Supporting

October 4, 2011

Highland Park Resident Recognized for Service To Organization that Creates Miracles for Patients with Catastrophic Disease

Highland Park resident Steven Braun, a Financial Advisor with The McTigue Financial Group, a network office of Northwestern Mutual, was honored by the Northwestern Mutual Foundation with the 2011 Community Service Award for his extensive dedication to Partnership for Cures, a nonprofit medical research organization that works to improve the quality of life for patients with life altering diseases. A $10,000 grant was presented to Partnership for Cures to support the Patient Impact Initiative projects at the University of Chicago that repurposes approved drugs and devices to quickly create safe, effective and affordable treatments.

Steve has been a donor and volunteer leader at Partnership for Cures for over 9 years, and a member of the Executive Board since 2008. “Steve is neither a researcher nor a physician, so he cannot work in the lab or with patients,” noted Dr. Bruce E. Bloom, President and Chief Science Officer of Partnership for Cures, “but he is an extraordinary volunteer leader and philanthropist who can and does make sure that medical professionals have the funding to make better treatments and cures a realty right now.” Specifically Steve has been a great supporter of the Partnership for Cures Rediscovery Research™ model, connecting the organization to thought leaders inside and outside of medicine, matching donors to Rediscovery Research projects they can support, and providing business and marketing guidance, explains Dr. Bloom.

“As a financial advisor, I help my clients turn their dreams and ideas into action that makes a difference for them and their families,” explains Braun. “In my 25 years as a financial representative I have seen family, friends, colleagues and clients affected by disease issues and Partnership for Cures has made a difference for some,” he adds. After hearing that one of his Northwestern Mutual colleagues had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Steve and the staff of Partnership for Cures we able to help this colleague enroll in a Rediscovery Research clinical research trial at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After participating, this colleague, and the other 9 participants were all able to regain function that had been lost to the MS. This colleague went from requiring a walker to being able to walk a mile without the need of assistance. Such an accomplishment is attributable to the funding of Rediscovery Research supported by Partnership for Cures, notes Braun.

“It clearly and significantly has improved the length and quality of life for those I care about and other patients with catastrophic diseases,” he adds. “This is why I am passionate about increasing awareness and raising needed funds to find and manage research that creates new uses for FDA-approved drugs and therapies,” he concludes.

About Partnership for Cures
Partnership for Cures raises funds for Rediscovery Research™ that repurposes approved drugs and devices to quickly create safe, effective and affordable treatments to increase the quality and length of life for patients with life altering diseases.

About Northwestern Mutual
The mission of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation – the largest corporate giver in the state of Wisconsin – is to build strong, vibrant communities that serve as a legacy to future generations. The Foundation’s giving is designed to create an impact on the communities where the company’s employees and financial representatives live and work. In fiscal year 2011, the Foundation contributed more than $15 million to nonprofit organizations across the country.

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company – Milwaukee, WI (Northwestern Mutual) is the “World’s Most Admired Company” life insurance company in 2011 according to FORTUNE® magazine, has helped clients achieve financial security for more than 150 years. As a mutual company with $1.2 trillion of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual has no shareholders. The company focuses solely and directly on its clients and seeks to deliver consistent and dependable value to them over time. Northwestern Mutual and its subsidiaries offer a holistic approach to financial security solutions including: life insurance, long-term care insurance, disability insurance, annuities, investment products, and advisory products and services. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC, broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company, limited purpose federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company; and Russell Investments.

August 3,2011

Partnership for Cures Receives $10,000 Donation
from the Northwestern Mutual Foundation

(Steve is third from the right with the other Community Service Award winners.)

Milwaukee, WI (July 26, 2011) Partnership for Cures, based in Chicago, is receiving a $10,000 grant from the Northwestern Mutual Foundation in recognition of Northwestern Mutual financial representative Steve Braun’s outstanding volunteer commitment, as part of Northwestern Mutual’s 17^th annual national Community Service Award program. 

( Left to Right- Partnership for Cures board member Steve Braun  , Partnership for Cures President Dr. Bruce Bloom)

Braun, a Highland Park resident, is one of 26 Northwestern Mutual financial professionals being recognized nationally as a top volunteer.  On September 6^th at 2:00 p.m. at the University of Chicago Hospital, located at 924 East 57^th Street, Chicago, Mr. Braun will present Partnership for Cures with a check for $10,000 from the Northwestern Mutual Foundation.  The grant money will be utilized for ongoing Partnership for Cures Patient Impact Initiative projects.

