Dr. Angela Alistar is a board-certified medical oncologist with Atlantic Hematology Oncology, Atlantic Medical Group. Dr. Alistar is Medical Director of GI Medical Oncology at Morristown Medical Center where she is also Medical Director of the Phase 1 Breakthrough Treatment Center. Her research focus is related to immuno-oncology and cancer metabolism in gastrointestinal cancer such as: pancreatic tumors, cholangiocarcinoma, colorectal, esophageal, gastric cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma. Her clinical research projects involved active collaborative efforts with other medical departments, such as radiation oncology and surgical oncology, as well as genomics and cancer biology. Recently, she has published in Lancet Oncology the results of a Phase 1 clinical study in pancreatic cancer that are very promising for advancing the field for this disease. This study has shown impressive synergy of a novel agent, CPI -613 in combination with chemotherapy. She is co-leading the national multi-site, randomized study of this promising combination, as well as many other phase 1-3 clinical trials. Dr. Alistar comes to Atlantic Health System from Wake Forest School of Medicine where she had a heavy emphasis on clinical trials and clinical research. At Wake Forest, she led the GI oncology disease oriented team as a gastrointestinal medical oncology physician and researcher, bringing cutting-edge treatments to patients. She designed, secured funding for and conducted five investigator-initiated therapeutic clinical trials, with four of them being phase one. Her work involved maintenance of a sponsor-investigator investigational new drug. She is passionate about Precision Oncology and Immunotherapies and seeks to identify novel treatment strategies for her patients. Past positions at Wake Forest include being a member of the Translational Cancer Genomics Committee, the GI Tumor Board, Internal Medicine Grand Rounds, and the Hepatobiliary Oncology Committee. She is a member of several health care organizations, such as the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine, and the American Society of Hematology, among many others. As well, she is a member and advisor for several other health care institutions. She was recently awarded the "Danny Danielson Translational Innovation Award" by Hoosier Cancer Research Network for her commitment to clinical research. She received her medical degree from University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj Napoca, Romania and her residency at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, NJ, where she was chief resident. After her residency, she completed a hematology oncology fellowship at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute. She is affiliated with Atlantic Medical Group, and is a participating provider of Atlantic Accountable Care Organization, and sees patients at Morristown Medical Center.
This clinical trial increased an understanding of how T cells mount a response to COVID-19 infection. These findings pave the way for diagnostic tests that detect COVID immunity based on T cells instead of antibodies. Research demonstrates that generating neutralizing antibodies rather than T cells, may not be sufficient for long-term immunity. New discoveries suggest that vaccines will need to incorporate T cell targets to generate lasting COVID-19 immunity.
05-Aug-2020 12:00:56 PM EDT
The COVID Research Program is rapidly enrolling patients from New Jersey, which has one of the world’s highest concentrations of COVID-19 patients. Atlantic Health System offers a study sponsored by TScan Therapeutics, Inc., a leading T cell therapeutics company in Waltham, Massachusetts, focused on identifying the precise way the human immune system recognizes and responds to infections like COVID-19 or other diseases, like cancers. TScan has developed a novel technology that enables them to identify the natural targets of T cells.
04-Jun-2020 05:45:48 AM EDT
Dr. Alistar has pioneered the use of CPI-613® (devimistat), a unique first-in-class treatment for locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer, in combination with two chemotherapy drugs. Devimistat uniquely targets enzymes involved in cancer cell metabolism, against pancreatic cancer. The study’s efficacy data suggest devimistat has synergy with chemotherapy.The current study was funded by the drug’s manufacturer, New Jersey-based Rafael Pharmaceuticals and by Atlantic Health System.
28-May-2020 05:00:59 PM EDT