity Officer, WIN Consortium
Razelle Kurzrock

Chief Medical Officer, WIN Consortium; Professor of Medicine, Associate Director, Clinical Research, Linda T. and John A. Mellowes Endowed Chair of Precision Oncology (USA)

Vladimir Lazar Photo
Chief Scientific and Operating Officer, WIN Consortium
Vladimir Lazar

Chief Scientific and Operating Officer, WIN Consortium

Catherine Bresson Photo
Director, Operational Team, WIN Consortium
Catherine Bresson

Director, Operational Team, WIN Consortium


Our members and collaborators

WIN members include 31 leading organizations representing all stakeholders in personalized cancer medicine covering 18 countries and 5 continents. Our shared vision is delivering the promise of effective, personalized cancer medicine to patients worldwide. The WIN Consortium has collaborated with additional academic institutions and pharmaceutical partners in successful completion of global clinical trials in precision oncology.


WIN Symposia

WIN Symposia, held annually, gathers leaders representing a breadth of stakeholders from around the world to learn, share, and collaborate. Our latest symposium took place in Abu Dhabi, UAE, for further information, visit: win-burjeel-symposium.com/

WIN 2024 Symposium logotype

WIN 2024 Symposium

March 01, 2024 - March 02, 2024

The two-day WIN Symposium 2024, organized by the WIN Consortium and hosted by Burjeel Holdings took place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on 1-2 March 2024.

Under the theme of “Precision and Molecular Oncology: Caring for Patients and Future Generations,” the symposium brought together more than 450 expert clinicians, researchers and industry professionals from over 30 countries. Together, they explored the latest advances in precision oncology and offered insights into the developments shaping the future of oncology. The symposium started with an inspiring keynote lecture by Nobel Laureate Professor James Allison, who has revolutionized cancer immunotherapy. The curated programs featured interactive elements illustrating precision cancer treatment principles and best practices.

More than 50 abstracts were received from over 15 countries. The event was endorsed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO®) and accredited for 8.5 European CME credits (ECMEC®s) by the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME®).

The WIN Symposium provided attendees with a deep understanding of the role of key biomarkers, their optimal application, and emerging new omic tests that will inform future biomarker adoption under the two big umbrellas of Precision Genomics and Precision Immunotherapy. Local experience from the UAE, the host country, was included to link global evidence to regional practice. Application of the principles of precision medicine were discussed beyond medical and onto radiation oncology along with issues of access, equity and diversity in precision oncology practice and trials on a global scale. The symposium featured a Molecular Tumor Board to exemplify with real patient cases how to use biomarkers to inform therapeutic choices. Finally, a panel discussion was dedicated to navigating available diagnostic pathways and tests from bench to bedside.

The symposium provided networking opportunities, allowing participants to connect with peers, establish collaborations, and forge new partnerships.

Visit our dedicated symposium website for all the details of this event: https://win-burjeel-symposium.com/.

ASCO® is a registered trademark of the American Society of Clinical Oncology®. Used with permission. This is not an ASCO sponsored event.

WIN 2022 Symposium logotype

WIN 2022 Symposium

October 29, 2022 - October 30, 2022

The WIN 2022 Symposium ‘Integrating Genomics and Transcriptomics to Reshape Precision Oncology: A WINning Strategy’ took place on 29-30 October, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain.

We had an exciting line-up of prominent speakers and panel discussion and our 1st international molecular board!

 