“Steve makes positive contributions for both clients and the greater Chicagoland area,” said Northwestern Mutual Foundation president Kimberley Goode.  “This effort, along with many others supported by the Northwestern Mutual field force, helps us secure future generations, and we’re excited to see Partnership for Cure and Steve continue their essential work.”

Since Northwestern Mutual started the Community Service Award program in 1995, the company has donated more than $3 million on its representatives’ behalf to over 300 nonprofit organizations across the country.   The Community Service Award program is open to more than 9,000 Northwestern Mutual financial representatives, assistant financial representatives and financial representative interns, recognizing their individual dedication to charitable organizations and philanthropic projects. 

( Left to Right- Northwesten Mutual CEO John Schilfske, Partnership for Cures board member Steve Braun)

“Partnership for Cures impact patients each year by taking generic drugs approved for one disease and finding a new use for them in another disease to quickly, safely and affordably improve the length and quality of life,” said Braun.  “I am grateful to Northwestern Mutual for their support to help us research repurposing the drug Rapamycin to save the lives of children with cancers and autoimmune diseases.”

July 12, 2011

Watch and Listen Dr. Bloom on the Great NonProfits Interview

Updates as of July 2011
 

CLICK HERE for a full update on all of our initiatives as of July 2011.

Here are a few of the projects from our Rediscovery Research™ Model Portfolio:

FULLY FUNDED THROUGH OUR LONGEST DAY OF GOLF CHICAGO EVENT

Updates as of June 2011

Patient Impact Initiative:  We just finished selection of the Patient Impact Initiative Model Portfolio.  

The model portfolio contains 21 Rediscovery Research™ projects in Breast Cancer, Bronchiolitis Obliterans (lung), C diff infection (gastrointestinal), Cerebral Palsy, Cervical Cancer, children’s blood diseases, CML (blood cancer), Epilepsy, IBD (gastrointestinal), Muscular Dystrophy, Premature births, Sarcoidosis (autoimmune disease of the lungs and other organs), Sickle Cell Anemia, SLE (Lupus), and Type 1 Diabetes.  We also have 9 projects we sent back for resubmission in Schizophrenia, pulmonary hypertension, Sjögren’s Syndrome, Hydrocephalus, brain tumors, Pulmonary Fibrosis, and Multiple Sclerosis.
 
Two of those projects (breast cancer at U Chicago and children’s blood diseases at CHOP) are already funded, and a third project in adult blood cancers is partially funded!  We will be seeking funding for as many of the remaining projects as possible.  If you know people or organizations that might be interested in these diseases, please contact PII@4cures.org .

 
May 2011 

Our Dogs for Cures Fund and the Faustman Diabetes Research Labs of Harvard Medical School received funds raised from our Laughter is the Best Medicine event.  Listen to Dr. Bloom and Lisa Kelley of the Dogs for Cures foundation hound it up on Disney Radio Chanel!  http://www.4cures.org/blog  -- This shows that Dogs Nose Best! http://www.4cures.org/blog

Updates as of February 15, 2011

New Initiatives:

Patient Impact Initiative:  We sent out our first Request for Applications on February 1, 2011.  The Letters of Intent were due February 15.  We received 126 LOIs!  The more complete proposals are due March 4, 2011, after which we will begin fundraising.

Fundraising will be kicked off with a special event to raise funds for diabetic research proposals.  This is scheduled for the evening of May 11, 2011, at The Standard Club of Chicago.  The event is being planned and will be officially announced on March 11, 2011 via the website, our blog, Facebook and LinkedIn.  Please comment and friend us on all of the accounts and help to spread the word.  Links on the www.4cures.org homepage.

Patient Impact Initiative: We have signed MOUs or handshake agreements from over a dozen research institutions, including Cleveland Clinic, University of Chicago, Rush University Medical Center, UMass Medical Center, University of Southern CA, University of Texas, the Menninger Clinic, Saint Louis University, Sanford Burnham Institute, Ohio State University, and Dalhousie University and are completing agreements with Mayo Clinic, University of Wisconsin, Case Western Reserve and the University of South Carolina,

Cravat Foundation-We created a funding partnership with Dr. Guy Weinberg at University of Illinois Chicago and his group the CRAVAT Foundation to raise funds for a rare blood vessel tumor with a fatal outcome that might actually have an infectious cause by the bacteria Bartonella. This hypothesis is both testable and suggests a new, potential treatment: repurposing antibiotics. This is a perfect example of digging through the literature to find a potential safe, rapid and economical cure for a deadly disease-Rediscovery Research!

