LUNGevity Partners with ALK Positive Patient Group to Fund Lifesaving Research

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- LUNGevity Foundation is honored to announce that it is partnering with the ALK Positive patient group to support the new ALK-Positive Lung Cancer Transformational Research Award Program. ALK Positive members are the first group of ALK-positive patients to influence the direction of research into their specific mutation that will, one day, save their lives. The ultimate goal of the program is to transform ALK-positive lung cancer into a chronic or curable condition.

ALK Positive is a group of 700+ lung cancer patients, and caregivers of these patients, whose cancer has tested positive for a mutation in the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene. ALK-positive patients account for approximately 4% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer. The group was initially formed on Facebook, by Tom and Merita Carroll, and has quickly grown into its current, proactive form with their direct funding of research.

"We have members who are on their last treatment option, and they are wondering what will happen when that treatment stops working," explains Laura Greco, the leader of ALK Positive's Executive Outreach Committee. "LUNGevity has an exceptional reputation and is a major private funder of lung cancer research in the U.S. Plus, they have an outstanding Scientific Advisory Board that could help us select research to save our lives."

The 2018 awarded project will be funded at up to $200,000, monies raised by ALK Positive members themselves, for a two-year term, and will be the first time that patients will have the ability to contribute their own tissue and data directly to the project, as needed. This research project is expected to have a direct impact on the outcomes of patients with ALK-positive lung cancer.

"LUNGevity is proud to be partnering with ALK Positive to identify and facilitate a research project that has the potential to quickly improve outcomes for ALK-positive patients. LUNGevity's long history and track record of funding the most impactful science will enable us to select a great project," says Andrea Ferris, President and CEO of LUNGevity Foundation. "This group of ALK-positive patients and caregivers are standing up to fight for their lives, and we are ready to help them in any way we can."

The deadline to submit a letter of intent for the ALK-Positive Lung Cancer Transformational Research Award is Tuesday, January 16, 2018. The award announcement will be made in April 2018. For more information about this award, visit www.LUNGevity.org/ALK-RFA.

About LUNGevity Foundation
LUNGevity is the nation's leading lung cancer organization investing in lifesaving, translational research and providing support services and education for patients and caregivers. LUNGevity's goals are three-fold: (1) accelerate research to patients, (2) empower patients to be active participants in their treatment decisions, and (3) remove barriers that patients face in accessing the right treatments.

LUNGevity Foundation is firmly committed to making an immediate impact on increasing quality of life and survivorship of people with lung cancer by accelerating research into early detection and more effective treatments, as well as by providing community, support, and education for all those affected by the disease.  LUNGevity's comprehensive resources include a medically vetted website, a toll-free HELPLine in partnership with CancerCare®, a unique Lung Cancer Navigator app, peer-to-peer mentoring for patients and caregivers (LUNGevity LifeLine), and survivorship conferences. LUNGevity also helps patients find and navigate clinical trials through our Clinical Trial Finder tool, a Clinical Trial Ambassador program, and participation with Emerging Med.

Our vision is a world where no one dies of lung cancer. For more information about LUNGevity Foundation, please visit www.LUNGevity.org.

About ALK Positive
ALK Positive, a group of highly motivated, passionate, and dedicated ALK-positive patients and their caregivers, wants to drive change in the ALK lung cancer space. ALK Positive members are committed to raising funds for research to increase ALK-positive lung cancer patients' survivorship. The three tenets by which they live are Information, Empathy, and Support. ALK Positive members uphold these by providing information about ALK lung cancer to each other; supporting one another around the globe to improve members' physical and emotional well-being; and having empathy with each other because they share their lung cancer journey. For more information about ALK Positive, please visit www.alkpositive.org.

SOURCE LUNGevity Foundation

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