LLS News

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to Bring Clinical Trials to Local Communities

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 04:00:00 GMT

For Immediate Release

Andrea Greif
andrea.greif@lls.org
(914) 821-8958

Teresa Herbert
Teresa_Herbert@dfci.harvard.edu
(617) 632-4090

Partnership Seeks to Accelerate Development of Innovative Therapies

White Plains, NY - (June 6, 2013) - The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) today joined the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston to establish a network of sites for clinical trial testing of innovative blood cancer therapies in community oncology settings across the country.

This groundbreaking Blood Cancer Research Partnership (BCRP) will bring clinical trials closer to where patients live and help to address one of the primary bottlenecks in the development of new cancer therapies: the need for more patients to take part in trials.

"Having to travel long distances from home to a major medical center is a major deterrent to patients' participation in cancer clinical trials," said LLS Chief Mission Officer Louis J. DeGennaro, Ph.D. "Most cancer patients are treated by oncologists in their local community. This partnership will bring trials closer to where patients live. We are optimistic that this program will increase trial enrollment, more rapidly advance innovative blood cancer therapies and save lives."

Eleven potential sites have been identified for the trials - in New York, Georgia, Colorado, Illinois, California, Florida, Texas, Kansas, Tennessee, New Jersey, and Washington State.

LLS is investing $1,050,000 in the three-year project. LLS will have two seats on the steering committee formed to determine which trials will be conducted by the network. The agreement requires that certain milestones be met, including the number of trials initiated and number of patients accrued for each trial. The trials will be either Phase I or II, with patient accrual taking place over an 18-month period. Dana-Farber is the lead institute for the BCRP and each of the community sites will follow the clinical trial protocols established by one centralized agreement.

"This novel partnership between Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and LLS supports the mission of both organizations - to bring cutting-edge clinical research to a wider spectrum of patients with blood cancers today in order to change the paradigms of clinical care for patients tomorrow," said Blood Cancer Research Program Co-Director Robert Soiffer, M.D., who is the chief of the Division of Hematologic Malignancies at Dana-Farber. "The BCRP consortium will provide the opportunity for the Division of Hematologic Malignancies to extend clinical research trials to patients who are outside our regional area and do not have the capacity to come to Dana-Farber."

A number of different clinical trial proposals are currently under consideration - including several for chronic lymphocytic leukemia, myeloma and stem cell transplant.

"I believe this partnership provides a unique opportunity to deliver innovative clinical trials to patients closer to home," says Blood Cancer Research Program Co-Director Irene Ghobrial, M.D., who is a medical oncologist in the Division of Hematologic Malignancies at Dana-Farber. "It also creates a new pathway of collaboration between community oncologists, academic centers and foundations to improve cancer therapy for patients throughout the United States."

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society^® (LLS) is the world’s largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services.

Founded in 1949 and headquartered in White Plains, NY, LLS has chapters throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.LLS.org. Patients should contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.

About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (www.dana-farber.org) is a principal teaching affiliate of the Harvard Medical School and is among the leading cancer research and care centers in the United States. It is a founding member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, designated a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute. It provides adult cancer care with Brigham and Women’s Hospital as Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center and it provides pediatric care with Boston Children’s Hospital as Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. Dana-Farber is the top ranked cancer center in New England, according to U.S. News & World Report, and one of the largest recipients among independent hospitals of National Cancer Institute and National Institutes of Health grant funding. Follow Dana-Farber on Facebook: www.facebook.com/danafarbercancerinstitute and on Twitter: @danafarber.

LLS Applauds FDA's Approval of Lenalidomide for Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Mantle Cell Lymphoma

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 04:00:00 GMT

(White Plains, NY) - June 5, 2013 - Today's U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of lenalidomide (Revlimid^®) to treat patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is encouraging news for these patients.

"Despite advances in treatment, most mantle cell lymphoma patients relapse over time. So, lenalidomide is a welcome effective treatment option for these patients," said Clare Karten, senior director of mission education for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).

The approved indication is for MCL patients whose disease has relapsed or progressed after two prior therapies, one of which included bortezomib (Velcade^®). This also marks the first oral therapy for patients with MCL.

Lenalidomide was originally approved by the FDA in 2006 to treatment patients with multiple myeloma who had undergone at least one prior treatment. The FDA approved lenalidomide in 2006 for a certain subset of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

Many LLS-funded researchers have helped advance lenalidomide by testing its effectiveness for patients with myeloma and MDS, as well as patients diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, both alone and in various combinations with other therapies.

