Collaboration
Clinical and academic research collaboration
Diagnostic research is only credible when independent clinicians and scientists help design it, run it and publish it. This page explains how OncoFirm works with academic medical centers, cancer centers, laboratories and research organizations.
Where things stand
OncoFirm is at the stage of forming research partnerships. We have not yet announced collaborating institutions.
That is why this page describes how collaboration works and not a list of partners. If your group joins early, you help shape the study designs.
Who we partner with
Academic medical centers
Investigators in oncology, pathology and laboratory medicine who lead or co-lead studies.
Cancer centers and hospitals
Sites for specimen collection and clinical feasibility work under approved protocols.
Clinical and reference laboratories
Reference-method testing and method-comparison studies.
Contract research organizations
Study management, monitoring and data handling for multi-site work.
Biotechnology and diagnostics companies
Complementary reagents, methods or instruments.
Government and nonprofit research programs
Funders and networks that support early detection research.
What each side contributes
| OncoFirm brings | Partners bring |
|---|---|
| The platform concept and the assay and reader designs in development | Clinical and scientific leadership |
| Research-stage assay materials, under agreement, as they become available | Access to characterized specimens and patient populations |
| Project management and proposal preparation | IRB, biosafety and institutional oversight |
| Related patent filings and a development plan | Reference-method testing and laboratory quality systems |
| A route toward manufacturing and regulatory work | Independent analysis and peer-reviewed publication |
How studies will be governed
These are the principles we propose. Each study’s protocol and agreement set the binding terms.
- Protocols are to be written together and approved by the partner institution’s IRB or ethics committee before any work begins.
- Data analysis is to be independent. Statistical plans are fixed in advance, with test data held by partner statisticians.
- Publication is intended from the start, including negative results.
- Collaboration does not guarantee commercialization. Studies may show that an approach does not work, and that result is reported too.
Agreement types and IP terms are described under partner roles and agreements. The research aims a clinical partner could take on are listed in the R&D priorities, and current funding routes in grant programs.
Frequently asked questions
Can a collaboration start before funding is in place?
Planning and proposal work can. Funded research begins once an award or a direct agreement covers the costs.
Do you provide assays for independent evaluation?
As prototypes mature, research-use materials can be supplied under a material transfer or evaluation agreement.
Who do we talk to first?
Send a collaboration inquiry. It goes to the team preparing proposals, who will set up a call.
Shape the studies from the start
Early partners define the clinical questions the platform is tested against.
Research and regulatory status
OncoFirm™ technologies described on this site are in research and development. Their performance characteristics have not been established, and no OncoFirm product has been cleared, approved or authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Nothing here is medical advice. Reference to a federal agency or funding program does not imply endorsement, funding, sponsorship or affiliation.