Leveraging Networks to Deliver Novel Therapies to Community Populations

CancerNetwork® spoke with Geraldine O’Sullivan Coyne, MD, PhD, MRCPI, about the characteristics of a new research site that may facilitate the development of novel immunotherapy and other targeted agents for patients with cancer in a community setting. In July 2025, Coyne was appointed as the principal investigator and director of clinical research at the Northwell Health Unit of the Southern Texas Accelerated Research Therapeutics (START) Center for Cancer Research, which will open at R.J. Zuckerberg Cancer Center in New Hyde Park.

Coyne noted that the expertise within START’s network of researchers may enable a centralized, streamlined workflow for expanding clinical trial enrollment opportunities and access to novel therapeutic options in the community setting. Additionally, early-phase units may allow Coyne and colleagues to advance novel molecules through all stages of the drug development pipeline, which may ultimately result in regulatory approvals.

Transcript:

START, as a network, is experiencing a moment of growth and indeed momentum with the opening of a variety of additional units within the continental US as well as in other European locations. This builds on the START units’ expertise and network effect, which we believe gives a centralized and streamlined workflow [regarding] the options for trial and treatment options for patients in the community. That is one aspect of that particular question.

The second aspect, [regarding] newer therapies, is related to the function of the early-phase units, where we look to bring and develop these molecules as they commence their journey through the drug development pathway and ultimately to approval in a regulatory setting. We are looking to build on START’s network effect [while] also streamlining and speeding up the development of these newer drugs, which we hope will have an impact on patients in their treatment.

Reference

Olt B. Northwell names Geraldine O’Sullivan Coyne, MD, PhD, to lead clinical trials at new START center. News release. Northwell Health. July 22, 2025. Accessed August 7, 2025. https://tinyurl.com/bdcua8ck