LLS is also pleased to announce that it will be hosting an education program on treatment options for mantle cell lymphoma on June 26, 2013, from 1-2 p.m. ET. John P. Leonard, M.D., of Weill Cornell Medical Center, will be the featured speaker. Click here to register for this program or visit this link: http://www.cancereducation.com/cancersyspagesnb/a/lls/lls1303/index.html.

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society^® (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Valor Biotherapeutics Partner to Advance Novel Therapy for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Patients

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
Contact: Andrea Greif
914.821.8958
andrea.greif@lls.org

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Valor Biotherapeutics and ImmunGene
Create Partnership to Advance Novel Therapy for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Patients

Anti-CD20-Interferon Alpha Fusion Protein (IGN002) is a
promising drug candidate for NHL patients who are resistant to standard therapy

White Plains, NY (May 22, 2013) - The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is committing approximately $6 million to Valor Biotherapeutics, LLC, a joint venture between ImmunGene and Caliber, to co-fund the completion of pre-clinical development, manufacturing, and a Phase I clinical trial for a novel fusion protein that may change the poor outcomes faced by many patients with indolent lymphomas who do not respond to standard therapy with rituximab.

Valor's protein, IGN002, is a new class of biotherapeutics produced by fusing antibodies to tumor cell-killing cytokines to create a therapeutic agent with multiple properties in a single, genetically engineered molecule. The result is not just a simple combination of two clinically validated anti-cancer drugs, rituximab and interferon alpha. The fusion molecule directs a targeted interferon alpha mediated cytotoxic effect on lymphoma cells leading to dramatically improved efficacy and safety profiles in preclinical studies. The clinical trial is anticipated to begin in late 2015.

NHL is the seventh most common cancer in the US yet is a highly diverse disease with many subsets of patients. There are an estimated 530,000 people currently living with NHL or in remission. In 2012, there were approximately 70,000 new cases of NHL diagnosed in the US and about19,000 NHL patients died in 2012 from their disease, which was unable to be controlled adequately with currently available therapeutic options. Indolent or slowly progressing NHL is estimated to be about 40 percent of NHL cases in the United States.

"Non Hodgkin lymphoma, whether indolent or aggressive, continues to be a disease requiring more effective treatment options," said LLS Chief Mission Officer Louis J. DeGennaro, Ph.D. "LLS strives to accelerate therapies for blood cancer patients with such unmet medical needs. What makes this project even more exciting to support is that the technology was developed by Professor Sherie Morrison at UCLA while she was funded by a LLS Translational Research Grant. LLS continues to find that funding through its research grant programs leads to discoveries that move on to biotechnology companies like Valor Biotherapeutics, LLC, who are more fully able to bring novel therapeutics to patients with blood cancer."

Dr. Rahul Singhvi, chief executive officer of Valor Biotherapeutics, stated: "We thank LLS for their commitment to our antibody-interferon fusion platform and their crucial financial support of the IGN002 program. This funding represents a substantial investment in the development of IGN002 and will enable its development through Phase 1 clinical testing. In addition, we welcome the opportunity to work with LLS and benefit from their vast experience in the lymphoma area as we advance IGN002 into clinical trials."

"IGN002 has demonstrated dramatic efficacy in rituximab-resistant preclinical models. The financial commitment by our JV partner, Caliber and the LLS will help in advancing this program to the proof-of-concept study in NHL patients. Our R&D team is very excited to work with the LLS and Valor, to advance IGN002 to the clinic," said Sanjay D. Khare, Ph.D., president and CEO of ImmunGene, Inc. "This study will help us in understanding the utility of the technology for several other programs in the ImmunGene pipeline."

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society ^(R) (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services. LLS has played a role in funding nearly every currently available treatment for blood cancer patients today. Founded in 1949 and headquartered in White Plains, NY, LLS has chapters throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.LLS.org. Patients and caregivers should contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.

About Valor Biotherapeutics, LLC
Valor Biotherapeutics is a joint venture between ImmunGene, Inc. and Caliber Biotherapeutics, LLC focused on the clinical development and commercialization of the next generation of monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics to treat cancer.

