Agenda & Speakers Set for Canines-N-Kids’ Virtual Paws for a Cure Research Symposium Exploring Cancers that Dogs and Kids Share

Golden Retriever Cancer Study Initial Results to be Released

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Peter C. Adamson, MD, Global Head, Oncology Drug Development & Lead, Pediatric Innovations Group, Sanofi, Inc., and past chair of National Cancer Institute (NCI) supported Children’s Oncology Group, will be keynoting the Canines-N-Kids Foundation’s 2nd Paws for a Cure Research Symposium. The free virtual event, co-presented with Merck and LabRoots on September 29-30, 2020, is convening superstars from pediatric and veterinary disciplines and industry to explore innovative science and accelerate progress in solving cancers shared by children and man’s best friend.

“We have assembled a ‘who’s who’ for Paws for a Cure to explore new ways to find cures for cancers that affect both kids and dogs. Our virtual format will make the event more accessible and continue our progress in propelling new treatments to solve shared cancers,” explained Ulrike Szalay, Founder and Executive Director, Canines-N-Kids Foundation, a nonprofit working to put an end to cancers kids and man’s best friend both develop.

With significant support from the Petco Foundation, in collaboration with the Blue Buffalo Foundation, the symposium will explore advancing research in pediatric cancer treatments, including using comparative approaches. Here are highlights of the two-day event:

• COMPARATIVE ONCOLOGY: Amy LeBlanc, DVM, Director, Comparative Oncology Program, NCI, will discuss significant challenges in oncology drug development.

• GOLDEN RETRIEVER LIFETIME STUDY: Investigators will announce new data from the first cohort of cancer-afflicted participants from a study of golden retrievers.
  • Rodney Page, DVM, Flint Animal Cancer Center, Principal Investigator
  • Janet Patterson-Kane, DVM, Chief Scientific Officer, Morris Animal Foundation

• CANINE GENETIC AND BIOMARKER DATA IN CONTEXT OF HUMAN: Speakers from NCI, Tufts, TGEN, The Jackson Laboratories and Merck will provide insights of how data from pet dog cancer patients can inform cancer research in humans.

• DATA-DRIVEN COMPARATIVE ONCOLOGY RESEARCH: Experts from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, NCI, North Carolina State, and Duke Cancer Institute will discuss how advances in comparative research hinge on adequately defined canine genomic and immunologic profiles and creating an open-source environment to compare data.

• SARCOMA/OSTEOSARCOMA COLLABORATIONS & COMPARATIVE RESEARCH: Investigators from Ohio State University, Colorado State University, Flint Animal Cancer Center, Tuft’s, NCI, Case Western, and University of Southern California will present updates on comparative research which could advance understanding of shared cancers in canines and in children and inform clinical trials of novel therapies.

• BRAIN CANCERS/LYMPHOMA COLLABORATIONS & COMPARATIVE RESEARCH: Investigators from University of Pennsylvania, TVAX Biomedical, University of Missouri, University of Florida, University of Alabama, Colorado State University, and Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania will present updates on ongoing research.

The symposium is important because both children and canines spontaneously develop a number of cancers with remarkable similarities. The challenges inherent in designing and implementing pediatric oncology clinical trials for limited number of children with cancer, coupled with scant resources, makes finding cures difficult for the roughly 16,000 children diagnosed in the US each year. For the six million dogs diagnosed with cancer in the US each year, the outlook is no better. The integration of drug development in pediatric and pet populations has great potential to accelerate treatments for the cancers that plague both. The free symposium runs from 1-5pm each day. Registration information can be found at http://www.pawsforacuresymposium.com/. #PawsForACure2020

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