In Second Year of Partnership, Groups Select and Fund Three Projects

NEW YORK, Dec. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) and the EGFR Resisters, in their second year of a research award partnership, announce the 2022 grant recipients. As part of LCRF's Research Grants on Oncogenic Drivers in Lung Cancer awards, each project receives $150,000 for two years, a total of $450,000 of funding.

The EGFR Resisters and its members recognize the urgent need for additional research to improve outcomes for patients living with EGFR-mutated lung cancer. By partnering with LCRF in 2022 to select and fund three projects focused on EGFR-mutated lung cancer, the EGFR Resisters is representing the critical needs of its community of patients and caregivers.

"The strength and passion of our motivated and active community of patients and caregivers allow us to directly impact research in EGFR positive lung cancer," remarked Ivy Elkins, co-founder of the EGFR Resisters. "We will be closely following the progress of these projects."

"Patient led and funded research addresses specific unmet needs of patients," says Jill Feldman, also co-founder of the EGFR Resisters. "Patients can provide unique input that will drive research that is important and meaningful to our community."

2022 LCRF – EGFR Resisters grant recipients include:

Swarnali Acharyya, PhD – EGFR Resisters grant and James B. Dougherty Award* recipient
Columbia University Medical Center
Drugging the S100A9-Retinoic acid pathway: companion biomarker and therapy

This project aims to study a new pathway as a new target that when inhibited, could prevent and treat brain metastases. The potential benefit could also extend to patients with leptomeningeal disease.

*The James B. Dougherty, MD Award for Scientific Merit is presented to the investigator whose proposal was selected for outstanding overall merit by LCRF's Scientific Advisory Board.

Luke Hoeppner, PhD - EGFR Resisters grant recipient
Regents of the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Predictive biomarkers and new therapeutic strategies to prevent EGFR TKI-refractory lung cancer progression

This project is attempting to understand how lung cancer cells evade EGFR-targeted therapy and develop new innovative therapies to predict and prevent the emergence of resistance and disease progression. 

Jonathan Ostrem, MD, PhD – Exon 20 Group & EGFR Resisters grant recipient
The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco
Enhancing the precision of targeted therapies for EGFR-mutant lung cancer

The goal of this research is to develop a new therapy for EGFR-mutant lung cancer that would enhance effective cancer killing activity while limiting toxicity to healthy tissue in the body. The initial focus will be on EGFR exon 20 tumors but eventually could be applied to other targeted therapies.

"The Exon 20 Group is thrilled to be co-funding, with the EGFR Resisters and LCRF, Dr. Jonathan Ostrem's important targeted therapies project, as his novel approach will fill an important gap in exon 20-directed research," remarks Robert T. Hanlon, PhD, chair and co-founder, the Exon 20 Group at ICAN, International Cancer Advocacy Network.

"The EGFR Resisters have been a guiding force behind patient-led research," remarked Dennis Chillemi, Executive Director of LCRF. "This will speed the advancement of research, directly impacting survival of patients with lung cancer. LCRF is honored to be a partner with the EGFR Resisters in funding these projects."

The EGFR Resisters funded one of LCRF's 2021 Pilot Grants, awarded to Yang Tian, PhD, from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, whose research project is titled "Targeting lung lineage plasticity to suppress Osimertinib-induced drug-tolerant persisters."  Although there has been an increase in progression-free survival in patients with EGFR-mutated lung cancer due to targeted therapy with EGFR TKIs (Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors, commonly known as TKIs), the cancer eventually develops acquired resistance. Much more research is needed in this area. The EGFR Resisters have funded a total of four research grants in partnership with LCRF to date. To learn more, visit LCRF.org/research.

About the Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) 

The Lung Cancer Research Foundation® (LCRF) is the leading nonprofit organization focused on funding innovative, high-reward research with the potential to extend survival and improve quality of life for people with lung cancer. LCRF's mission is to improve lung cancer outcomes by funding research for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of lung cancer. To date, LCRF has funded 409 research grants, totaling more than $42 million, the highest amount provided by a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding lung cancer research. For more information about the LCRF grant program and funding opportunities, visit lcrf.org/research.

About the EGFR Resisters

Founded in 2017 by six patients and one caregiver, the EGFR Resisters is a grassroots, patient-driven community of patients and caregivers living with and/or personally affected by EGFR positive lung cancer. The group has a closed Facebook group for members to connect and share best practices, and it communicates with the broader EGFR community through a website, monthly newsletter, and social media. With over 4,000 members in more than 90 countries, the EGFR Resisters aims to improve outcomes for all those with EGFR positive lung cancer by supporting patients and caregivers, increasing awareness and education for community members, improving access to effective diagnosis and treatment, and accelerating and funding research. The mission of the EGFR Resisters is to understand the unmet needs of the community and to use the strength of collaboration to drive important research questions and fund novel research and clinical trials. For more information about the EGFR Resisters, please visit https://egfrcancer.org.

Contact:
LUNG CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION
Sheila Sullivan
Sr. Director, Marketing & Communications
ssullivan@lcrf.org

EGFR Resisters
Laura Book
Media Contact
egfrresisters@gmail.com

SOURCE Lung Cancer Research Foundation