Rockford Chapter- We are still working with our Rockford volunteer leaders to set up a Rockford clinical trial location for the non-invasive brain stimulating MS work we supported at UW Madison.  Len LaPasso has joined the Rockford team and he and Liz Downey have been actively working on reopening the dialogue with the Swedish American Hospital group.  Len will be scheduling a meeting for himself and Bruce Bloom with the CEO of Swedes, Bill Gorski.

Rare Disease Research-Leukemia-Henry Schueler 41 & 9 Foundation-We are almost finished with our year long genetic study, and the results show a number of interesting leads for further research.  The fungal infection meeting we held is creating a publication that will describe, for the first time, a new standard of care for the treatment of the rare fungal disease that took the life of Henry Schueler.

Dogs for Cures Foundation-We are working to raise enough funds to support the purchase and training of a glucose monitoring service dog!  This fundraising group is doing a great job getting started!

Rare Disease Research-Batten Disease-Jasper Against Batten Fund­-In the last 18 months we have raised over $1M dollars for Batten Disease research and funded projects at UIowa/Rush, UNorth Carolina, and Johns Hopkins.  And we officially kicked off the $2.8M patient clinical trial of a new gene therapy technique at Weill Cornell College of Medicine December 7, 2010, and Jasper was treated.  He had some complications, which required reporting to the FDA, which has put the trial on hold until March.

Prostate Cancer-Dr. Scott Eggener’s and Dr. Aytekin Oto's human clinical trial has treated 9 patients, all with great results-no evidence of continued disease and no serious side effects.  All nine patients were up and around the day of and after their treatment. 

Dr. Russell Szmulewitz has completed the first year of work on time and budget. The project is finding markers in the blood that will help find new drugs for hormone resistant prostate cancer.

Lung Cancer Research-LUNGevity Foundation and the Judy Hirsch Foundation-All of our lung cancer projects at Mass General, Rush, Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins are on budget and on schedule.  The Mass General project is treating actual patients with a combination of repurposed drugs.  The Hopkins project is testing a new way to give radiation that follows the lungs as they expand and contract during breathing to reduce side effects.  The Cleveland Clinic Project is repurposing a “sniffer device” to find ways of screening lung cancer patients for early diagnosis.  The Rush projects are creating blood tests for staging and for personalized lung cancer treatments

Rare Disease Research-Birt Hogg Dube Syndrome-Myrovlytis Trust- The three projects are all moving along.  Unfortunately, one of the promising drug screening projects did not produce any likely repurposed drug candidates.  Another of the studies did locate a new pathway in the diseased cells that could likely be controlled by a repurposed drug.

Ongoing Initiatives:

Lymphoma Research-Brinson Foundation, the Plunkett Family Foundation and our Rockford Group: The Mayo Clinic blood cancer transplant human clinical trial is enrolling its final patients .  Early data from this project indicates that it was successful in increasing the success of these transplants from 45% TO 80%!  We will continue to learn more as time passes, but this research is making an impact less that two years after the research started!

Multiple Sclerosis Research-Rockford Chapter of PFC- With significant support from Partnership for Cures, another $450,000 was granted to the TCNL for the next 20 patient clinical trial that includes home use of the PoNS.  We have supported the TNCL at UWM to embark on a stroke feasibility study that we hope to begin in mid 2011.  

CureforMS.org research at Johns Hopkins: The fundraising team on this project has not been very successful.  We will be working with them to determine new ideas to raise funds for this very promising drug repurposing trial at Johns Hopkins.

Diabetes Research-Friend United for Juvenile Diabetes Research-Our researcher,Dr. Denise Faustman at Harvard, completed the Phase I clinical trial in type 1 diabetes using Rediscovery Research compound BCG. They are currently planning a phase II trial supported in part by our funding partners at FUJDR, which recently provided another significant grant to Partnership for Cures to support the Harvard research. 

Friends United gave us another grantto Exsulin Corporation to support a clinical trial of a repurposed drug for patients with established Type 1 diabetes at the Mayo Clinic and McGill University.  Early results show very promising reduction in insulin use and no side effects!

Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) Research Initiative-Private Funding Group-Three patient impact research projects began in June 2009.  One project is testing a repurposed drug at Albert Einstein Medical center in NYC.  After a year it is clear that this specific drug might not work for most MDS patients, but there are newer versions of the drug that need to be tested.

The project at Northwestern is combining an existing drug with an MDS drug to see if the combination can reduce the red blood cell death.  Early results seem to show reduction, but more work needs to be done.

Dr. Raza’s project was delayed as her institution.  She is now at Columbia and we should be able to restart the project soon.

