ITOR Translational Research Milestones & Ongoing Innovation Initiatives
New drug development is at the forefront of cancer research, and is a vital factor in moving new agents from the laboratory to the patient in the safest, most expedient way possible.
This proposition was the basis for the creation of the Institute for Translational Oncology Research (ITOR) of Greenville Health System (GHS) in its earliest form.
Formation of the Clinical Research Unit - The Foundation for ITOR
The ITOR Clinical Research Unit, often referenced as the CRU, opened inAugust 2004 and continues to offer advanced early phase treatments for cancer patients. The unit's proven commitment to testing cancer drugs rapidly established a reputation that was necessary to bring phase I research - the first stage of clinical pharmaceutical testing - to the Upstate Region of South Carolina.
Traditionally, access to this level of innovative clinical research was available only through a few select centers in the country, and patients would have to travel or move with their families, disrupting their lifestyle during a most critical time in their life. Therefore,the earliest idea behind ITOR of GHS and the Clinical Research Unit which remains the core of the Institute, was to have a dedicated,community-based phase 1 oncology drug development unit with the ability to move agents from the laboratory to the patient in the safest, most expedient manner - thereby allowing regional patient to have access to those agents close to home.
In its present form, the ITOR Clinical Research Unit is uniquely designed with specialized equipment and highly experienced staff to handle the demands and challenges of early phase drug development.