About ImmunGene Inc.
ImmunGene is a privately held biotechnology company focused on the development of monoclonal antibody-based therapies for the treatment of blood cancers and solid tumors. ImmunGene has several programs at various stages of the development. In addition, the company has developed proprietary antibody-cytokine fusion technology comprised of highly potent cytokines by genetically engineered with monoclonal antibodies. ImmunGene has an exclusive license on the antibody-cytokine fusion protein technology developed by Professor Sherie Morrison at UCLA. A part of the IGN002 preclinical work has been done as a part of collaborative research with Dr. John Timmerman's laboratory. Antibody-fusion proteins are designed to be inactive at therapeutic doses in the bloodstream while highly potent in targeting and killing cancer cells. This approach is likely to spare healthy cells and thus has the potential to reduce known toxic effects of therapeutic cytokines while greatly enhancing the anti-tumor activity of antibodies. ImmunGene is funded by federal government grants, including NIH-SBIR, and Angel investors including several Biotech executives. More information can be found at: www.immungene.com.

About Caliber Biotherapeutics, LLC
Caliber Biotherapeutics, LLC is a biotechnology company based in Bryan, Texas with a mission to develop and commercialize protein-based therapeutics that improve outcomes for patients with cancer and other diseases. The company utilizes technological innovations in biological research, product development and manufacturing to create treatments with increased safety and effectiveness-while reducing both costs and development time. Caliber has created a rich pipeline of monoclonal antibody-based products, including biobetter product candidates applying its expertise in manufacturing of recombinant proteins. Caliber operates the world's largest N. benthamiana expression based protein manufacturing facility in College Station, Texas. Caliber's technologies are being supported by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institution of Texas (CPRIT), DARPA and several Texas based life sciences investors. For more information, please visit www.caliberbio.com.

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Researchers Funded by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Present Innovative Science at AACR Annual Meeting 2013

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
Contact: Andrea Greif
914.821.8958
andrea.greif@lls.org

Researchers Funded by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Present Innovative Science at AACR Annual Meeting 2013

White Plains, NY (April 4, 2013) - The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health agency funding many of today's breakthroughs in blood cancer treatments, including advances in targeted therapies, immunotherapies and epigenetics.

Many LLS-funded researchers will be presenting results of some of their latest work at the 104th AACR Annual Meeting 2013, taking place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington. D.C., April 6-10, 2013.

"LLS focuses on funding research to address urgent unmet medical needs, and many of the findings being presented this week at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013 were advanced with LLS support," said LLS Senior Vice President of Research Richard C. Winneker, Ph.D.

Select LLS-funded researcher presentations include:

New targets in blood cancers: Ross Levine, M.D., Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center is presenting "Molecular basis for sensitivity and resistance to JAK inhibitors" (April 6, 8:50 a.m. in Room 207). John Byrd, M.D., The Ohio State University is co-chairing a session entitled "Targeting Lymphoid Malignancies: Working From the Outside In." Byrd's presentation is "Kinase-based therapies work; How do we bring them forward and manage resistance?" (April 10, 11 a.m., Room 143).

Subclonal cancer architecture: Catherine Wu, M.D., Dana-Farber Cancer Center, is presenting an educational program "The evolution and impact of subclonal mutations in chronic lymphocytic leukemia." (April 6, 11:15 a.m., in Ballroom C). Dr. Wu's work will also be featured during a special session on innovative research, with a presentation entitled "Coupled genetic and functional dissection of chronic lymphocytic leukemia" (April 7, 2:45 p.m., Room 201).

Adolfo Ferrando, M.D., Columbia University Medical Center, and Marcus Muschen, M.D., University of California, San Francisco, are also presenting during this special session. Ferrando's presentation is "Targeting genetic and metabolic networks in T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (April 7, 1:45 p.m., Room 201). Muschen's presentation is "Targeting BCL6 in acute lymphoblastic leukemia" (April 7, 2:15 p.m., Room 201).

Epigenetic targets for cancer: Anjana Rao, Ph.D, Harvard, will present during a plenary session with a program entitled “TET proteins and altered DNA methylation in cancer,” (April 8, 8:30 a.m., Hall D), and James Bradner, M.D., Dana-Farber, will present “Bromodomain inhibition in cancer” during this same session (April 8, 9 a.m., Hall D). Guido Marcucci, M.D., The Ohio State University, is presenting during another session on epigenetics called "Epigenetic Regulators in Hematology: From Stem Cells to Malignancies." His talk is entitled: "MicroRNAs and epigenetics: Novel gene silencing mechanisms and therapeutic approaches in acute myeloid leukemia" (April 6, 11:35 a.m., Room 147). Scott Armstrong, M.D., Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, is chairing a major symposium entitled "Mutations in Epigenetic Regulators in Cancer" and presenting a program entitled "Targeting histone methylation in cancer (April 7, 1 p.m., Room 146).

