I am writing today to ask for your 2021 Annual Fund renewal gift to the Asian Fund for Cancer Research, and your decision is absolutely crucial! Right now, talented scientists are waiting for funding to pursue potentially life-saving research projects. Generous friends like you will help determine which investigations will be awarded funds—and which must be delayed until the budget allows.
I hate that we can’t fund every promising investigation! While AFCR puts applicants through a rigorous process to find the most deserving research, in a sense YOU are the one who helps award these grants. Yes, you.
That’s why we really need your 2021 Annual Fund gift right away! Here is the list of research that your gifts have helped fund. What crucial breakthroughs might have been lost if we had to say “no” to one of them?
- Revolutionary Drug Delivery Platform Improves Effectiveness and Tolerability of Cancer Treatments: A unique chemical shell surrounds drugs forming a pro-drug. Once in the tumor area, drugs are released at high doses to kill cancer cells. Pro-drugs do not release active drugs in healthy tissues, making treatments tolerable without toxicities. Immunotherapies, targeted therapies, and other cancer treatments packaged as pro-drugs demonstrate superior effects in complex cancer models compared to standard treatments. The lead pro-drug candidate is completing pre-clinical studies to advance to clinical trials with AFCR’s support. This drug delivery platform will enable patients with advanced cancer to receive and tolerate life-saving treatments without toxicities.
- First-in-class New Immunotherapy for Gastrointestinal Cancers: For colorectal, stomach, liver, esophageal, and pancreatic cancers, new treatments are urgently needed. Immunotherapy prolongs survival for other cancers but some therapies make the patient’s immune system react to itself, limiting its effectiveness. A first-in-class bi-specific antibody forms a link between cancer cells and fighter T-cells of our immune system. The safe and targeted immunotherapy redirects T cells to exert their cancer cell-killing function. AFCR’s strong support facilitated the completion of pre-clinical studies, preparing the therapy for Phase I clinical trials to test in patients for the first time.
- Platform Technology Delivers Chemotherapy Directly to Head and Neck cancer: A topical patch placed on tumor sites delivers high concentrations of chemotherapy without harsh systemic side effects. The patch, slightly larger than a 1-cent coin, treated patients with Head and Neck cancer in Phase I/II clinical trials and is ready to advance to Phase III trials – the final trial before approval. AFCR ‘s support helped advance the technology. The patch works on all solid tumors and may potentially deliver other treatments. so many patients can one day be treated safely and effectively.
- New Immunotherapy for Advanced Lung and Breast Cancer: New single antibodies target tumors with synergistic multi-functions. One antibody can activate the immune system’s fighter T-cells and also block immunosuppressive modulators. Pre-clinical results are promising for non-small cell lung cancer and triple-negative breast cancer. AFCR’s support aims for at least one multi-functional antibody to be filed as an Investigative New Drug (IND) and starts Phase I clinical trials, to bring immune-therapeutic benefits to patients that urgently need them.
- New Treatment to Combat Drug Resistance – Collaboration is Path to Success: Standard drugs develop resistance when inhibiting the Raf/MEK cell-growth pathway that is abnormally activated in 40% of human cancers. With AFCR’s support, Professor Jiancheng Hu, the National Cancer Center Singapore, discovered new inhibitors that kill drug-resistant cancer cells. With AFCR’s collaboration support, renowned chemist Dr. Amos Smith, III, at the University of Pennsylvania, USA, is optimizing the inhibitors for the best efficacy. The goal is for a new inhibitor to enter clinical trials in the next two years.
These groundbreaking investigations and more are waiting for continuing support from you! Will you send your gift today? Simply locate the Research Award Certificates in this mailing, and select the gift you’re most comfortable with. Then, return that Certificate along with your gift.
