Funding from Patients, Caregivers, Foundations and Industry Partners Fuels ALK-positive Research

Individuals and industry collaborate with the Lung Cancer Research Foundation to Accelerate Progress

NEW YORK, May 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lung Cancer Research Foundation, in partnership with patients, survivors, caregivers, loved ones, industry partners and medical leaders, is funding two $300,000 two-year awards to accelerate treatment options for people with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) fusion-driven non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC.)

More than 500,000 people worldwide are currently living with ALK-positive NSCLC and often affects younger adults with no history of tobacco use or other known risk factors. Ongoing investment in research remains imperative to expand therapeutic options, combat treatment resistance, and enhance long-term survival outcomes and quality of life for these patients.

In 2007, scientists discovered that a genetic abnormality, or fusion, called EML4-ALK plays a key role in driving a subset of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). This led to the development of targeted drugs called ALK inhibitors, the first of which was FDA-approved in 2011. The latest of these, lorlatinib, is a third-generation inhibitor designed to overcome resistance to earlier drugs. In a major clinical trial (CROWN), lorlatinib outperformed an older drug, crizotinib, showing longer progression-free survival and better control of brain metastases. After five years of follow-up, the median time without disease progression still hasn't been reached, the best result ever reported for a single targeted therapy in advanced NSCLC.

Despite this progress, resistance eventually develops in all patients, leaving chemotherapy and clinical trials as the only remaining options. Immunotherapy, which has transformed treatment for many lung cancers, has largely been ineffective in ALK-positive NSCLC. There is a critical need to better understand why these tumors grow, how they respond to treatment, and why resistance develops.

The launch of this research grant was fueled by advocacy and support from members of the lung cancer community seeking better options for people living with ALK-positive lung cancer. Leading the fundraising effort was Colleen Conner Ziegler, chair of LCRF's board of directors and ALK-positive lung cancer survivor, the Murgatroyd family, who lost their daughter at the age of 24 to ALK-positive lung cancer, David Cornbrooks, co-founder of the Sweat for Breath Foundation and an ALK-positive lung cancer survivor, Pfizer, and many other generous donors.

"Although current treatment options work well and have good reported results, we know that one day, that treatment will no longer be effective," says Colleen Conner Ziegler. "Research like this ensures that we are working to get ahead of the curve and have more options for people in active treatment. As both a representative of LCRF and someone with an ALK-positive NSCLC diagnosis, this collaboration of individuals, industry and foundations gives me great hope for the future."

"Our family has been profoundly impacted by the loss of our daughter Kay to ALK-positive lung cancer," remarked Aileen Murgatroyd, of Research ALKay+ve UK. "We believe in LCRF's ability to identify the best science to accelerate research that will continue to provide hope for others who face this diagnosis. This is why we joined in funding these grant awards."

The 2026 LCRF Award on Advancing Breakthroughs in ALK-Positive Lung Cancer Request for Proposals will be announced in June 2026. To be notified when it is open for submissions, visit LCRF.org/RFPlist. To learn more about LCRF's research program, visit LCRF.org/research.

About the Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF)

The Lung Cancer Research Foundation^® (LCRF) is the leading nonprofit organization focused on funding innovative, high-reward research with the potential to extend survival and improve quality of life for people with lung cancer. LCRF's mission is to improve lung cancer outcomes by funding research for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of lung cancer. To date, LCRF has funded 450 research grants, totaling nearly $53 million, the highest amount provided by a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding lung cancer research. For more information, visit lcrf.org.

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SOURCE Lung Cancer Research Foundation