Ari Melnick, M.D., Weill Cornell Medical Center, is chairing and presenting during another session called "The Genetic and Epigenetic Landscape of AML Revealed." Melnick's program is entitled "Aberrant epigenetic programming as a hallmark of AML (April 8, 1:25 p.m., Room 147). In this same session, Timothy Graubert, M.D., Washington University, is presenting "The Genomic Landscape of MDS and AML" (April 8, 1 PM, Room 147)

Genetically engineered immune cells: Carl June, M.D., University of Pennsylvania, is presenting "CARs for cancer: Can we move beyond CLL?" (April 10, 11:50 a.m., Room 147). June is also the invited speaker at a special regulatory science and policy session on April 7 at 1 p.m., Room 150 entitled: "Harnessing the immune system to treat cancer: personalized and targeted T-cell therapy."

For more information about this work, or to arrange interviews with LLS experts, please contact Andrea Greif at 914.821.8958, or andrea.greif@lls.org.

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (R) (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services. Founded in 1949 and headquartered in White Plains, NY, LLS has chapters throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.LLS.org or contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.

Take the Skyhook Challenge and Help Beat Blood Cancer

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
Contact: Andrea Greif
914.821.8958
andrea.greif@lls.org

Take the Skyhook Challenge and Help Beat Blood Cancer

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Helps Launch Contest to Honor
NBA Legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Raise Awareness of Blood Cancer

White Plains, NY (April 3, 2013) - The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and Novartis are teaming up to raise awareness about Ph+ chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), the blood cancer that National Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was diagnosed with in 2008.

During half-time at the April 9 Los Angeles Lakers game at the Staples Center, Abdul-Jabbar will take center court for the first shot in the "CML Skyhook Challenge," starting the countdown clock to raise $38,387, matching his NBA-leading life-time record of 38,387 points in 1,560 games.

Abdul-Jabbar will be joined by a group of fellow CML survivors, who will be invited to the game and to join the half-time festivities. The basketball legend will encourage fans at the game and at home to play the Skyhook Challenge via their mobile devices. By texting KAJ to 72645 participants will receive a series of questions about CML, Abdul-Jabbar's career and LLS. The game will also be available online at www.skyhookchallenge.com. Each correct answer is worth one point; players can answer more than one question. Once the Challenge registers 38,387 points, Novartis will donate $38,387 to LLS to support blood cancer research and patient services. The contest will take place until the total fundraising goal is reached. LLS is encouraging supporters to not only play the game but to keep the fundraising going by donating online at www.lls.org/skyhookchallenge.

"We are thrilled to have the support of legendary basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to help us raise awareness about blood cancers and the important work being done by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society," said Lisa Stockmon, LLS executive vice president and chief marketing officer. "Kareem's message of hope is so inspirational and will help us bring more attention to the urgent need to fund research for breakthrough therapies, the only way we can achieve our goal of realizing a world without blood cancers."

Since being diagnosed, Abdul-Jabbar has been a strong advocate for CML patients, encouraging them to understand their treatment milestones and actively talk to their physicians to ensure their disease is properly managed. Ph+ CML is characterized by an abnormality known as the Philadelphia chromosome, which produces a protein called Bcr-Abl, identified as the sole cause and driver of CML.

"Thanks to research, survival rates have doubled, tripled and even quadrupled for some blood cancers, but there is still critical unmet medical need, and more research is needed to advance therapies that save more lives," said LLS President and Chief Executive Officer John Walter.

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Cancer Fears Cool Kids and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 04:00:00 GMT

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Contact: Andrea Greif
914.821.8958
andrea.greif@lls.org

Cancer Fears Cool Kids and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

White Plains, NY (March 28, 2013) - The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and the Cool Kids Campaign today announced a partnership to raise awareness about pediatric blood cancer.

Both organizations' missions align in the goal of improving the quality of life for patients and their families, and have agreed to cross promote their messages of help and hope through their multi-platform communications channels.

Cool Kids Cancer Fears ME™ merchandise is featured in LLS's "Someday is Today" branding platform. A little girl named Sophie wears the Cancer Fears ME cap in several of the campaign's images.