What people are saying

What people are saying
I am looking forward to expanding further the WIN membership with world-class cancer centers as well as diagnostics, biotech, and pharma companies. WIN represents a fabulous platform to launch compelling precision oncology and early diagnosis studies internationally building upon our experience in genomics and transcriptomics. We are looking forward to entering into partnership with drugs and omics companies as well as philanthropy to pursue our common objective to insure that all patients have access to precision cancer care and research studies. Wafik El-Deiry, WIN Chair
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What people are saying
"WIN is an unique, global, translational clinical research organization with a bold vision to bring cutting edge science and technology to the cure of cancer worldwide. It is a privilege to help guide the organization as Chair Emeritus." Richard L. Schilsky, WIN Chair Emeritus
What people are saying
"Achieving much needed major clinical breakthroughs in cancer treatment requires bold thinking and action, a can do attitude and winning spirit, and close collaboration of stakeholders and contributors with diverse background and expertise. All this is epitomized by WIN." Vladimir Lazar, Chief Scientific and Operating Officer
What people are saying
Exploring Precision Oncology - Interview with Dr. Razelle Kurzrock, Chief Medical Officer and Dr. Sewanti Limaye at WIN 2022 Symposium  (To view the video, scroll through this slider or go to the News section) JIPO and WIN Consortium
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Abu Dhabi's WIN Symposium gathers oncology leaders Gulf Today Newspaper March 02, 2024
Abu Dhabi's WIN Symposium gathers oncology leaders
Gulf Today Newspaper
Magzter
March 02, 2024

ABU DHABI: The WIN Symposium 2024, a landmark event in precision oncology, has officially commenced in Abu Dhabi, marking a significant collaboration between the Worldwide Innovative Network (WIN) Consortium and Burjeel Holdings.

This two-day annual global congress of the WIN Consortium brings together over 500 physicians, researchers, and scientists in the field from 30 countries to explore the latest advancements in precision oncology, with the ultimate goal of improving cancer patient care and outcomes worldwide.

Under the theme “Precision and Molecular Oncology: Caring for Patients and Future Generations”, the congress kicked off with a grand opening featuring 2018 Nobel Laureate, Prof. James Allison, Regental Professor and Chair of the Department of Immunology at the MD Anderson Cancer Center (USA), whose groundbreaking work has revolutionised cancer immunotherapy.

In his keynote lecture, Prof. Allison presented the latest research on how immunotherapy works and the way in which treatments can be improved, tailored and combined so that they are more effective and safe to give to patients with various types of cancer.

On the sidelines of the event, Prof. Allison said, “We are excited to be here and hear about what is happening in the UAE. We are impressed by the infrastructure being built for the development of patient care and cancer treatment, particularly in precision oncology, genomic medicine, and immunotherapy. The future is already here in terms of collaboration with various groups, including this planning infrastructure and building medical systems in Abu Dhabi, especially in clinical trials and the testing of new drugs.”

The WIN Consortium, a non-profit association headquartered in France, unites 31 world-class academic medical centres, healthcare industries, research organisations, and patient advocacy groups from 18 countries, aligned to launch cancer trials using omic platforms to bolster precision oncology across the world.

BMC - Burjeel Medical City, the flagship facility of Burjeel Holdings is the first and only member from the UAE and GCC.

Abu Dhabi was selected as the city to host this year's congress, marking its inaugural occurrence outside of its traditional European venue. This decision reflects the international scientific community's trust in the UAE's vision and capabilities in advancing precision oncology.

Download the various news articles here: Download pdf
“Every oncologist needs to have some expertise in precision oncology” Wafik S. El-Deiry, MD, PhD, FACP
WIN Consortium chair aims to promote collaboration, innovation in personalized cancer medicine
Healio | HemOnc Today
January 22, 2024

Wafik S. El-Deiry, MD, PhD, FACP, has been elected chair of the Worldwide Innovative Networking (WIN) in Personalized Cancer Medicine Association — WIN Consortium

El-Deiry — director of Legorreta Cancer Center and associate dean of oncologic sciences at Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University — began his term as WIN Consortium chair in December.

The France-based non-profit association’s member organizations include 28 academic medical centers, industry groups, research organizations and patient advocates from 19 countries on five continents.

The collaborative organization aims to extend survival and improve quality of life for people with cancer through use of genetically and epigenetically informed health care and accelerating the discovery and development of personalized cancer therapies.

“The WIN Consortium isn’t about recruiting a new chair who talks about all their great ideas. This isn’t about me,” El-Deiry, who serves as associate editor for molecular oncology for Healio | HemOnc Today, said in an interview. “This is about growing the global membership, bringing in pharmaceutical companies and bringing people together. It’s about being inclusive, working with the best minds and a broad range of stakeholders in precision oncology.”

