$500,00 Research Grant to Combat Cancer Treatment Resistance

SAN CARLOS, Calif. and WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ALK Positive (a patient-led group of 1,900+ lung cancer patients and caregivers in 50+ countries) and GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer (a global lung cancer advocacy and education organization) are awarding a two-year, $500,000 Research Collaboration Grant to two renowned lung cancer researchers dedicated to overcoming treatment resistance.

This grant funds research to help break down barriers to successful lung cancer treatment and to identify new treatments. A 2019 partnership between ALK Positive and the GO2 Foundation raised the funds for this grant.

Patients with ALK+ lung cancer benefit from targeted therapy medications but drug resistance ultimately limits this benefit: most patients develop progressive disease within one to three years of treatment.

Dr. Trever Bivona, associate professor of medicine at the University of California – San Francisco, and Dr. Christine Lovly, associate professor of medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, are receiving the grant for their project, "Transforming ALK+ lung cancer into a chronic or curable condition by combating drug resistance." Drs. Bivona and Lovly are recognized lung cancer experts. The study will explore if new combinations of targeted therapies can delay or prevent treatment resistance.

"ALK Positive is grateful to GO2 Foundation for their efforts in coordinating this partnership. The fundraising efforts of the ALK Positive members and their supporters have been extraordinary, and we are hopeful this project will make significant strides in accomplishing our mission to 'improve the life expectancy and quality of life for all ALK-positive patients worldwide'," said Gina Hollenbeck, the group's president.

"One of the greatest barriers to surviving lung cancer is treatment resistance. This grant will help overcome this significant obstacle, give patients hope, and help to achieve the goal of making lung cancer a chronically-managed disease," said Bonnie J. Addario, co-founder and board chair of the GO2 Foundation. "Lung cancer is truly leading the way to make research personal. This is an example of how patients, advocates and researchers are putting their heads together to create new, game-changing research."

"I am honored to work alongside the ALK Positive community on this effort to accelerate our understanding of resistance and to find new ways to fight it," said Bivona. "At a time when we are making great strides in the treatment of lung cancer, yet research funding is lacking, we are deeply appreciative of this funding from members of ALK Positive," said Lovly.