american cancer society and melanoma research alliance ... · side effects associated with...

MediaContact:

PamelaGoldsmith:pgoldsmith@curemelanoma.org

202.702.2655MelanomaResearchAlliance

DavidSampson:david.sampson@cancer.org

213.407.9950AmericanCancerSociety

AmericanCancerSocietyandMelanomaResearchAlliancePartnerto

ImproveImmunotherapyOutcomes

Grantswillfundresearchaimedatdecreasingrarebutserioussideeffectsassociatedwithcheckpointinhibitors

Washington,DC,June29,2017-AnewpartnershipbetweentheAmericanCancerSociety(ACS)andtheMelanomaResearchAlliance(MRA)willfundmuch-neededresearchaimedatdecreasingrarebutserious,andattimesevenlife-threatening,sideeffectsassociatedwithcheckpointinhibitorsinhopesofincreasingfurthercancerimmunotherapybenefittopatients.

Someofthemostpromisingimmunotherapydrugsarecalledcheckpointinhibitors,whichessentiallylifttheimmunesystem'sbrakepedal,allowingwhitebloodcellsknownasT-cellstoattackcancercells.

"Melanomahasservedastheprovinggroundforseveralimmunotherapies,"saidMichaelKaplan,president&CEOoftheMelanomaResearchAlliance."ThefirstcheckpointimmunotherapyapprovedbytheFDAin2011wastotreatmelanoma,thedeadliestformofskincancer."

Sincethen,theFoodandDrugAdministration(FDA)hasapproveduseofcheckpointdrugstocombatsevenadditionalcancertypesincludinglung,headandneck,kidneycancer,bladdercancer,Merkelcellcarcinoma,classicalHodgkinlymphomaandMSI-Hcancers.Theyarenowbeingtestedinmorethan30othermalignancies.Lastmonth,theFDAapprovedthefirstimmunotherapytotreatanysolidtumorbasedonaspecificgeneticmarker,ratherthanwherethecanceroccursinthebody.

Whilesafeandwelltoleratedformany,patientsoncheckpointimmunotherapymayexperiencearangeofsideeffectsfrommildtopotentiallylethal.Byreleasingthebrakesontheimmunesystem,thebodycaninsomeinstances,launchanattackonitself,creatingpotentiallylife-alteringorlife-threateningissues.

ForImmediateRelease:

Thenewresearchpartnershipwillcreateajointgrant-makingprogramwiththegoalofmaximizingtheoveralloutcomesfortreatedpatientsbypreservingcheckpointinhibitoractivityandminimizingtoxicitybyfindingwaystobetterpredict,preventand/orminimizethesideeffectsofcheckpointinhibitortherapy.

"ThepartnershipwithMRAistimelyandimportantforpatientsgettingnewimmunotherapydrugs,"saidWilliamChambers,seniorvicepresidentforExtramuralResearchattheAmericanCancerSociety."Togetherwebelievewecanreallymovethefieldforwardandmorerapidlyimproveoutcomesforpatients."

MRAandACShaveeachcommitted$1millionforthegrantawards.Thecombined$2millionwillbeusedtofundatleastoneteamat$1millionandtosupportfivepilotprojectsat$200,000each.Theresearchwillincludesomeaspectofmelanomaresearch,butmayincludeothercancers.

ArequestforproposalswillbeissuedonJuly1,2017,andopentoresearchersatacademicinstitutionsintheUnitedStateswiththefirstgrantsexpectedtobeawardedinApril2018.Moreinformationaboutsubmittingproposalrequestscanbefoundat:https://www.cancer.org/immunotherapyRFA.MRAandACSarealsoexploringthepotentialforbringinginindustrypartnerstosupportthisresearch.

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AbouttheMelanomaResearchAlliance:

Foundedin2007undertheauspicesoftheMilkenInstitute,withthegeneroussupportofDebraandLeonBlack,theMelanomaResearchAllianceexiststoacceleratetreatmentoptionsandfindacureformelanoma.Asthelargestnonprofitfunderofmelanomaresearch,ithasdedicated$88millionandleveragedanadditional$89.5milliontowardsitsmission.Throughitssupport,MRAhaschampionedrevolutionsinimmunotherapy,targetedtherapies,novelcombinationsanddiagnostics.Duetotheongoingsupportofitsfounders,100percentofdonationstoMRAgodirectlytoitsmelanomaresearchprogram.MRA'sabilitytofundwide-rangingresearchinmelanomaisamplifiedbyuniquecollaborationsandpartnershipswithindividuals,privatefoundations,andcorporations.Visithttp://www.CureMelanoma.orgformoreinformation.

AbouttheAmericanCancerSociety:

TheAmericanCancerSocietyisaglobalgrassrootsforceof2millionvolunteerssavinglivesineverycommunity.Asthelargestvoluntaryhealthorganization,theSociety'seffortshavecontributedtoa25percentdeclineinthecancerdeathrateintheU.S.since1991,drivenbylesssmoking,bettertreatments,andearlierdetection.We'refindingcuresasthenation'slargestprivate,not-for-profitinvestorincancerresearch,ensuringpeoplefacingcancerhavethehelptheyneedandcontinuingthefightforaccesstoqualityhealthcare,lifesavingscreeningsandmore.Formoreinformation,togethelp,ortojointhefight,callusanytime,dayornight,at(800)227-2345orvisithttp://www.cancer.org.