Baptist Health South Florida and The START Center for Cancer Research announce strategic partnership to expand patient access to early-phase cancer trials. Jun 1, 2026, 09:50 AM by New START site to be established in collaboration with Baptist Health Herbert Wertheim Cancer Institute will bring novel oncology therapies closer to patients across South Florida. Baptist Health South Florida and The START Center for Cancer Research, the largest global network of fully dedicated, early-phase oncology clinical trial sites, today announced plans to form a strategic collaboration. A new START early-phase clinical trial site will be established in collaboration with Herbert Wertheim Cancer Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida, giving patients across South Florida direct access to the most advanced investigational cancer therapies in the world. South Florida represents a significant and growing need for expanded access to early-phase oncology clinical trials. With more than 130,000 new cancer cases diagnosed annually across Florida, patients in the region have historically had limited local access to early-phase studies, often requiring travel outside their communities to participate. This partnership is designed to bring those opportunities closer to where patients live and receive care. The partnership brings together START's expertise conducting early-phase, oncology trials and Baptist Health's network of nationally recognized cancer specialists, anchored by Herbert Wertheim Cancer Institute and Lynn Cancer Institute. Patients across Baptist Health's system, as well as patients across the region will have access to investigational therapies close to home. "START's mission is to bring the hope of early-phase clinical trials to every community." said Nick Slack, MBE, Chairman and CEO of START. "South Florida is home to millions of people who deserve access to the best cancer research in the world. Most cancer patients are treated in community settings and START exists to make sure those patients have access to early-phase clinical trial options. Baptist Health brings not only the scale and trust of its community, but also a vibrant culture of research that makes this partnership especially powerful. Together, we are expanding access to novel therapies and advancing our mission of Hope Through Access." "Partnering with START gives patients and physicians access to first-in-class oncology trials that would otherwise require traveling hundreds of miles. For a community as large and diverse as ours, that matters enormously," said Leonard Kalman, M.D., acting system chief executive of Baptist Health Cancer Care and acting executive medical director of Baptist Health Herbert Wertheim Cancer Institute. "We look forward to what we will accomplish together for patients across south Florida." Baptist Health is the region's largest not-for-profit health care organization, with 12 hospitals, more than 29,000 employees and more than 200 outpatient facilities across Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Martin counties. START operates the largest global network of early-phase clinical trial sites, with more than 40 world-class Principal Investigators across 15 locations in the United States and Europe. With nearly 1,000 active studies, START provides access to one of the most extensive portfolios of industry-sponsored early-phase cancer trials worldwide. The new Baptist Health site will be fully integrated into the START network, with access to its global trial portfolio from day one. 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 50 therapies that were approved by the FDA or EMA. START represents the world's largest roster of early-phase principal investigators across its 15 clinical trial sites. Committed to accelerating passage from trials to treatments, START delivers hope to patients, families, and physicians around the world. Learn more at STARTresearch.com. About Baptist Health South Florida Baptist Health South Florida is the largest healthcare organization in the region, with 12 hospitals, more than 29,000 employees, 4,500 physicians and 200 outpatient centers, urgent care facilities and physician practices spanning Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Baptist Health has internationally renowned institutes specializing in cancer care, brain and spine care, heart and vascular care and orthopedic care. In addition, it includes Baptist Health Medical Group; Baptist Health Quality Network; and the Baptist Health PineApp, a virtual health platform. Baptist Health South Florida is an academic and clinical affiliate of Florida International University. A not-for-profit organization supported by philanthropy and committed to its charitable mission of medical excellence, Baptist Health has been recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America and is the most awarded healthcare system in South Florida by U.S. News & World Report. For more information, visit BaptistHealth.net/Newsroom and connect with Clinicalresearchnewsonline on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.

Baptist Health South Florida and The START Center for Cancer Research have announced a strategic partnership to establish a new early-phase clinical trial site in collaboration with Herbert Wertheim Cancer Institute. The initiative aims to expand access to investigational cancer therapies for patients across South Florida. Florida records over 130,000 new cancer cases annually, yet patients have historically faced limited local access to early-phase trials. The partnership combines START's expertise in conducting early-phase oncology trials with Baptist Health's network of cancer specialists. START operates the largest global network of early-phase clinical trial sites, with more than 40 principal investigators across 15 locations in the US and Europe. The new site will integrate into START's network immediately, providing access to nearly 1,000 active studies from day one.

START Center for Cancer Research has appointed Neel Belani, MD, MBA, as Clinical Investigator at its New Jersey site. Dr Belani will conduct early-phase oncology trials and expand patient access to clinical studies in the region. Dr Belani is a board-certified medical oncologist specialising in thoracic oncology and early-phase research. He previously served as Principal Investigator on multiple trials and Sub-Investigator on over 200 Phase 1 studies. He completed his fellowship at Fox Chase Cancer Center and holds degrees from Rutgers. START New Jersey operates through a collaboration with Astera Cancer Care, serving an addressable population of 10 million with approximately 150,000 new cancer cases annually. The appointment strengthens START's global network of community-based research sites focused on accelerating oncology drug development.