Agendia® Names Joyce A. O’Shaughnessy, MD as New Principal Investigator for FLEX Study

Agendia, Inc., a global leader in innovative genomic technology and diagnostic tests, announced today that Dr. Joyce A. O’Shaughnessy, MD has been appointed as the new National Principal Investigator for the FLEX Study, a real-world, large-scale, prospective, observational breast cancer study (NCT03053193) intended to enable the discovery of novel gene expression profiles, through the capture of whole transcriptome and extensive clinical data, to expand knowledge and improve precision in the management of breast cancer.

Dr. O’Shaughnessy is board certified in both internal medicine as well as medical oncology and focuses her practice and clinical research on breast cancer treatment. She is Director of Breast Cancer Research at Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center and Chair of the Breast Disease Committee for Sarah Cannon Research Institute in Dallas, TX, and a member of the American Association for Cancer Research and American Society of Clinical Oncology.

In addition to her work as a clinician and educator, Dr. O’Shaughnessy also founded The School of Breast Oncology, a curriculum-based program for medical, radiation, and surgical oncologists that aims to reinforce and expand their knowledge and expertise in breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, and management.

“I’m thrilled to sign on as the national principal investigator for FLEX as accrual continues and as we continue to analyze a myriad of in-depth questions about the transcriptional programs that underlie the natural history and response to treatment of all of the breast cancer subtypes,” said Dr. O’Shaughnessy. “The study is providing a very valuable tool to prognosticate and predict response to therapy, and to interrogate the mechanisms of treatment resistance across many thousands of early-stage breast cancer patients, with long follow-up. I look forward to working with Agendia and the extended FLEX study team as we generate more impactful data that will shift the standard of care for all patients with breast cancer.”

To date, more than 14,000 patients have been successfully enrolled in the FLEX Study, with representation of various ages, races, ethnicities, and health statuses. With over 1,000 Black women enrolled, it’s the largest prospective cohort of Black women with whole genome and clinical data, fueling critical discoveries of their gene expression. The FLEX Study’s growing, diversified patient population, as well as additional studies that have examined the impact of race on the underlying biology of HER2+ tumors, emphasize Agendia’s commitment to progressing research of racial disparities in breast cancer.

“We are ushering in a new era of breast cancer genomics as our science and clinical development continue to provide insights that will help optimize treatment, and help improve outcomes for women with breast cancer,” said Dr. William Audeh, MD, MS, Chief Medical Officer of Agendia. “We are honored to have Dr. Joyce O’Shaughnessy join our efforts as the National Principal Investigator for the landmark FLEX Study. Her leadership will undoubtedly contribute to the success of this research and foster new collaborations.”

Source: Agendia