January 2011

Ten Patient Impact Initiative Charter Partners have been selected, and all of those institutions, plus a number of other institutions that are still vying to become Charter Partners, have received the Request for Proposals (RFP) for Rediscovery Research projects to stock the Model Portfolio.  For a look at the RFP, click here. Letters of Intent are due February 15 and the first round of grant submissions are due March 4.

The journal Contemporary Clinical Trials accepted an editorial on Rediscovery Research authored by our President and Chief Science Officer, Dr. Bruce Bloom.  The online version is available to those who have subscription rights at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2011.01.004

December 2010

The Patient Impact Initiative is off to a fast start. In addition to our Menninger Clinic Partnership, we also have signed MOUs or commitments from University of Massachusetts, University of Texas Medical Branch, Ohio State, Sanford Burnham Institute, and University of Southern California, and are in discussions with about a dozen other prestigious institutions, including the University of Chicago, Northwestern, Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic.

For an update on the PII and all of our research, click here.

Prostate Cancer (view this video) - Our two projects at University of Chicago have now completed their first year.  The clinical trial of laser ablation of prostate tumors has been a great success, with 8 patients successfully treated with no long term side effects and no evidence of remaining cancer.  

Batten Disease-We are pleased to announce that our hard work has paid off!  A new gene therapy clinical trial began December 7 at Weill Cornell Medical Center in NYC to treat this currently fatal childhood disease.  The organizers of the Jasper Against Batten Fund have raised over $1M in the last 18 months and PFC has worked closely with Weill Cornell researchers to get the funding and approvals in place.  Keep your fingers crossed that this repurposed gene therapy will reverse the brain cell destruction that cripples and then kills these otherwise normal children!

November 2010

PFC received word of final approval of the Gene Therapy Trial for Batten Disease at Weill Cornell Medical Center in NYC. The organizers of the Jasper Against Batten Fund have raised over $1M in the last 18 months and PFC has worked closely with Weill Cornell researchers to get the funding and approvals in place.  Keep your fingers crossed that this repurposed gene therapy will reverse the brain cell destruction that cripples and then kills these otherwise normal children!

October 2010

Board members, donors and staff of PFC and the Menninger Clinic got together to sign a memorandum of understanding to work together to support mental health Rediscovery Research. Over 50 guests watched this signing ceremony at the spectacular Near North two story condo of Dr. Ralph and Dolores Barnett overlooking Lake Michigan. PFC Rediscovery Researchers Drs. Scott Eggener and Jeff Borgia provided an update on their work. For more photos, click here!

September 2010

Donors and staff of Partnership for Cures got to see first hand what some of their prostate cancer research funds were supporting. Researchers Drs. Aytekin Oto and Scott Eggener at University of Chicago invited us to view the treatment of a subject in their Thermal Ablation Prostate Cancer trial. Seven patients have been successfully treated with this minimally invasive treatment. All seven patients have returned to normal activities the next day with no lasting side effects, no incision, and no damage to delicate nearby nerves and other structures. Tests confirm that there is no evidence of remaining cancer. To see more photos, click here.

August 2010

PFC, Friends United and Mass General Hospital issued a joint press release about the success of our Phase I Type 1 Diabetes Rediscovery Research clinical trial.

The Rockford Longest Day of Golf was a great success, raising significant funds for MS and other Rediscovery Research.

PFC President and Chief Science Officer Dr. Bruce Bloom moderated a panel discussion for the Association of Small Foundations entitled, "Creating Impact in Medical Research: Medical Research Funding Models." Dr. Bloom's guests were George Goldman, Chairman and Founder of Goldman Philanthropic Partnerships and Howard Nochumson, Executive Director of the Washington Square Foundation.

July 2010

PFC President and Chief Science Officer Dr. Bruce Bloom moderated a panel discussion for the Association of Small Foundations entitled, "Creating Impact in Medical Research: An Overview of Medical Research." Dr. Bloom's guests were Russell Bromley, former COO of the Myelin Repair Foundation, Dr. William Gahl from the Rare Disease Section of the NIH, and Dr. Stephen Kron, Professor and Researcher at the University of Chicago.

June 2010

The Longest Day of Golf Chicago raised another $64,000+ to support prostate cancer research at the University of Chicago. 18 golfers played from 5:30 am until 9:15 pm at the Bryn Mawr Country Club in Lincolnwood, Illinois! The weather was great and we had one player who finished 102 holes!

