Announcing the Pancreatic Cancer Collective

An initiative of the Lustgarten Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer

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Apr 15, 2018, 08:30 ET

CHICAGO, April 15, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Lustgarten Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) announced today at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, SU2C's Scientific Partner, that they are entering into a formal strategic partnership to drive research to improve outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients. The Pancreatic Cancer Collective, funded by the Lustgarten Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer, will accelerate research for pancreatic cancer patients who desperately need better treatments. The initial funding commitment will be $25 million.

Serving as the Collective's scientific leadership are Nobel Laureate Phillip A. Sharp Ph.D., chair of the Stand Up To Cancer Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and Institute Professor at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and David Tuveson, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Scientist for the Lustgarten Foundation, Director of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Cancer Center and the Roy J. Zuckerberg Professor of Cancer Research at CSHL, and also a member of the Stand Up To Cancer SAC.

"This is a watershed moment in the field of pancreatic cancer research," said Dr. Sharp. "Through the Collective, these two organizations are uniquely positioned to engage and influence medical institutions, researchers and companies to achieve meaningful results faster."

Building on the successful outcomes of their multi-year history, these leading cancer research organizations will inspire new collaborators; leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) approaches; improve and develop new diagnosis and treatments for pancreatic cancer; and support the next generation of pancreatic cancer investigators. Engaging thought leaders, researchers, institutions, and companies, the Collective will innovate and accelerate research on the edge of science.

"The Collective will utilize the breadth and expertise of existing SU2C-Lustgarten Foundation Research Teams and researchers to support new investigators coming into the field and expand the capacity for additional research," Dr. Tuveson said.

The first request for applications (RFA) will seek projects focusing on pre-clinical development research to increase the number of innovative and effective therapies to treat pancreatic cancer. The Collective will welcome Teams currently supported by SU2C and the Lustgarten Foundation as well as researchers and institutions new to these organizations and the Collective.

HISTORY
Since 2012, the Lustgarten Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer have built a robust and collaboration, jointly funding more than 170 investigators across 28 leading research centers in both the United States and United Kingdom. These efforts include four Dream Teams, five Research Teams, including two Convergence Teams bringing together computational experts with clinical oncologists. Cancer Interception, research supporting the earliest diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, even before the cancer may have fully formed, is the focus of one of the Dream Teams and one of the Research Teams. All told, these collaborative teams have planned, started or completed 22 clinical trials. The Pancreatic Cancer Collective will build on this momentum and push the boundaries of what can be accomplished even further.

About the Pancreatic Cancer Collective
The Pancreatic Cancer Collective is an initiative of the Lustgarten Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer to improve pancreatic cancer patient outcomes. Together, these leading cancer research organizations will attract new collaborators; improve diagnosis of pancreatic cancer; find new treatments for pancreatic cancer; and support the next generation of pancreatic cancer investigators. Engaging thought leaders, researchers, institutions, and companies, the Collective will innovate and accelerate research on the edge of science. For more information, visit www.pancreaticcancercollective.org

About the Lustgarten Foundation
The Lustgarten Foundation is America's largest private funder of pancreatic cancer research. Based in Woodbury, N.Y., the Foundation supports research to find a cure for pancreatic cancer, facilitates dialogue within the medical and scientific community, and educates the public about the disease through awareness campaigns and fundraising events. Since its inception, the Lustgarten Foundation has directed $154 million to research and assembled the best scientific minds with the hope that one day, a cure can be found. Thanks to separate funding to support administrative expenses, 100% of your donation goes directly to pancreatic cancer research. For more information, visit www.lustgarten.org.

About Stand Up To Cancer
Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) raises funds to accelerate the pace of research to get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now. SU2C, a division of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, was established in 2008 by film and media leaders who utilize the industry's resources to engage the public in supporting a new, collaborative model of cancer research, and to increase awareness about cancer prevention as well as progress being made in the fight against the disease. As SU2C's scientific partner, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and a Scientific Advisory Committee led by Nobel Laureate Phillip A. Sharp, PhD, conduct rigorous, competitive review processes to identify the best research proposals to recommend for funding, oversee grants administration, and provide expert review of research progress.

Current members of the SU2C Council of Founders and Advisors (CFA) include Katie Couric, Sherry Lansing, Lisa Paulsen, Rusty Robertson, Sue Schwartz, Pamela Oas Williams, Ellen Ziffren, and Kathleen Lobb. The late Laura Ziskin and the late Noreen Fraser are also co-founders. Sung Poblete, PhD, RN, has served as SU2C's president and CEO since 2011.