Gateway for Cancer Research Funds Novel, Patient-Centric Phase I and Phase II Clinical Trials with 99 Cents of Every Dollar Received

SCHAUMBURG, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Gateway for Cancer Research (Gateway), a non-profit dedicated to funding transformational cancer research, is committed to helping shape a world in which a cancer diagnosis is no longer feared. Founded in 1991 by philanthropic pioneer, Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) Founder and Chairman, and recent Horatio Alger Association honoree, Richard J Stephenson, Gateway has raised more than $70 million for cancer research, treating and enrolling over 3,600 patients and funding more than 150 potentially breakthrough clinical trials worldwide.

Currently, there are 57 active clinical trials underway, funded by Gateway at such esteemed institutions as Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Columbia University, Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, Mayo Clinic, MD Anderson and Memorial Sloan Kettering, as well as cancer centers in four other countries.

After watching his mother, Mary, battle and succumb to bladder cancer, “I vowed to change the face of cancer care in her memory with comprehensive, compassionate, innovative and patient-centric treatment options,” said Stephenson.

As a result, Gateway is committed to making a difference in the lives of patients and their families. Its mission is to fund meaningful and breakthrough clinical trials worldwide that help people living with cancer to feel better, live longer and conquer cancer TODAY!

With its emphasis on research that is targeted and precise, Gateway funds Phase I and Phase II clinical trials that seek to tailor cancer treatment to the unique biology, environment, and needs of each patient. These trials explore the latest, most promising treatments available, with more than 80% of funded clinical trials including robust patient-centered outcomes. The clinical trials in which Gateway invests are next generation science – research that has strong potential for a significant breakthrough in patient-centered care. Gateway trials focus on healing the patient even as they treat the disease.

Gateway for Cancer Research takes cancer research to the next level with:

• Patient-Centered Approach: Many in the cancer research field support patient-centered research. Gateway has taken this commitment to the next level by integrating it into everything it does. Gateway incentivizes researchers to adopt patient-centered outcomes and track the degree to which they have placed patients at the center of their work. Patient representatives sit at every level of the Gateway organization, up to and including its Board of Directors.
• Tailored Therapies: Gateway believes in tailoring therapy to the unique biology of individual patients and now, with the level of genetic and cell protein data available, research can be both tailored and precise. This is why Gateway invests in therapies customized to the unique biology, characteristics and immune system of each patient.
• Transformational Science via Effective Clinical Trials: This is when basic science, during which scientific advances are theorized and tested, translates into human testing and clinical practice. Gateway-funded trials enroll and represent people of all ages and at any stage of cancer so that more people diagnosed with cancer can access the treatment they need.
• Integrative Medicine: This has long been a hallmark of Gateway’s research focus. Gateway funds complementary therapies that promote treatment while supporting quality of life. This kind of cutting-edge research combines conventional and complementary treatments designed to help mitigate negative side effects or symptoms to maintain physical and mental health even while combatting disease—thereby helping patients feel better.

Through generous underwriting from Cancer Treatment Centers of America,® Gateway funds Phase I and Phase II clinical trials across virtually all cancers including:

• Adult Brain Cancer: Dr. Behnam Badie, Chief of Neurosurgery, City of Hope Medical Center, has successfully used, for the first time, a form of immunotherapy called CAR T therapy to harness a patient’s own immune system to treat aggressive glioblastoma brain tumors.
• Pediatric Brain Cancer: Dr. Sarah Leary, Seattle Children’s Hospital, is investigating the use of a promising new discovery called “Tumor Paint.” Tumor Paint, created from a peptide found in the venom of a scorpion, attaches to tumor tissue and glows under fluorescent light, potentially making it easier for surgeons to see the tumor and more completely remove it, while sparing healthy tissue and preserving quality of life.
• Blood Cancer: Dr. Christopher Cogle, University of Florida, is conducting a blood cancer trial involving precision medicine, tailoring treatment based on unique gene mutations, as only about 40 percent of blood cancer patients respond to standard chemotherapy.
• Breast Cancer: Dr. Nagi B. Kumar, Moffitt Cancer Center, is using a plant-based substance called COGNUTRIN to fight against post-chemotherapy cognitive impairment. COGNUTRIN contains potent antioxidant and inflammatory properties and has been shown to cross into the brain regions important for learning and memory. The COGNUTRIN combination is derived from the antioxidant in blueberries and the anti-inflammatory in fish oils. It’s one of the first studies of its kind that could benefit patients who deal with “chemo brain.”
• Metastatic Lung Cancer: Dr. Khanh Do, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, is studying the side effects and best dose of a combination of therapies designed to block cancer proteins in patients with solid tumors that have metastasized. The combination may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth.
• Pancreatic Cancer: Dr. Nilofer Azad, Johns Hopkins University, is conducting a trial on pancreatic adenocarcinoma, evaluating the benefits of a molecular therapy with epigenetic modulating drugs in high risk patients, with the goal of seeing a reduced reoccurrence of pancreatic cancer and an improved quality of life with reduced side effects for cancer survivors.

Although further research is needed, these trials show significant promise for the future of cancer care.

ABOUT GATEWAY FOR CANCER RESEARCH

“Our mission instills a sense of urgency to accelerate the pace of cancer research,” said Teresa Hall Bartels, president, Gateway for Cancer Research. “Our dedication to investing in novel patient-centric approaches, combined with the increasing rate of treatment advances, leads us to believe that together we can conquer cancer in our lifetime.”

Gateway for Cancer Research℠ is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization committed to funding innovative cancer research that helps people living with cancer to feel better, live longer and conquer cancer TODAY! Thanks to generous underwriting, 99 cents of every dollar Gateway receives directly funds Phase I and Phase II cancer clinical trials at leading research institutions across the country and abroad. Since 1991, Gateway has supported more than 150 clinical trials and funded over $70 million in breakthrough cancer research. Get involved today by visiting www.GatewayCR.org, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/demandcures and join the conversation on Twitter at @DemandCures, #BeAGateway.

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