"Learning you have cancer is frightening, and the Cancer Fears ME campaign is about turning the tables on cancer, and helping the child feel a sense of control as he or she faces the challenges of their cancer journey," said Sharon Perfetti, executive director and co-founder of Cool Kids. "Aligning with LLS will help bring even more awareness to our positive message."

"We are all in this for the common good of beating cancer, and improving the lives of patients and their families," said LLS chief marketing officer Lisa Stockmon. "Working together we will be able to encourage even more people to visit our sites and support our missions."

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society® (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services. Founded in 1949 and headquartered in White Plains, NY, LLS has chapters throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.lls.org or contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.

About Cool Kids Campaign
The mission of the Cool Kids Campaign is to provide kids with cancer a higher quality of life for themselves and their families while facing the challenges of cancer. www.coolkidscampaign.org

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The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Announces Expanded Role for Mark Velleca, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Andrea Greif
914.821.8958
andrea.greif@lls.org

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Announces Expanded Role for Mark Velleca, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer

(White Plains, NY)- March 7, 2013- The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is pleased to announce an expanded role for Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer Mark Velleca, M.D., Ph.D. Velleca, who has headed LLS's Office of Public Policy in Washington, D.C., since early 2012, will now oversee the newly integrated patient advocacy, policy and programs department.

Velleca will continue to oversee the strategy and implementation of LLS's growing legislative and regulatory policy initiatives. Additionally, he will now supervise the teams leading patient and professional education and patient advocacy and access. As part of this newly integrated group, LLS has created new regional and chapter-based mission positions to more effectively support patients gaining access to the best possible care.

"Our new structure is designed to bring even stronger patient services and advocacy programs to the chapters, and help us reach more patients and families with education and support," said LLS President and Chief Executive Officer John Walter. "Mark has shown strong leadership over the past year in advancing our goal of helping patients gain access to high quality, affordable and coordinated health care, and his expanded role will further enhance our ability to do what’s best for patients."

Velleca, a scientist and board-certified physician, has experience in both academic research and clinical medicine as well as executive management in the private sector. He was the founder and senior vice president of CGI Pharmaceuticals, guiding CGI from its inception through its establishment as a drug discovery company that brought multiple drug candidates from research into clinical trials. Gilead Sciences acquired CGI in 2010, whereupon Velleca served as a senior advisor at Gilead until joining LLS in 2012. He has also served on the board of directors and scientific advisory boards of several other biotech companies.

Earlier in his career, Velleca was an attending physician at Yale-New Haven Hospital and on the clinical faculty at Yale Medical School. He earned a B.S. cum laude from Yale University and an M.D. and a Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis.

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society ® (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services. Founded in 1949 and headquartered in White Plains, NY, LLS has chapters throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.LLS.org or contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.

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Lisa Stockmon Promoted to Chief Marketing Officer for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Contact: Andrea Greif
914.821.8958
andrea.greif@lls.org

Lisa Stockmon Promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

(White Plains, NY) - March 4, 2013 - The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is pleased to announce the promotion of Lisa Stockmon to executive vice president and chief marketing officer. In this position, Stockmon will lead all marketing, promotion, corporate partnership and communications initiatives, reporting to LLS President and Chief Executive Officer John Walter.

"Lisa has driven the creation of our exciting new awareness and branding platform, 'Someday Is Today,' which launched nationally last month," Walter said. "This platform will change how the public sees LLS and will help us reach new patients, caregivers, research and corporate partners, and donors to support us in pursuing our mission of curing blood cancers. LLS intends to grow revenue by $75 million through fiscal year 2015. Strengthening our brand awareness will help us significantly broaden our donor base, which will be instrumental to achieving our goals, and Lisa is taking on a key leadership role for LLS."

Stockmon joined LLS in 2012 as senior vice president, marketing & communications. A proven marketing executive with more than 20 years in marketing, branding and business development, Stockman has led strategy and development of multi-platform marketing programs comprising consumer marketing, digital marketing, advertising, communications and public relations campaigns for top-tier brands in the entertainment, media, consumer products and financial services industries.

Prior to joining LLS, Stockmon was the managing director of Time Inc. Content Solutions. Stockmon has a distinguished history in brand planning and execution, integrated customer communications, and development and implementation of cross platform marketing. She is a results-driven executive having honed her marketing skills at Time Warner, Time Warner Cable and Limited Brands.

A Wisconsin native, Lisa earned an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and an MBA in marketing and strategic management from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School.

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society^® (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services..
Founded in 1949 and headquartered in White Plains, NY, LLS has chapters throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.LLS.org or contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.

