Childhood cancer is still the first cause of death by disease among children in the U.S. Despite this, there are only five drugs specifically designed and approved for pediatric cancer to treat 12 types and multiple subtypes of childhood cancer. Due to insufficient specific therapies for children with cancer, pediatric oncologists are forced to adjust adult cancer treatments for them.
In 40 years Children’s Cancer Research Fund (CCRF) has contributed $213 million to research, education and awareness, and quality-of-life programs for childhood cancer families. Oncoheroes Biosciencesis thrilledto announce an investment from CCRF.
“We are excited to support the vital work Oncoheroes is doing to accelerate new therapy options for children and adolescents with cancer,” statedDaniel Gumnit, CEO of the Children’s Cancer Research Fund. “It’s part of our organization’s commitment to making a real and meaningful impact for families who are battling cancer.”
Children’s Cancer Research Fund has worked closely with doctors and scientists to fund innovative research that has led to better treatments for kids battling cancer. CCRF’s mission is to remove the roadblocks that stand in the way of research breakthroughs, and they have a track record of success—from new drug trials for children with brain tumors and osteosarcoma to improvements in blood and marrow transplantation. CCRF’s success lies in their core values of innovation, impact and connection. CCRF develops strong relationships with the country’s top researchers and stay attuned to the ever-changing landscape of medical research.
“We are honored that a childhood cancer foundation with four decades of history has decided to join Oncoheroes. Thank you, Children’s Cancer Research Fund, for your trust. When we launched Oncoheroes, we wanted to involve the non-profit sector to help us bridge the valley of death in childhood cancer drug development. We are excited to see that this is happening and that together, we will accelerate the approval of new drugs for children and adolescents with cancer,” explained Ricardo Garcia, co-founder, and CEO of Oncoheroes Biosciences.
“I’m a competitive guy. Anyone who knows me will tell you I can’t stand to lose. I’ve never faced anything on the racetrack as tough as childhood cancer. But I won’t stop until I beat it.”
— Jeff Gordon
Every year worldwide, 300,000 children and adolescents will have to fight cancer. Due to the lack of treatments specifically designed and developed for children, one in five will not beat the disease, and many will suffer the long-term side effects from the current therapies.
Oncoheroes Biosciences, a mission-driven biotech company currently building a multiasset pipeline of childhood cancer drugs, is very excited to announce an investment from Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation (JGCF), marking the first time JGCF has invested in a biotech company.
“We appreciate the innovative approach Oncoheroes is undertaking to develop much-needed therapies specifically to improve outcomes for kids fighting cancer,” said Dr. Jeffrey Chell, Board Chair for JGCF. “This kind of fresh thinking and expansive collaboration has the power to fuel exciting progress in childhood cancer research.”
JGCF was founded in 1999 by four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon. Since then, JGCFhas donated nearly $22 million to hospitals and children’s health organizations to primarily support pediatric cancer research.
“We are delighted to welcome and thank Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation for joining our project. We are thrilled to see another non-profit going one step further and adopting a venture philanthropy approach by investing in Oncoheores. We believe this is a unique opportunity for the childhood cancer community to be in the driver seat in bringing new therapies for childhood cancer,” explained Ricardo Garcia, co-founder, and CEO of Oncoheroes Biosciences.
For close to 40 years, Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation has been pioneering the effort to eliminate childhood cancer by identifying and funding promising leading edge research. Today, Oncoheroes Biosciences is thrilled to announce the investment of PCRF, the first time PCRF supports a biotech company.
Driven by the vision that every child deserves to grow up cancer free, PCRF exclusively targets its resources toward emerging and breakthrough research opportunities that demonstrate the best hope of a cure. “This year we are joining forces with Oncoheroes in their vision to collaborate with like-minded organizations to bring these new treatments to children with cancer. We’re stronger together,“stated Jeri WilsonExecutive Director of the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation.
Every three minutes a family is diagnosed with childhood cancer and unfortunately, one in five will lose the battle. The lack of treatments designed and developed for children with cancer is unacceptable, with only 5 drugs specifically designed to treat children versus more than 200 for adults.
Developing new drugs is hard enough for therapies treating common diseases. The barriers only get higher for those with rare indications, like childhood cancer where foundations have been denouncing the lack of early-stage funding from the private sector; of incentives, and of industry interest.
“After years in the non-profit side of childhood cancer, I realized that investing resources only in academic research will not lead to new childhood cancer treatments, because research is only one piece of a complex jigsaw. Thus, we decided to launch Oncoheroes Biosciences, a mission-driven biotech company building a multi-asset pipeline exclusively focused on pediatric oncology. Thank you Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation for your vision and for going beyond your traditional research grant model. We will conquer childhood cancer if, together, we try something different,” explained Cesare Spadoni,co-founder and COO of Oncoheroes Biosciences.
