In a new collaboration that could transform how cancer is treated, OCCAM Immune-a Mount Sinai initiative focused on understanding the immune system's role in disease-is partnering with the Cancer Research Institute (CRI) to unlock the secrets of how the immune system responds to advanced therapies.
Under the agreement, OCCAM Immune and CRI have established a long-term plan to support ongoing immune monitoring across CRI's clinical trials. The collaboration provides a flexible framework for launching new projects efficiently and will focus on tracking how patients' immune systems respond to treatment, with the goal of identifying which patients are most likely to benefit from certain immunotherapies and why.
The collaboration was sparked by Thomas Marron, MD, PhD, Director of the Early Phase Trial Unit at The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai and Chief Medical Officer of OCCAM Immune. Recognizing a shared vision between the two organizations, Dr. Marron brought Mount Sinai and CRI together to accelerate progress in immunotherapy, a treatment that helps the body's own immune system fight cancer.
We're thrilled to team up with the Cancer Research Institute on this important work. CRI brings decades of experience in cancer immunotherapy and access to rich clinical trial samples from around the world. At OCCAM Immune, we're bringing powerful tools to analyze the immune system and the expertise to turn complex data into insights that matter to doctors, scientists, and, ultimately, patients. By working together, we aim to better understand how different therapies interact with the immune system and use that knowledge to make cancer care more personalized and effective."
Dr. Thomas Marron, MD, PhD, Director of the Early Phase Trial Unit at The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai and Chief Medical Officer of OCCAM Immune
Immunotherapy has transformed cancer treatment, but it doesn't work for everyone. OCCAM Immune is helping uncover why by mapping how the immune system responds to therapy-insights that can improve care not just for cancer, but for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases as well. By combining clinical expertise with advanced lab tools, OCCAM Immune supports researchers and companies worldwide in developing more precise, effective therapies.
OCCAM Immune operates in collaboration with Mount Sinai's robust medical and research ecosystem, led by pioneers including Miriam Merad, MD, PhD, whose work has shaped our understanding of how the immune system controls cancer. Dr. Merad is Dean for Translational Research and Therapeutic Innovation, Director of the Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute (PrIISM), and Chair of Immunology and Immunotherapy at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Through PrIISM, OCCAM Immune offers partners access to rare clinical samples, cutting-edge analysis, and a proven track record of discovery.
"We are proud to partner with OCCAM Immune and Mount Sinai on this important effort to advance our understanding of how the immune system responds to cancer therapies," says Alicia Zhou, PhD, CRI's Chief Executive Officer. "OCCAM Immune's expertise in immune profiling and data interpretation, paired with CRI's network of immunotherapy trials, creates a powerful synergy. Together, we're not only accelerating the pace of discovery but also moving closer to a future where every patient receives the treatment most likely to be effective for them."
The collaborative work is set to begin with a clinical trial in women with ovarian cancer, where researchers will closely study immune cells and tumors from patients treated with novel drug combinations. The focus will be on platinum-resistant high-grade serous ovarian cancer, an aggressive type of ovarian cancer that often returns after treatment. OCCAM Immune scientists will analyze 160 blood samples and tumor biopsies using cutting-edge technologies like RNA/DNA sequencing and immune cell mapping. They aim to understand how the body responds to these treatments and identify markers that could help match future patients with the most effective therapies.
"This collaboration with the Cancer Research Institute marks an important step forward-not just for OCCAM Immune, but for the field of immunotherapy as a whole," says Dr. Merad. "It reflects growing recognition of our ability to generate and interpret high-quality immune data, which is essential as personalized medicine and AI-driven drug development continue to advance. We're delighted to partner with CRI and other leaders across academia, biotech, and pharma to accelerate discoveries that help unlock the full potential of the immune system and improve outcomes for patients."
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