New $20 Million Research Funding Program Aims to 'Accelerate a Cure' for Follicular Lymphoma

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Institute for Follicular Lymphoma Innovation commit $20 million to jointly fund follicular lymphoma research.

RYE BROOK, N.Y., June 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and Institute for Follicular Lymphoma Innovation (IFLI) today announce a new partnership on a $20-million initiative to fund research in follicular lymphoma, the most common slow-growing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The goal of the initiative, which will be named the Research Accelerator for Follicular Lymphoma (RAFL) Program, is to provide researchers with funding to identify how follicular lymphoma develops and create new therapies that better control and cure this blood cancer.

"Cutting-edge technologies are redefining our approach to follicular lymphoma, setting new standards in both understanding and treatment," says Michel Azoulay, M.D., MBA, the Institute for Follicular Lymphoma's Chief Medical Officer. "The RAFL partnership, a collaborative effort between IFLI and LLS, is empowering researchers to lead the charge in breakthrough innovations."

LLS and IFLI are committing to fund three types of competitive grants for selected innovative research programs in follicular lymphoma: a Synergistic Team Award, Translational Awards and Innovation Awards.

• Synergistic Team Award —This multi-investigator grant is designed to support a coordinated, focused and significant effort to understand the biology of follicular lymphoma and develop effective treatments for the disease. Multiple investigators from the same or different institutions working collaboratively will be eligible for this grant.
• Translational Awards — These grants aim to support clinical and/or biological research. The goal is to award these grants to researchers planning to conduct a clinical trial by year three of the grant.
• Innovation Awards — These grants are intended to support projects that identify better ways to understand or treat follicular lymphoma.

These three grants are expected to be awarded over two different rounds: the Synergistic Team Award and two of the four Translational Awards would be conferred during the first round and the remaining Translational Awards and Innovation Awards would be granted during the second round.

"This partnership between LLS and IFLI is a testament to our commitment to joining forces with like-minded organizations that share our goal of accelerating innovation that improves the lives of blood cancer patients," says Lee Greenberger, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The RAFL Program expects to begin accepting grant applications by July 1, 2024, with the review process taking place in spring 2025.

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society® (LLS) is the global leader in the fight against blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world, provides free information and support services, and is the voice for all blood cancer patients seeking access to quality, affordable, coordinated care.

Founded in 1949 and headquartered in Rye Brook, NY, LLS has regions throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.LLS.org. Patients should contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET. 

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About Institute for Follicular Lymphoma Innovation

The Institute for Follicular Lymphoma Innovation (IFLI) is a global, non-profit, private foundation dedicated to accelerating the development of innovative treatment options for patients with follicular lymphoma. IFLI supports cutting-edge research and technology to lead to the development and commercialization of novel therapeutics and/or biomarkers for the treatment of follicular lymphoma (FL), and to understand the biology of FL. The foundation deploys its budget across grants, project-based partnerships, and venture philanthropy investments to achieve its innovation goals. IFLI aims to promote collaboration, and enable the exchange of knowledge and expertise among researchers and institutions working on different aspects of FL research. Learn more at i-fli.org.

For Media Requests:

LLS — Ryan McDonald, [email protected]

IFLI — Klara Sol Sigurdardottir, [email protected]

SOURCE The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society