Quest for Cures

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 05:00:00 GMT

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Contact: Andrea Greif

914.821.8958

andrea.greif@lls.org

Quest for Cures: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Seeks to Fund Three Critical Areas of Blood Cancer Research

White Plains, NY - Feb. 28, 2013 – Medical innovation and sustained research investment are dramatically transforming the landscape in blood cancers. To that end, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) continues to drive a progressive research agenda to improve outcomes for patients who urgently need new therapies. Today LLS announced it has identified three priority areas toward which it will direct new funding.

LLS has issued a request for proposals - entitled "Quest for Cures" - from researchers focusing on these specific areas:

- Tumor cell clonal heterogeneity. Most cancer tumors are a mixture of cells that are genetically related (clonal), with shared abnormalities, but with subgroups (subclones) that carry unique molecular abnormalities. This grant will support researchers seeking novel approaches for measuring and monitoring this clonal heterogeneity and assessing its contribution to response or resistance to therapy.

- New molecular stratification mechanisms. Recipients of this grant will work to identify key subsets of patients with B-cell malignancies, to help predict which patients will have poor outcomes from current standard therapies so they may be directed to alternative therapies.

- Bone marrow and lymph node microenvironments. Researchers will seek to enhance the understanding of the role that the bone marrow and lymph node microenvironments play in either responding to or resisting therapy.

Proposals must include specific timelines, milestones and deliverables, and the range offunding will be between $200,000 to $400,000, annually for two years.

The Quest for Cures project is the first of a partnership between LLS and Celgene first announced in October, as part of LLS's new "Targets, Leads and Candidates Program," an initiative to identify and fund priority research areas with support from biotechnology and pharmaceutical partners.

"The Quest For Cures research topics are designed to gain a better understanding of the underlying causes leading to failure of current treatments and to identify novel therapeutic targets and ultimately new treatments," said Richard C. Winneker, Ph.D, LLS senior vice president of research.. "These projects should, if successful, have a measurable impact on the diagnosis or treatment of patients with hematologic malignancies over the next 5 to 10 years."

The complete Quest for Cures RFPs can be viewed here. (Note: may not display properly with some web browsers).

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society® (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary healthagency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services.

Founded in 1949 and headquartered in White Plains, NY, LLS has chapters throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.LLS.org or contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.

LLS Calls on Congress to Halt Cuts to Cancer Research and Patient Access to Therapeutics at Critical Juncture

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 05:00:00 GMT

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
Contact: Andrea Greif
914-821-8958/ andrea.greif@lls.org

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Calls on Congress to Halt Cuts to
Cancer Research and Patient Access to Therapeutics at Critical Juncture

WHITE PLAINS, NY - Feb. 27, 2013 - With the threat of massive budget cuts looming under the co-called "sequestration," The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) today called upon Congress to reject any proposals that would impede the remarkable progress that is allowing researchers and health professionals to understand, detect and treat cancer.

In a letter submitted to the leaders of both houses of Congress, LLS expressed its deep concern that the proposed reductions in non-defense discretionary funding will severely impact ongoing cancer research and development efforts. In particular, LLS is concerned that cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be particularly harmful to our nation's cancer patients.

LLS's Chief Mission Officer Louis J. DeGennaro said that continuing a steady flow of resources to support cancer research and the development of innovative therapies - as well as access to those therapies - is essential, as we are on the threshold bringing new and more effective treatments to patients.

"The threat of these massive cuts comes at a time when advances in blood cancer research are on the brink of historic breakthroughs," Dr. DeGennaro said. "An explosion of innovative science, and the clinical successes of a new wave of targeted therapies and immunotherapies are transforming the landscape of blood cancer. Survival rates for some blood cancer patients have doubled, tripled, and even quadrupled, yet critical unmet needs remain. LLS will continue to drive progress- from basic and translational research, to clinical trials, to patient advocacy - until we accomplish our goal of a world without blood cancers. Resources in Washington - at HHS and FDA - are essential to 'finish the job' and bring meaningful access of these breakthroughs to patients."

LLS President and CEO John Walter said, "LLS exists to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. As there are no means of preventing or early screening for most blood cancers, LLS is focused on finding cures. LLS has invested more than $875 million in research since our inception, and LLS funding has touched the discovery or development of nearly every treatment advance for patients with blood cancers. LLS strongly urges our leaders in Washington to provide critical funding for the ultimate realization of our goal: a world without blood cancers."

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society