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. 2025 Jun 4;30(6):oyaf135.
doi: 10.1093/oncolo/oyaf135.

REFINE: a database of linked clinical data and genomic biomarkers in renal cell carcinoma patients receiving immunotherapy-based treatment regimens

Jeffrey Zhong  1 , Albert Jang  1 , Bashar Abuqayas  2 , Arnab Basu  3 , David J Benjamin  4 , Vineel Bhatlapenumarthi  5 , Mehmet Asim Bilen  6 , Dhvani Buch  7 , Mark Chang  7 , Erica Chin  8 , Sourat Darabi  4 , Nagendra Dhanikonda  9 , Pooja Ghatalia  9 , Claud M Grigg  7 , Abby L Grier  1 , Tanya Jindal  1 , Joannah Jung  8 , Deepak Kilari  5 , Hamsa L S Kumar  1 , Suzanna Lee  8 , Brittany Neelands  7 , Chinmayi Pandya  8 , Jeff Pawalek  8 , Jaimee Staggers  3 , Ahmet Yildirim  6 , Yousef Zakharia  2 , Kevin K Zarrabi  10 , Michael Zimmerman  10 , George Sledge  11 , David Spetzler  11 , Andrew Elliott  11 , Rana R McKay  8 , Pedro C Barata  1
Affiliations

REFINE: a database of linked clinical data and genomic biomarkers in renal cell carcinoma patients receiving immunotherapy-based treatment regimens

Jeffrey Zhong et al. Oncologist. .

Abstract

The REnal cancer consortium for Focused Investigation of Novel biomarkers and Expression (REFINE) consortium represents an important initiative in integrating clinical data with molecular sequencing in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) treated with immunotherapy-based approaches. By leveraging real-world evidence and genomic analysis, this consortium aims to explore putative predictive biomarkers with the potential to inform personalized treatment strategies. Findings from the REFINE database may further contribute to our understanding of disease courses of immunotherapy-based approaches for various molecular subtypes of RCC, associations of race and ethnicity with RCC treatment and outcomes with representation of patient populations underrepresented in clinical trials, and optimizing treatment sequencing.

Keywords: biomarkers; immunotherapy; molecular sequencing; renal cell carcinoma.

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Conflict of interest statement

This research was supported by Exelixis and Kure It Research Grant. A.J. reports receiving personal fees from RealTimeCase. A.B. reports consulting or advisory roles with EMD Serono, Seagen, Bristol Myers Squibb/Pfizer; honoraria with Gilead Sciences, Cardinal Health, Eisai, Natera. D.B. reports consulting or advisory roles with Astellas, Eisai, and Seagen; speaker’s bureau with Merck. M.A.B. reports consulting or advisory roles Exelixis, Sanofi, Nektar, EMD Serono, Eisai, Janssen, Genomic Health, Pfizer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Bayer, Exelixis, Calithera Biosciences, AstraZeneca, SeaGen; research funding from Bayer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Genentech/Roche, Incyte, Nektar, AstraZeneca, Tricon Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, Seagen, Xencor, Exelixis, Advanced Accelerator Applications, Genome & Company, Peloton Therapeutics, Merck (Inst), NiKang Therapeutics. Sourat Darabi reports consulting or advisory roles with Oncolens, Bayer, and BostonGene. P.G. reports research funding from Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, Merck, and AstraZeneca. D.K. reports consulting or advisory roles with Exelixis, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Pfizer; speakers’ bureau with Janssen, Exelixis, Astellas Pharma, AVEO; research funding from Astellas Pharma, Exelixis, Genentech; honoraria with Exelixis. Y.Z. reports consulting or advisory roles with Roche/Genentech, Eisai, Amgen, Castle Biosciences, Novartis, Exelixis, Pfizer, Cardinal Health, Bayer, Janssen, TTC Oncology, Clovis Oncology, EMD Serono, Seagen, Bristol Myers Squibb/Medarex, Myovant Sciences, Genzyme, Gilead Sciences, AstraZeneca, Array BioPharma; researching funding from Pfizer, Exelixis, Eisai. Kevin Zarrabi reports consulting or advisory roles with Esai, Exelixis, Astellas, Jansen; research funding from IDEA, Exelixis; honoraria with OncLive, Curio, Cardinal. Rana R. McKay reports consulting or advisory roles with Janssen, Novartis, Tempus, Exelixis, Pfizer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Astellas Medivation, Dendreon, Bayer, Sanofi, Merck, Vividion Therapeutics, Calithera Biosciences, AstraZeneca, Myovant Sciences, Caris Life Sciences, Sorrento Therapeutics, AVEO, Seagen, Telix Pharmaceuticals, Lilly, Blue Earth Diagnostics, Ambrx, Arcus Biosciences, Sumitomo Pharma Oncology, Esiai; research funding from Bayer, Tempus, AstraZeneca, Exelixis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Oncternal Therapeutics, Artera. Pedro C. Barata reports consulting or advisory roles with Bayer, BMS, Pfizer, EMD Serono, Eisai, Caris Life Sciences, Dendreon, AstraZeneca, Exelixis, AVEO, Merck, Ipson; research funding from Blue Earth Diagnostics, AVEO, Pfizer, Merck, Exelixis; speakers’ bureau with Caris Life Sciences, Bayer, Pfizer/Astellas, AstraZeneca, Merck; honoraria with Urotoday. The remaining authors have no financial disclosures to report.

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