START and OneOncology Partner To Expand Access to Early Phase Oncology Trials

The START Center for Cancer Research (“START”) and OneOncology today announced a strategic partnership to launch early phase clinical trial sites. The rollout includes the Los Angeles Cancer Network (LACN, California), The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders (CCBD, Texas), and Astera Cancer Care (New Jersey). This arrangement builds on the success of START’s existing trial site at The Cancer & Hematology Centers in Michigan, which is also a partner practice of OneOncology, the physician-led national oncology platform. This strategic partnership directly addresses the critical need to expand access to innovative cancer therapies in community practices, where the majority of cancer patients receive care but have historically had access to fewer than 20% of early-phase clinical trials.

“The existing early-phase cancer research infrastructure, heavily reliant on Academic Medical Centers, is no longer sustainable in the face of the mounting pressure for faster trial activation, broader scalability, and more diverse patient representation. START solves this by embedding trials directly into community settings—bringing research closer to patients and accelerating drug development,” said Nick Slack, Chairman and CEO of START. “By partnering with community practices like LACN, CCBD, and Astera, we are advancing our leadership by tapping into communities whose patients are most in need of early-phase clinical trials. For pharmaceutical companies, this partnership means a faster, more scalable, and efficient model for drug development.”

START, recognized globally as the largest early-phase oncology research network, operates 10 clinical trial sites worldwide, with 31 Principal Investigators overseeing more than 700 early-phase clinical trials. Since its inception, START has contributed directly to the development and FDA/EMA approval of more than 45 groundbreaking cancer therapies.

“OneOncology’s core mission has always been to elevate the standard and reach of community oncology care. Working with START allows our partner practices to extend their capabilities into groundbreaking early phase research, providing access to new therapies traditionally reserved for academic centers,” said Jeff Patton, MD, CEO of OneOncology. “Together, we’re transforming the patient experience, bringing innovation closer to home and significantly impacting cancer outcomes nationwide.”

OneOncology’s network is comprised of some of the nation’s largest and most influential community-based oncology practices, with more than 1,750 providers collectively caring for approximately 1 million patients annually across more than 565 locations.

Leaders from the partnering practices have underscored the transformative impact of this initiative. Troy Simon, CEO of the Los Angeles Cancer Network, stated, “Our partnership with START will redefine possibilities for patients in Southern California, offering timely access to groundbreaking trials and treatments.” Barry Russo, CEO of The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders in Texas, added, “This collaboration with START significantly enhances our ability to deliver advanced clinical trials, aligning perfectly with our commitment to top-tier patient care.” Edward Licitra, MD, PhD, CEO of Astera Cancer Care in New Jersey, emphasized, “We are thrilled about this partnership, which bridges the innovation gap traditionally seen between community and academic oncology settings, making leading-edge clinical trials accessible to more patients across New Jersey and Pennsylvania.”

The expansion of START sites across these OneOncology partner practices will begin in July 2025, with site activations planned through early 2026. Each practice will be fully integrated into START’s operational and research infrastructure, ensuring rapid activation, consistent trial execution and data quality.

About START

Deeply rooted in community oncology centers globally, The START Center for Cancer Research provides access to specialized preclinical and early-phase clinical trials of novel anti-cancer agents. START clinical trial sites have conducted more than 1,000 early phase clinical trials, including for 45 therapies that were approved by the FDA or EMA. START represents the world’s largest roster of early phase Principal Investigators (PIs) across its 10 clinical trial sites. Committed to accelerating passage from trials to treatments, START delivers hope to patients, families, and physicians around the world. To learn more about START, visit: https://startresearch.com/.

About OneOncology

OneOncology was founded by community oncologists, for community oncologists, with the mission of improving the lives of everyone living with cancer. Our goal is to enable community oncology practices to remain independent and to improve patient access to care in their communities, all at a lower cost than in the hospital setting. OneOncology supports our platform of community oncology practices through group purchasing, operational optimization, data analytics, practice growth, and clinical innovation. Our 1,750 cancer care providers care for approximately 1 million patients at more than 565 sites of care nationwide. To learn more about OneOncology, visit: https://www.oneoncology.com/.