Swim Across America Provided Grant Funding That Helped Lead to 100 Percent Cancer Remission

CHARLOTTE, N.C. , June 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The New England Journal of Medicine published a June 5 report where 12 patients completed a phase 2 clinical trial for advanced rectal cancer and showed a 100 percent complete response to dostarlimab, an immunotherapy treatment produced by GlaxoSmithKline. The clinical trial was conducted at Memorial Sloan Kettering with early-stage grant funding from Swim Across America.

Reviews of the clinical trial and quotes in the New York Times from cancer experts are hopeful:

"I believe this (a 100 percent response) is the first time this has happened in the history of cancer," commented Dr. Luis Diaz, an author of The New England Journal of Medicine paper.

"There were a lot of happy tears," said Dr. Andrea Cercek, an oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a co-author of the paper.

The cost to run a clinical trial can run into millions of dollars. Early-stage sponsors such as Swim Across America are necessary to fund the costs. Swim Across America's grant for the MSK clinical trial helped fund the science and speed sharing of information. Other funding partners included the Simon and Eve Colin Foundation, GlaxoSmithKline, Stand Up to Cancer, and the National Cancer Institute. Swim Across America is delighted with the results and continues to provide grant support.

Swim Across America's grant agreement with beneficiaries like Memorial Sloan Kettering requires that 100 percent of a Swim Across America grant must be spent on approved research and clinical trial programs. In 35-years, Swim Across America has granted nearly $100M to innovative and otherwise unfunded ideas so that the oncologists like Dr. Cercek and Dr. Diaz make progress and develop new treatments.

Swim Across America has a proven track record of identifying and funding promising early-stage ideas. Swim Across America grants have played a major role in clinically developing FDA-approved immunotherapy treatments ipilimumab (YERVOY), nivolumab (OPDIVO), pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA), and atezolizumab (TECENTRIQ).

About Swim Across America 
Swim Across America, Inc. (SAA) is a national nonprofit dedicated to raising money and awareness for cancer research, prevention and treatment through charity swims. Since 1987, Swim Across America has raised more than $100 million in the fight against cancer. More than 100,000 supporters and volunteers and 100 Olympians participate in SAA programs annually. To learn more visit swimacrossamerica.org,  Facebook @swimacrossamerica, Twitter or Instagram @saaswim.

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SOURCE Swim Across America