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JANUARY
2005
Hightlights of 2004 including
> FOCR President and Chair named
"Washingtonians of the Year"
> Dr. Lester Crawford of the FDA and Dr. Mark
McClellan among honorees of the Cancer Leadership Awards Dinner
>
EIF Biomarker Discovery Project
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3299 K Street, NW,
Suite 100
Washington, DC 20007
202.944.6711
www.focr.org
FOCR is a non-profit organization that raises awareness and
provides public education on cancer research in order to
accelerate the nation's progress toward prevention and treatment
of cancer.
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Special Edition
2004 Highlights: The Year in Review
Welcome to the special "Year in
Review" edition of the Friends of Cancer Research Newsletter. We would
like to thank all of you who helped shape our organization’s success by
dedicating your time and resources to the shared vision of accelerating
the nation’s progress toward prevention and treatment of cancer. The
cancer community shared some great victories in 2004 in addition to some
disappointments. Given the federal budget constraints and the intense
focus on national security, 2005 also is going to be a very challenging
year for cancer research funding and other cancer policy priorities.
However, we can yield some important breakthroughs both politically and
scientifically in the months ahead if we all work together on behalf of
the millions of Americans who will be affected by the disease in the
years ahead and are counting on us to continue working to accelerate
advancements in cancer research.
Ellen V. Sigal, Ph.D., Chair, Marlene A. Malek,
RN, President, and Alan Balch, Ph.D., Director
FOCR President and Chair named
"Washingtonian's of the Year" by Washingtonian Magazine
 Friends of Cancer Research President,
Marlene Malek, and Chairperson , Ellen Sigal, were honored with the
Washingtonian Magazine's "2004 Washingtonians of the Year" Award in the
January 2005 issue. "For 33 years, the Washingtonian ("the magazine that
Washington lives by") has honored people who make Washington a better
place. And each year, those who make a difference inspire others
to make this a better city." says the Washingtonian.com.
As described on page 53, Sigal and Malek were honored for their
exemplary contributions to the cancer community. Authors Leslie
Milk and Ellen Ryan write, "The two dynamos have been matchmakers for public-private
partnerships to fund research and clinical trials. They have
organized policy forums to bring together researchers, federal health
agencies, patients, Congress, and industry leaders to develop a strategy
on funding research and fighting cancer." The article includes a
special tribute from Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, Director of the National
Cancer Institute: "The impact they have had on improving the lives
of cancer patients is multiplied by their influence in the cancer
research and advocacy community. The quantity and quality of life
for cancer patients is increasing, and they are at the center of the
formula for success." (Article posted with special permission
from the Washingtonian Magazine, picture courtesy of Gary Landsman,
photographer) Click on link
here to read
full article. (Caution: File is large and may take time to fully
upload to screen.)
Dartmouth Town Hall
On March 5th, Friends of
Cancer Research, in partnership with Research!America and Dartmouth
College, convened a town hall event entitled: “Transforming
Medicine: Accelerating the Impact of Scientific Discovery on Patient
Care.” Held at Dartmouth’s Norris Cotton Cancer Center, the event
featured keynote addresses from Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH), NIH
Director Elias Zerhouni, and NCI Director Andrew von Eschenbach.
 Left:
Senator Judd Gregg at the FOCR/Dartmouth town hall.
The
interactive forum explored the impact of scientific discovery on
patient care, reviewed the NIH Roadmap, and discussed options for
accelerating scientific discovery. The ensuing panel discussion was
moderated by Susan Dentzer (Head of the Health Policy Unit for the
NewsHour with Jim Lehrer) and included Dr. Mark A. Israel (Director
of the Norris Cancer Center), Dr. Peter Corr (Sr. VP of Science and
Technology for Pfizer), Dr. Allen J. Dietrich (Norris Cotton Cancer
Center), Dr. Nancy A. Speck (Norris Cotton Cancer Center), and
cancer survivor Nancy Hellman (Smith College, Picker Engineering
Program).
Capitol
Hill Symposium
F riends of Cancer
Research, in conjunction with the House Cancer Caucus and the Senate
Cancer Coalition, hosted a panel discussion on July 13th dealing
with cancer prevention and early detection. The event enabled some
of the nation’s foremost cancer experts to explore the opportunities
and barriers for translating recent discoveries in the human genome
into cutting edge medical advancements for the prevention and early
detection of cancer.
Above: Representative Sue Myrick (R-NC,
9th) speaks to the July 2004 FOCR event on Capitol Hill.
The keynote address was provided by Representative
Sue Myrick (R-NC, 9th), a cancer survivor and co-chair of the House
Cancer Caucus. Carolyn “Bo” Aldige, President of the Cancer
Research and Prevention Foundation and a Friends’ Board Member,
provided introductory remarks. The panel discussion was moderated
by Susan Dentzer, Health Correspondent for the NewsHour with Jim
Lehrer on PBS. Panelists included Anna Barker, Ph.D. (Deputy
Director, NCI), Clifton Leaf (Executive Editor, Fortune Magazine),
Dr. Richard Pazdur (Director, Oncology Drug Products Division, FDA),
Dr. Homer Pearce (Distinguished Cancer Research Fellow, Eli Lilly
and Company), Dr. Michael B. Sporn (Professor of Pharmacology,
Dartmouth Medical School). Following the event, Clifton Leaf
answered audience questions about his March 2004 Fortune Magazine
cover story entitled “Why We’re Losing the War on Cancer (and How to
Win it).”