Childhood cancer is considered a rare disease affecting 300,000 new families every year worldwide, 90,000 of them unfortunately will lose their loved one. Moreover, more than 95% of childhood cancer survivors will have health-related issues because of the cancer treatments administered, the vast majority designed and developed for adult indications. Despite this, only five pediatric cancer drugs have been approved in the last 40 years versus more than 200 for adults, pointing to a large unmet medical need.
Oncoheroes Biosciences, currently building a multi-asset portfolio of pediatric oncology drugs, is very excited to announce the investment of Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research, a pediatric cancer non-profit focused on raising awareness and funds for childhood cancer research to find better treatments with fewer long-term side effects and, ultimately, cures.
“Everything started at a lovely dinner in DC back in 2015, where four of us who led non-profit childhood cancer foundations were sharing our frustration of not seeing enough efforts from the industry on developing new therapies for children. I still remember Ricardo Garcia, who later became co-founder and CEO of Oncoheroes, proposing to launch a biotech company 100% focused on childhood cancer. We are thrilled to team up with Oncoheroes and support the effort of bringing new life-saving therapies for children and adolescents with cancer,” stated Dean Crowe co-founder and CEO of Rally Foundation.
Rally Foundation funds the most promising and cutting-edge research initiatives around the globe, seeing themselves as philanthropic seed investors in the next great discovery. Since 2005, Rally has awarded more than $22 million in childhood cancer research grants to 404 projects at hospitals and research institutions around the world and secured $31 million in new federal funding for cancers in children, adolescents, and young adults from the Department of Defense’s Medical Research Program. For the first time, Rally Foundation is investing in a biotech company.
“During that dinner in DC, I advocated for a different approach to change the pediatric cancer landscape. Today, I am very excited about this new partnership with Rally Foundation, one of the organizations involved in the conversation that took place that night. We are honored that for the first time, Rally Foundation has decided to go beyond funding academic research by investing in Oncoheroes. We believe focused disease foundations and patients’ associations play an essential role during the development of new drugs for rare diseases. Thank you Rally for joining the effort,” stated Ricardo Garcia, CEO of Oncoheroes Biosciences.
Each year around the world approximately 300,000 children and teenagers are diagnosed with some form of childhood cancer. Despite this fact, less than 4% of the National Cancer Institute’s funding supports the research needed to develop new treatments specifically designed for them. For specific types of childhood cancer like rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of sarcoma mainly affecting children and adolescents, the resources are a fraction of an already insufficient amount.
Oncoheroes Biosciences, currently working on the clinical development of volasertib, a potential new drug for rhabdomyosarcoma patients, is honored to announce the receipt of funding from Super Sam Foundation, a pediatric cancer non-profit focused on raising awareness, supporting pediatric cancer families and providing resources mainly in the area of soft tissue sarcoma.
“Our support to Oncoheroes is another way to keep the promise made to our son Sam. He wanted better options, better treatments for All the kids. We are confident that Oncoheroes’ team and their first promising compound, volasertib, could quickly bring new therapies for our little ones. Today, on Sam’s birthday, we are excited to be part of the help needed to accelerate the clinical drug development of volasertib propelling it into a clinical trial,” announced Cassie Santhuff, President and Founder of Super Sam Foundation.
“Oncoheroes, as Super Sam Foundation, believe our kids deserve better, especially those suffering from pediatric cancer types that have the highest prevalence and the worst prognosis. Rhabdomyosarcoma is a very aggressive form of childhood cancer and after in-licensing volasertib from Boehringer Ingelheim, we are working hard to initiate the clinical trial soon,” stated Ricardo Garcia, CEO of Oncoheroes Biosciences.
To date, only four drugs have been specifically developed and approved for pediatric cancer, thus forcing oncologists to use in children cancer treatments that were mainly developed for adult cancers.
Oncoheroes Biosciences, a biotech focused exclusively on advancing new therapies for children with cancer, receives another endorsement from a childhood cancer non-profit.
The Gregory Foundation for Cancer Research was born out of one infant's fight against infantile leukemia. Gregory was born May 11, 2016 and was diagnosed with infant Leukemia when he was just 10 months of age. He fought the disease for 11 months and passed away on March 21, 2018. Although Gregory received cutting edge immunotherapies and targeted therapies, including CAR-T 19 and allogeneic CAR-T, the disease was very aggressive, and ultimately succumbed to the cancer.
“We need more innovative treatments that reach the clinic quicker and for this, all efforts are needed. As a non-profit, we decided to not only fund academic research but also to support a company with a clear path, solid team and strong connections in pediatric oncology that is committed to quickly bringing new drugs to market specifically designed for children with cancer.” explained Sonsy Rajan, President and Founder of The Gregory Foundation for Cancer Research.
