Expanding access, accelerating trials: The power of community-based oncology research

The traditional site model for early-phase oncology research--centered primarily around academic institutions—is facing mounting challenges that are hindering clinical development progress, reducing the efficiency of how trials are executed and putting the pace of development of new therapies at risk. With 80% of cancer patients receiving care in community-based settings, this outdated approach has created significant gaps in patient access and slowed trial progress. Adding to the strain, financial pressures on hospitals and health systems, coupled with growing uncertainty around NIH funding, are threatening the long-term sustainability of this research infrastructure.

Now, more urgently than ever, a shift toward community-based oncology site partnerships is essential. START has led the way towards this new model which provides immediate and transformative benefits:

Improved patient access to cutting-edge trials directly within local communities.
Faster trial startup and enrollment, accelerating research timelines.
Stronger operational resilience amid funding and institutional uncertainties.
Greater trial diversity, driving more representative and inclusive outcomes.
Academic-caliber research led by experienced investigators who are frequently published thought leaders.

Join our dynamic virtual panel featuring leaders from:

Community oncology practice leaders
Health system research leaders
Pharmaceutical industry leaders
Patient advocacy organizations

This critical discussion will highlight powerful examples of community-based collaborations reshaping early phase oncology research. Panelists will offer strategic insights, explore impactful case studies, and reveal actionable opportunities to enhance patient access, improve trial diversity, and accelerate therapeutic breakthroughs for patients by providing “Hope through Access.”

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Nick Slack

Chairman & CEO, The START Center for Cancer Research

Nick Slack, MBE, is the Chairman and CEO of The START Center, bringing nearly two decades of leadership experience to the clinical research industry. He is a transformative healthcare executive with a proven track record of driving growth and innovation, all while focusing on the mission, vision, and values an organization delivers to the broader research community.

Prior to his role at The START Center, Nick was the President of WCG Clinical. During his decade-long tenure, Nick was responsible for developing and growing WCG’s relationships with the industry’s leading sponsors, CROs, and hospital systems. Nick worked with partner-clients to design and implement solutions that accelerate the activation of clinical trials, eliminate the duplication of efforts in research, and promote the highest standards of safety for research subjects.

During his career, Nick has provided guidance to more than 150 sponsors, CROs, and sites. He was previously the director of consulting services for HRP Consulting Group and the Associate Director of Accreditation for AAHRPP. A trained ethicist, Nick earned a master’s degree in bioethics from the University of Pennsylvania.

moderator

Chris Takimoto

Chief Medical Officer, The START Center for Cancer Research

Chris Takimoto, MD, PhD, is the Global Chief Medical Officer of The START Center for Cancer Research. Chris has worked in oncology drug development for over three decades. He has extensive experience in early phase oncology trials both as a clinical investigator and as an industry sponsor.

Before joining START, Chris was the CMO for IGM Biosciences, a clinical stage, public biotechnology company, and he also was a Senior Vice President in Oncology at Gilead Sciences. Prior to that, he was the CMO at Forty Seven, Inc., a biotechnology company that was acquired by Gilead in 2020, and he was also a Vice President at Johnson & Johnson/Janssen R&D overseeing Oncology Experimental Medicine Early Development.

Chris was one of the original Phase 1 Investigators at START when it was founded in 2007, and he has held faculty positions at the Cancer Therapy and Research Center, the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, the National Cancer Institute, and the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, MD. He completed fellowships in Medical Oncology and Clinical Pharmacology, and he is a graduate of the Yale University School of Medicine where he received his MD and a PhD in Pharmacology. Chris also holds an undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Stanford University.