Cancer
Leadership Awards Dinner
Friends of Cancer Research
President, Marlene Malek, and Chairperson, Ellen Sigal, hosted an
Awards Dinner at the Malek residence on the evening of September
29th. Stressing the importance of collaboration and cooperation
between advocacy groups, government, and the private sector,
the event honored innovative leaders from both the government and
corporate arenas for their outstanding contributions to the fight
against cancer. A willingness to actively and directly engage the
cancer community on issues of great significance to cancer patients,
researchers, and physicians was a characteristic common to all
the award winners.
Honorees included Dr.
Lester Crawford, Acting Commissioner of the Food and Drug
Administration, Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach, Director of the
National Cancer Institute, Clifton Leaf, Executive Editor of
Fortune Magazine, and Dr. Mark McClellan, Administrator of the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Dr. Anna Barker of the
NCI and Dr. Janet Woodcock of the FDA also received special
recognition for their leadership on the NCI/FDA Oncology Task Force,
which allows the two agencies to share knowledge and resources in a
manner that facilitates the development of new cancer drugs and
speeds their delivery to patients.
 Above,
from left or right: Dr. Ellen Sigal (FOCR), Dr. Lester Crawford
(FDA), Dr. Anna Barker (NCI), Clifton Leaf (Fortune Magazine),
Marlene Malek (FOCR), Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach (NCI), and Dr. Janet
Woodcock (FDA).
Left,
from left to right: Dr. Ellen Sigal,
Dr. Mark
McClellan (CMS),
and Marlene Malek.
Biomarker
Discovery Project
T hroughout
2004, Friends’ Chairperson Ellen Sigal assisted the Entertainment
Industry Foundation (EIF) with the formation of a
multi-disciplinary project comprised of world-renowned scientists
from multiple institutions to identify and develop effective
technologies for molecular diagnostics. This collective endeavor,
entitled the “Biomarker Discovery Project,” is part of a new program
operated by the EIF’s Women’s Cancer Research Fund.
This fund will provide millions of charitable dollars
to support innovative research, education and outreach directed at
developing more effective approaches to the early diagnosis,
treatment and prevention of all women’s cancers. The project was
officially launched at a March 1st Hollywood gala sponsored by Saks
Fifth Avenue and chaired by Rita Wilson, Tom Hanks, Kate Capshaw,
and Steven Spielberg. Thanks to a grant from the Entertainment
Industry Foundation, Friends of Cancer Research provided
educational, strategic, and technical support to this remarkable and
noteworthy endeavor in 2004 and will continue to do so in 2005.
Above: Officers, scientists, and advisors
for the Biomarker Discovery Project among those pictured include EIF
President and CEO Lisa Paulsen, members of the Biomarker Discovery
Project Oversight Committee (Dr. Rick Klausner, Dr. David Baltimore,
Dr. Ellen Sigal, Dr. Larry Platt, Dr. Phillip Sharp, and Dr. J.
Michael Bishop), and members of the Women's Cancer Research Fund
Marion Laurie, Kelly Meyer, Quinn Ezralow, and Jamie Tisch.
Left:
Friends of Cancer Research Board Member and
CEO of Paramount Pictures
Sherry Lansing with
Friends of Cancer Research Chair Ellen Sigal at the celebrity
studded March 2004 Entertainment Industry Hollywood Gala benefiting
the Women's Cancer Research Fund.
FDA Initiative
In an effort to help get safer and more effective
oncology products to patients sooner, Friends of Cancer Research
invested an enormous amount of effort in 2004 working alongside and
in concert with top cancer research scientists, advocacy leaders and
professional society directors to generate ideas and momentum for
improving the FDA’s review process. On July 16th, HHS Secretary
Tommy Thompson announced plans to consolidate aspects of the FDA’s
oncology activities by creating a new Office of Oncology Drug
Products with control over an array of biologics, drugs and imaging
technologies. As a subset of the office, the FDA will create an
“Oncology Program” designed to better coordinate and integrate
cancer-related activities throughout the agency. In the wake of
these announcements, Friends has played an active role in promoting
a forum for discussion and ideas about these important changes.
Clinical
Trials
"Overcoming Barriers to
Early Phase Clinical Trials" Semi Annual Workshops
In
2004, Friends of Cancer Research participated in two workshops
hosted by the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) for
grant recipients of a two-year, $5.7 million research initiative
made possible through collaboration between the NCI, the FNIH
(Foundation for the National Institutes of Health), AACI, and
Friends of Cancer Research along with five industry partners:
Aventis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, and
Novartis.
As a result of this public-private partnership
entitled “Overcoming Barriers to Early Phase Clinical Trials,”
six academic institutions were awarded research grants to explore
strategies for improving clinical trial accrual, particularly among
minority and geriatric populations. These semi-annual workshops
allow scientists from the six grantee institutions an opportunity to
share ideas and update project partners about their progress.
On Capitol Hill
Increasing Awarness and
Support of Cancer Research among Congress
Friends of Cancer Research
continued to work with Congress to increase awareness and support of
cancer research. We are pleased that the following language was
included in the Congressional Record as part of the conference
report and statement (H. REPT. 108–792) on the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2005 (H.R. 4818) – the omnibus appropriations
package that included the 2005 funding levels for the National
Institutes of Health.
“The conferees support the
efforts of HHS to provide for a stronger and more consistent
approach to the review process for drug and most therapeutic
biologics used to diagnose, treat, and prevent cancer.
Unprecedented progress in
fields such as nanotechnology, proteomics, and genomics hold the
promise of vast improvements in our ability to prevent cancer,
diagnose it at earlier stage, and treat it more effectively through
targeted therapies. The conferees encourage and support the efforts
of the HHS agencies, including NCI and FDA, to keep pace with
scientific discovery in these areas, particularly as they apply to
prevention.”
Vol.
150 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2004 No. 134—Book II, page H10668. |
Friends of Cancer Research
wishes you a happy and healthy 2005!
[www.focr.org]
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