IRVING, Texas, April 5, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Caris Life Sciences, Inc., a leading biosciences company focused on enabling precise and personalized healthcare through the highest quality anatomic pathology, molecular profiling, and blood-based diagnostic services, announced today that Richard A. Bender, MD, FACP has joined the company in the newly-created position of Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs, Oncology. In this capacity, Dr. Bender will lead the evidence and medical/clinical teams for the Caris Target Now™ evidence-based molecular profiling service, guiding expansion of and medical education on this unique service offering that has benefited nearly 20,000 cancer patients. Additionally, Dr. Bender will be focused on enhancing the clinical literature database of citations and references and review process that support tumor-specific therapeutic guidance.
Caris Target Now examines a patient's tumor, providing a customized tumor-specific biomarker analysis, matched with treatment guidance researched and published by the world's most renowned cancer researchers. By matching information from the individual tumor's genetic profile with data included in the nearly 100,000 published clinical studies reviewed by Caris' evidence team, Caris Target Now provides a simple report indicating the available chemo, biologic, and hormone therapies that are most likely to be effective and those likely to be ineffective. Caris Target Now emerged last year as the world's most comprehensive and actionable tumor profiling service, with 300% growth in 2010.
"We have seen enthusiastic interest in Caris Target Now's molecular profiling capabilities among many oncologists and patients," said Jerry Martino, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. "We are committed to creating an infrastructure that greatly enhances patient access to Caris Target Now and adoption of the service among medical decision-makers, including physicians and payors. We believe that the organizational enhancements we are putting into place will not only enhance this unique service, but ultimately make Caris Target Now accessible to more cancer patients."
Most recently, Dr. Bender served as Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Agendia. In this capacity, he was actively involved in the commercialization of MammaPrint® for breast cancer prognosis and treatment planning. His academic experience spans more than 20 years of clinical teaching positions at University of California, Irvine, Los Angeles and San Diego, and Georgetown University, as well as his current appointment at UCLA School of Medicine. Dr. Bender also spent six years as Medical Director at Quest Diagnostics where he is credited with development of 60 new laboratory tests, as well as significant pathology business growth. His background includes senior roles at both Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical R&D for Medical Oncology/Hematology and the National Cancer Institute. He is the author of over 70 peer-reviewed publications and numerous book chapters including a textbook chapter entitled "Gene Expression Analysis for Tumor Profiling" in the recently published "Molecular Diagnostics. Techniques and Applications for the Clinical Laboratory".
About Caris Life Sciences
Caris Life Sciences, a leading biosciences company, specializes in the development and commercialization of the highest quality anatomic pathology, molecular profiling, and blood-based diagnostic technologies, in the fields of oncology, dermatopathology, hematopathology, gastrointestinal pathology and urologic pathology. The company provides academic-caliber consultations for thousands of patients a day, through its industry-leading team of expert, subspecialty pathologists. Caris also offers advanced molecular analyses of patient samples through prognostic testing services and genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic profiling to assist physicians in their treatment of cancer. Currently, Caris is developing a series of blood tests utilizing the patented Carisome™ platform — a proprietary, blood-based testing technology for diagnosis, prognosis, and theranosis of cancer and other complex diseases. The company is headquartered in the Dallas metroplex, and operates laboratories at the headquarters, as well as in the Phoenix and Boston metro areas.