The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) announced the expansion of its research program with a new collaborative breast cancer funding model - the BCRF Investigator-Initiated Drug Research Program - that will help broaden and accelerate clinical research on treatment strategies for people with breast cancer.
BCRF received a three-year, $15 million grant from Pfizer to support this novel effort, as well as access to Pfizer's broad portfolio of approved products and its pipeline of drugs still under development. With this commitment, BCRF substantially grows its portfolio of clinical investigations targeted toward developing new treatments for metastatic and early stage breast cancer.
"This research effort speaks to the breadth of BCRF's research program, which supports some of the brightest minds in cancer research around the world," said Larry Norton, M.D., BCRF Scientific Director and Medical Director of the Evelyn H. Lauder Breast Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. "It will encourage more creative, academic-driven research and give more patients access to clinical trials. We believe this unique approach has the potential to greatly accelerate and impact research progress, and ultimately, lead to more breakthrough discoveries."
"BCRF is excited to partner with industry in this new way, independently vetting and guiding high-quality investigator-initiated studies. Academic researchers will have the freedom to design and implement clinical trials and correlative studies that might not otherwise be completed," said Clifford Hudis, M.D., Chairman of the BCRF Scientific Advisory Board and Vice President for Government Relations and Chief Advocacy Officer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. "This will allow us to test every possible application for targeted therapies, or combinations of agents against different molecular targets that will hopefully translate into more effective and more meaningful therapies for people with all types of breast cancer, as well as other cancers."
"Pfizer Oncology is committed to innovative cancer research. Our goal is to speed the development of cures and accessible, breakthrough medicines for patients and redefine life with cancer," said Maria Koehler, MD, PhD, Vice President of Strategy, Innovation and Collaborations for Pfizer Oncology. "We believe that great science comes through collaboration. This unique initiative allows the greatest scientific minds across the globe to help advance research with our portfolio. By supporting this initiative, we can achieve more and ensure that more breakthrough therapies are discovered and reach the patients who need them as rapidly as possible."
BCRF was founded to fund clinical and translational research. In 2015-2016, the Foundation is supporting more than 240 scientists spanning across every major city in the U.S. and 14 countries with grants totaling $54 million to fuel discoveries in tumor biology, genetics, prevention, treatment, survivorship and metastasis.