The support received by The Gregory Foundation for Cancer Research will helpaccelerate the clinical drugdevelopmentof volasertib, one of Oncoheroes’ assets, propelling it into a Phase Ib-II clinical trial for Rhabdomyosarcoma, a very aggressive form of pediatric cancer. Volasertib, was licensed by Oncoheroes from Boehringer Ingelheim and has the potential to be used for other pediatric cancer indications too.
Moreover, Oncoheroes is also excited about the opportunity to welcome Sonsy Rajan, President of The Gregory Foundation for Cancer Research, as one of the members of Oncoheroes’ Strategic Advisory Board.
“We want to thank The Gregory Foundation for Cancer Research for believing in our approach and joining our effort. There are already several non-profit cancer foundations that have joined Oncoheroes so far and we strongly encourage others to reach out to us to explore all the possibilities for doing this together, by funding a specific discovery project or a clinical development program of a potential new drug,” stated Ricardo Garcia, co-founder and CEO of Oncoheroes.
The First Childhood Cancer Foundation Investing In Oncoheroes
Every year 90,000 kids worldwide die of cancer, largely because of the lack of innovative treatments for the types of cancer affecting children and adolescents. Despite tremendous efforts from non-profit organizations and public entities funding scientific research for the discovery of potential new treatments, only four drugs designed specifically for pediatric cancers have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. One of the main problems is the lack of early-stage funding from the private sector and financial incentives for the industry to move potential treatments into the clinical phase.
“Non-profit organizations are starting to see the need to go beyond supporting only academic research and are gradually adopting a more innovative funding strategy by directly investing in biotech companies. We want to thank The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation for being the first childhood cancer foundation to support Oncoheroes and believing in this unique effort for childhood cancer drug development,” stated Ricardo Garcia, co-founder and CEO of Oncoheroes.
The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation honors the life of Andrew McDonough. Andrew battled leukemia, septic shock, and complications of childhood cancer for 167 days before passing away on July 14, 2007, at the age of 14. Andrew’s B+ blood type became his family and friends’ motto throughout his fight against childhood cancer — to “Be Positive”.
The B+ Foundation is about Kids Helping Kids Fight Cancer™ and is the largest provider of financial assistance to families of kids with cancer nationwide. Additionally, The B+ Foundation funds critical, cutting-edge childhood cancer research and advocates on behalf of kids with cancer.
“Oncoheroes exists because we have been touched by childhood cancer, too. This is just the beginning and we encourage all childhood cancer foundations to continue reaching out to us and learn how to be part of this unprecedented effort,” stated Cesare Spadoni, co-founder, and COO of Oncoheroes.
We would love that everyone who cares about childhood cancer engages with Oncoheroes. Ambitious goals will only be achieved by working united.
Childhood cancer affects 300,000 new children and teenagers each year. Surprisingly, from up to 120 approved cancer drugs, around 30 have been used off label in children, 15 have pediatric use information in their labeling and only 4 treatments designed specifically for pediatric cancer have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
One of the greatest obstacles to developing new treatments is what researchers call the “Valley of Death”, the transition between early discoveries and clinical development or, in other words, the process to turn science findings into potential treatments. The initial research phase is normally funded by public and non-profit entities, whereas the late stage clinical phase is mainly funded by the private sector. In childhood cancer, the clinical development of specific new agents is under-funded because the pharmaceutical industry is mainly focusing on more prevalent and profitable adult oncology indications.
Thankfully, some non-profit organizations are seeing the need to go beyond funding only early stage academic research and are making remarkable and innovative changes in their investment strategy. This is the case for the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR), who we want to thank again for their unconditional support to Oncoheroes Biosciences by announcing their second investment to our company.
NFCR is a national charity for cancer research co-founded by Nobel Laureate Dr. Albert Szent-Györgyi in 1973. In its 46-year history, NFCR has provided more than $380 million in funding to cancer research and public prevention education.
Two years ago, Oncoheroes received funding support from NFCR which allowed us to set up our discovery lab and launch our first project for the development of a new therapy for medulloblastoma patients (more info). Thanks to NFCR’s initial support, Oncoheroes has made tremendous progress not only on the discovery project but also convincing others to invest in our project.
Now, NFCR is taking an additional step, supporting us through a new funding paradigm which it has recently launched called the AIM-HI Accelerator Fund. AIM-HI funds translational research focusing on startups that have commercial potential at the early stage of their cancer therapeutic discovery activities. This new investment will contribute to the clinical development of volasertib, the first asset that Oncoheroes has in-licensed from Boehringer Ingelheim.
Moreover, NFCR has been helping Oncoheroes obtain further exposure to the world’s cancer research, biopharmaceutical and investment communities, such as through our participation in the 2019 China BioMed Innovation and Investment Conference, held September 21-23, 2019.
Ambitious goals will only be achieved by working united. Thanks, NFCR, for believing in our unprecedented effort for childhood cancer drug development. Together, we will make a difference.