View the article here: Download pdf
"New Leadership, vision for the Worldwide Innovative Network Consortium in Precision Oncology" View The Cancer Letter 49-45.
The Cancer Letter, Issue 45, Volume 49, December 8, 2023
Guest Editorial, Wafik S. El-Deiry

From the time of its inception, the Worldwide Innovative Network (WIN) Consortium in precision cancer medicine has had a bold mission to significantly improve survival of patients with cancer across the world through international collaboration.

It is indeed a great honor and a career highlight for me to be elected this month as the Chair of WIN.

WIN was founded in 2010 in France as a unique first-of-its-kind non-profit non-governmental organization by the late Dr. John Mendelsohn, past president of MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, chairman of WIN until his death and Prof. Thomas Tursz, general director at Gustave Roussy, France. WIN's strategy has been to perform proof-of-concept cancer clinical trials designed to explore novel strategies and tools to increase efficacy of precision oncology therapeutics and improve early diagnosis.

The impact of WIN has been global and has involved the conduct of signature clinical trials that have employed novel AI algorithms. The WINTHER trial on genomic and transcriptomic profiling to expand precision cancer medicine was published in Nature Medicine in 2019.

While this trial did not meet its primary endpoint of seeing that 50% of enrolled patients who had their therapy directed by tumor transcriptomics would achieve a 1.5x prolongation of their progression-free survival (PFS) as compared to their last prior regimen’s PFS, this was clearly a very ambitious and high bar to achieve.

The 107 patients who were ultimately treated according to recommendations by a committee from five countries showed improved outcomes for those with a high matching score across tumor types such as colorectal cancer, head and neck cancer, and lung cancer. The trial did demonstrate that 25% of treated patients had a progression-free survival 2 (PFS2) to PFS1 ratio of >1.3 which is impressive considering that the patients were heavily pretreated.

WIN has contributed to algorithms based on patient tumor profiling to predict drug combinations that may be efficacious.

The Simplified Interventional Mapping System (SIMS) uses knowledge about existing drugs and their impact on hallmarks of cancer and based on genomic DNA sequencing, copy number variation, transcriptomics and micro-RNA reports the activation status of 24 nodes that are ranked for each patient and their tumor.

The SIMS algorithm was applied in WIN’s SPRING trial that tested the combination of and anti-PD-L1, a VEGF receptor inhibitor and a CDK4/6 inhibitor in patients with non-small cell lung cancer who did not have alterations in EGFR, ROS, ALK or MET.

The combination of avelumab, axitinib, and palbociclib demonstrated 53% clinical benefit including stable disease for greater than 24 weeks or partial responses including in patients who had previously received anti-PD1 therapy.

Other advances include the Digital Display Precision Predictor (DDPP) as a prototype of a global biomarker model to guide treatments with targeted therapy and prediction of progression free survival.

This includes predictions of post-surgery recurrence in patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer who may benefit from adjuvant therapies. Important concepts in the field have emerged from the leaders and collaborators in the WIN Consortium.

Part of the future in precision oncology will involve N-of-1 clinical trials given the complexity and heterogeneity of specific cancers. Another trial that has supported these concepts in addition to WINTHER and SPRING was the I-PREDICT study led by Dr. Kurzrock and that was also published in Nature Medicine.

I-PREDICT stands for Investigation of Profile Related Evidence Determining Individualized Cancer Therapy and in this trial patients who enrolled were classified as either having a high matching score or a low matching score depending on the presence of drivers and available drugs.

The trial showed that in a cohort of 149 patients with GI malignancies, GYN cancers, breast cancer and central nervous system cancer, patients with a higher matching score had significantly better survival as compared to patients with a lower matching score.

Dr. Kurzrock has been incredibly influential in the world of phase 1 trials and precision oncology in general.

