Atlanta, Ga. (January 2, 2024) – Piedmont, the largest healthcare system in Georgia, and Origin Commercial Ventures are pleased to announce the development of the Piedmont Breakthrough Treatment Center. Through pioneering collaborations from around the world, this partnership will provide Georgia’s patient population unprecedented access to groundbreaking medical advances and early phase clinical trials, positioning Piedmont as a destination for cutting-edge translational research and advancements in oncology.
The partnership will accelerate access to some of the most promising cell, gene, and immunotherapies, as well as the most advanced early detection strategies to Piedmont’s patient population of more than 3.7 million. Piedmont serves communities that reach 80 percent of Georgia’s population, many of whom could never access this level of care without the new Breakthrough Treatment Center. Patients can access these advances through Piedmont Physicians Medical Oncology, Piedmont’s employed physician group, and Piedmont Surgical Oncology/HPB Surgery.
Providing access and enrollment for clinical trials at Piedmont is not new, but this is the first formalization of such a program within Piedmont Oncology Institute. These trials are in addition to the already more than 300 ongoing clinical trials at Piedmont, including a robust cardiology research program in which Piedmont physicians serve as national principal investigators.
“One of Piedmont’s values is to ‘Embrace the Future’ and we are living out that value through this partnership to bring a higher level of care to our patients than we ever have before,” said Charles L. Brown, III, M.D., CEO of Piedmont’s Physician Enterprise. “Our goal is to become a destination, not only for patients in Georgia, but for those patients throughout the Southeast whose therapies have failed them and who are seeking out novel treatments to achieve better outcomes.”
“The human spirit is amazingly resilient. More than ever, we’re entering a period of scientific advance that’s worthy of this spirit. Piedmont’s physicians simply do not quit—even in the face of incredibly complex disease, they’re fighting alongside patients and their families every day. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with Charlie and his team to bring this commitment to the highest levels of medical innovation possible,” said Cosmo Smith, Origin’s CEO.
Piedmont’s vision is to transform healthcare, creating a destination known for the best clinicians and a one-of-a-kind experience that always puts patients first. The development of the Breakthrough Treatment Center will help Piedmont to provide novel responses to some of the most challenging medical conditions patients might face. The programs brought to Piedmont via this partnership will encompass the areas of risk stratification, early detection, targeting and optimizing treatments for aggressive disease, and monitoring disease recurrence. Piedmont Oncology Institute expects the Breakthrough Treatment Center to take cancer care of all types the highest level and set a new standard for cancer care for the region.
“I am very excited to be joining Piedmont at this critical juncture in the history of our oncology program,” said Walter J. Curran, M.D., who will assume his role as chief, Piedmont Oncology Institute on Jan. 9. “The best opportunity for our patients is to have a portfolio of trials for as many patients as we care for, and this agreement will usher in a new age in this regard for the communities we serve.”
The relationship with Origin to develop the Piedmont Breakthrough Treatment Center was made possible through an anonymous philanthropic gift to the Piedmont Healthcare Foundation, and also required advocacy from patient-led organizations including the Purple Pansies, a nonprofit whose mission includes funding pancreatic cancer research and clinic trials. Andrew Page, M.D., Director of Surgical Oncology and Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery for Piedmont and co-founder of the Piedmont Pancreas Cancer Surgery Clinic, said Piedmont and the Purple Pansies share the same vision and strive to bring the highest level of care and research to patients in Georgia.
“In order to deliver the best possible care for cancer patients, initiatives like the Breakthrough Treatment Center will offer more treatment options for Piedmont patients with difficult to treat cancers,” Dr. Page said.