NEXT Oncology entered a joint venture with Virginia Cancer Specialists (VCS) to form NEXT Virginia. Both cancer centers are practices in The US Oncology Network, the largest network of its kind in the United States.

VCS Research Institute currently has the largest clinical trial program in the MidAtlantic area, and this collaboration in forming NEXT Virginia allows it to expand its offerings even further in the Phase I and developmental therapeutics area.

Phase I oncology trials are an important step in the drug development process. Trial participation enables patients to actively engage in their medical care, provides patients with access to novel treatments not yet commercially available, and it helps future patients on the path to new, transformative discoveries. Clinical research trials are conducted according to strict scientific and ethical principles, and groups of experts at the national and local levels approve research studies before they begin.