Featured Practice: Carolina BioOncology Institute & BioCytics Human Applications Lab – Charlotte Magazine

Carolina BioOncology Institute (CBOI) was founded by oncologist Dr. John Powderly in 2005 as a cancer research clinic to provide metastatic cancer patients with cutting-edge access to “first in human” Phase 1 clinical trials focused on immune-oncology and cellular therapies. CBOI does not routinely provide “primary oncology standard of care,” such as conventional chemotherapy. Instead, CBOI offers nonchemotherapy options to volunteer cancer patients to receive experimental “study drugs” (and/or immune cells) under FDA research authorization of a clinical research trial. Most patients from the surrounding regions are referred by their local primary oncologist after they have exhausted, are unable to tolerate, or refused standard chemotherapy. Metastatic patients can also “self refer” for second opinions about clinical trial options.

Dr. Powderly says that the philosophy of CBOI is a “fighting clinic” that promises to never run out of experimental research trial options. “If patients are strong enough and nourished enough to participate safely, along with a good support system, we fight for your right to try new study drugs,” he says. “Patients have a right to participate in research on how your own immune cells may be engineered to fight your own tumor, thus contributing to potential future individualized cell therapy developmental efforts.”

Phase 1 clinical research trials require a highly specialized and diverse team of experts in cancer biology, pharmacology, clinical research, and physician-scientists experienced in the management of metastatic cancer symptoms and immunotherapy side effects. CBOI has an outstanding team of experienced oncology nurses, laboratory technologies, and quality team experienced in FDA regulations of drug development and quality management systems.

CBOI’s adjacent sister organization, BioCytics Human Applications Lab (BHAL), is composed of a team of PhD scientists and biomedical engineers focused on translational laboratory research trials to grow cancer patients’ living tumors to study how their own immune cells may be engineers to fight their own cancer. The visionary research mission of CBOI-BHAL is to eventually manufacture each patient’s immune cells on a clinical trial of autologous adaptive cell therapy (AACT). Nationwide, there are currently 2,000+ new cancer drugs and cell therapies in development as a pipeline of hope, Powderly says. All new drugs must go through first in human Phase 1 studies. Depending upon where you live, only 3-7% of cancer patients participate in clinical research treatment trials, but surveys show that most cancer patients would have volunteered to participate if they were aware it was an option available to them.

In light of that, Powderly says that “if you know someone with metastatic cancer, please inform them about CBOI’s mission to deliver a pipeline of hope through Phase 1 trials.”

John Powderly MD
Neel Gandhi MD
Sherene Banawan PA-C

9801 Kincey Ave, Ste. 145
Huntersville, NC 28078
704-947-6599
carolinabiooncology.org
biocytics.com