STAND UP TO CANCER FUNDS TEAM OF RESEARCHERS TO EXPLORE NEW APPROACHES THAT ADVANCE AL AMYLOIDOSIS TREATMENT

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C) today announced funding for a team of researchers that will explore innovative approaches to treating immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis. AL amyloidosis is a rare and challenging disease linked to blood cancers, particularly multiple myeloma, as well as lymphomas or chronic lymphocytic leukemia. This funding is made possible through the collaboration announced last year with Johnson & Johnson, aimed at supporting research to test a combination of targeted therapies to treat AL amyloidosis.

The research is supported through the SU2C Catalyst® program, which is uniquely designed to rapidly generate early efficacy and safety data, to inform further development in collaboration with leading amyloidosis investigators.

"We are incredibly proud to support this team of researchers as they tackle the unmet need for new treatments for AL amyloidosis," said Julian Adams, Ph.D., president and CEO of Stand Up To Cancer. "Through collaborations like this one, we are bringing together leading minds to find solutions for complex and often overlooked diseases. This funding moves us closer to the breakthroughs that patients desperately need."

AL amyloidosis is a rare, life-threatening condition caused by cancerous plasma cells in the bone marrow leading to an abnormal buildup of a protein called amyloid in organs and tissues throughout the body, including the heart and kidneys.

Led by Suzanne Lentzsch, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and director of the Multiple Myeloma and Amyloidosis Program at Columbia University Irving Medical Center/New York-Presbyterian Hospital, and co-led by Vaishali Sanchorawala, M.D., hematologist and director of the Amyloidosis Center at Boston Medical Center and Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, the team of researchers will initiate a clinical trial to test a new, investigational combination of two types of targeted therapies, teclistamab and daratumumab, in newly diagnosed AL amyloidosis patients.

"AL amyloidosis has not benefited from the same level of clinical research as many other conditions, leaving significant gaps in how we treat and manage the disease," said Lentzsch. "This trial allows us to explore a therapeutic strategy grounded in what we've learned from related blood cancers, with the hope of accelerating meaningful change for this patient community."

The trial will provide patients with the combined therapy, with follow-up monitoring for a year to assess safety and long-term outcomes. Both teclistamab and daratumumab work by activating the immune system to destroy certain types of abnormal plasma cells that are believed to produce the harmful protein buildup seen in AL amyloidosis.

About Stand Up To Cancer
Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C) raises awareness and funds research to detect and treat cancers with the aspiration to cure all patients. SU2C is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and was initially launched as a division of the Entertainment Industry Foundation. Established in 2008 by media and entertainment leaders, SU2C utilizes these communities' resources to engage the public in supporting a new, collaborative model of cancer research, to increase awareness about cancer prevention, and to highlight progress being made in the fight against the disease. As of April 2025, more than 3,100 scientists representing more than 210 institutions are involved in SU2C-funded research projects.

As SU2C's scientific partner, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and a Scientific Advisory Committee, led by William G. Nelson, M.D., Ph.D., 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 Founders and Advisors Committee (FAC) include Katie Couric, Sherry Lansing, Kathleen Lobb, Lisa Paulsen, Rusty Robertson, Sue Schwartz, Pamela Oas Williams, and Ellen Ziffren. The late Laura Ziskin and the late Noreen Fraser are also co-founders. Julian Adams, Ph.D., serves as SU2C's president and CEO.

For more information visit StandUpToCancer.org, Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook, and YouTube.

SOURCE Stand Up To Cancer