Her leadership, innovation and continued role as the chief medical officer for the WIN Consortium is a major strength and will help shape the future based on many of her extremely well-conceived, rational and great clinical trial ideas.

It is very inspiring to work with someone who describes their commitment to a cause as a “labor of love,” or to hear others describe her as the “sunshine” of the WIN Consortium organization.

I was honored to be considered for the role of chair of the WIN Consortium because I am interested in working with like-minded colleagues on an international scope to promote innovation and impact that can help patients.

I also thought this would be an opportunity to honor John Mendelsohn’s leadership and vision in founding the WIN Consortium.

Dr. Mendelsohn was a transformational figure in the field of oncology through his leadership throughout the years in translational therapeutics research and as president of MD Anderson Cancer Center. Drs. Mendelsohn and Tursz recognized and understood that working together on a global scale provides a unique strength to fight cancer.

After their involvement with the WIN Consortium, Drs. Richard Schilsky and Josep Tabernero are passing the baton to a new team after many years of inspired and superb leadership.

View the editorial here: Download pdf
WIN Consortium and Brown University announce the election of Prof. Wafik El-Deiry, Director, Legorreta Cancer Center, Associate Dean, Oncologic Sciences, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University as Chair of the WIN Consortium beginning December 17, 2023.
December 07, 2023

“Since its formation in 2010 by Dr. John Mendelsohn, then President of the MD Anderson Cancer Center and Prof. Thomas Tursz, then Director-General Gustave Roussy, the WIN Consortium has introduced breakthrough concepts in precision oncology through compelling international trials that, for the first time, used transcriptomics as well as genomics to offer patients with solid tumors multiple targeted treatment options. The consortium has also offered numerous high quality symposia that welcomed outstanding speakers from around the world including Nobel laureates such as Prof. Jennifer Doudna and Prof. Jim Allison. It has been an honor for me to help develop the WIN Consortium from its inception in my role as chairman of its Scientific Advisory Board and as its chairman since 2019. I am confident that Prof. Wafik El-Deiry, through his scientific expertise, bold vision and extensive international collaborations, will bring the organization to the next level of impact as a global translational research enterprise,” said Dr. Richard L. Schilsky, Chair of WIN, Former Executive Vice-President & Chief Medical Officer ASCO (2013-2021) and Professor emeritus at the University of Chicago“.

With so many patients and families affected by cancer, waiting, and hoping for effective cures and treatments, siloed research gets in the way of innovation. WIN was the first consortium that assembled all stakeholders of cancer care, from academia, industry, and patient advocates to work together across the globe.

WIN offers access to global thought leaders in Precision Oncology and a platform of leading cancer centers from across the world. Its expertise in genomics and transcriptomics, experience in managing complex international biomarker-directed trials and molecular tumor boards makes it a very efficient vehicle to bring closer the future of precision oncology.

“It is a great pleasure to welcome Prof. El-Deiry as part of the WIN family, and its unique spirit of global collaboration. Boldness, creativity, and sharing have been values shared amongst members of the consortium, with patients always at the center. Beyond his scientific track record and mentorship skills, Prof. El-Deiry’s commitment, energy, communication skills will be of incredible value to the consortium’s future,” added Dr. Razelle Kurzrock, Chief Medical Officer of WIN, Equal Opportunity and Diversity Officer of WIN, and Associate Director, Clinical Research at MCW Cancer Center and Medical College of Wisconsin.
“I am very honored and excited about my election as Chair of the WIN Consortium. I am looking forward to expanding further the WIN membership with world-class cancer centers as well as diagnostics, biotech, and pharma companies. WIN represents a fabulous platform to launch compelling precision oncology and early diagnosis studies internationally building upon our experience in genomics and transcriptomics. We are looking forward to entering into partnership with drugs and omics companies as well as philanthropy to pursue our common objective to insure that all patients have access to precision cancer care and research studies,” concluded Prof. Wafik El-Deiry, newly elected Chair of WIN and Director, Legorreta Cancer Center, Associate Dean, Oncologic Sciences, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University.

View the Press Release here: Download pdf