Study #1-MRI-guided laser-induced thermal therapy for focal ablation of prostate cancer, Drs. Scott Eggener and Aytekin Oto-Click here for an update

Study #2-Multi-marker expression analysis on circulating tumor cells isolated from men with castrate resistant prostate cancer using a novel microcapture device, Dr. Russell Szmulewitz-Click here for an update

June 2010
PFC in the news

We are featured in Sharon Begley's column "Desperately Seeking Cures" in a June 2010 issue of Newsweek. Click on the logo to view the article.

May 2010

PFC in the news

Dr. Bruce Bloom and PFC are profiled by Sun-Times Financial Columnist Ted Pincus. Click on the logo to view the article.

March 2010

April 15 2010 Dare 2 Dream Charity Concert for PFC!

One of Chicago’s hottest fanfare events, Dare 2 Dream, will kick off its eighth benefit event on Thursday, April 15th, 2010 at the House of Blues in Chicago. Rock icons and featured band, Blues Traveler, will perform to support juvenile diabetes research. A portion of the event’s proceeds will benefit Partnership for Cures to find a cure for juvenile diabetes.

For tickets, click here

February 2010

Harris Bank

The Harris Bank becomes the most recent corporate sponsor for Partnership for Cures. The Harris has committed to grant PFC operating funding support for the next two years. Leslie Anderson, a VP at Harris, joined the PFC Board. "I am passionate about creating new treatments for patients while they are still healthy enough to benefit," says Ms. Anderson. "My family and friends have been impacted by health issues recently. I can see how critical it is for us to focus on increasing their quality and length of life."

January 2010

Zygomycosis Research Forum

Partnership for Cures and the Henry Schueler 41 and 9 Foundation co-sponsored a zygomycosis symposium to create a consensus on detection and treatment of the fungal infection zygomycosis (a deadly fungal infection that ultimately caused Hank Schueler's death) in conjunction with world renowned clinician-scientist Dr. Tom Walsh of the NCI. Scientists came from Europe to join those from over a dozen institutions here in the US on January 19-20, 2010 in Chicago. The results of the Forum will be published in the CID, the journal of infectious disease.

December 2009

Northwestern Memorial Hospital

The Grant Healthcare Foundation approved a grant to Partnership for Cures supporting myelodysplastic syndrome research with Drs. Seth Corey and Olga Frankfurt at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. This is the second year that GHF has provided a grant to PFC. Last year they funded an MS study at University of Illinois supporting the work of Dr. Doug Feinstein, repurposing drugs to improve MS function.

November 2009

Rare Disease Research-Birt Hogg Dube Syndrome

Myrovlytis Trust- We are working with John Solly, the Charity Director of this Great Britain not-for-profit.  We just completed our reviews of proposals for $100,000 in grants over 1-2 years.  3 grants were selected for funding and are all underway.  This creates our first International Partnership, with our Great Britain funding partner and our three researchers from Netherland, Canada and Wales!  In addition, we will have a second grant cycle later this summer, and expect to add BHD to our list of drug screening programs!

October 2009

Prostate Cancer-Our Chicago Longest Day of Golf

Prostate Cancer-Our Chicago Longest Day of Golf 2009 generated enough funding for two new direct patient impact clinical projects. Thanks to all of the golfers and their families and friends, and to Board members Steve Goldsher who raised additional funds and spearheaded the event and Steve Braun who raised additional funds and brought his staff to support the day of the event.

We have selected the final proposals which will be selected to begin in October 2009:

University of Chicago-Prostate Cancer, $25,000, Dr. Scott Eggener "A Feasibility Study to Evaluate Magnetic Resonance Thermal Image-guided Laser-Induced Interstitial Thermal Therapy for Focal Ablation of Prostate Cancer." This human clinical trial, approved by the FDA, will test a treatment that can eliminate prostate cancer cells without damaging the surrounding tissues.

University of Chicago- Prostate Cancer, $25,000, Dr. Russell Szmulewitz. "Multi-marker expression analysis on circulating tumor cells isolated from men with castrate resistant prostate cancer using a novel microcapture device." The management of hormone resistant prostate cancer remains a challenge to clinicians, mainly due to a lack of appropriate medications. Identification of markers in the circulating blood of prostate cancer patients will help lead to novel therapeutic approaches.

September 2009

Funding Discussions with Legislators

While Dr. Bloom was in DC a few weeks ago he met with Yul Edwards, Chief of Staff to Congressman Danny Davis. Mr. Edwards asked Dr. Bloom to send him a proposal for a $500,000 demonstration project for PFC to repurpose drugs to reduce healthcare costs and improve care. Dr. Bloom met with other legislators and in January PFC will also be sending project proposals to Senator Dick Durbin and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky for FY 2011.

August 2009

CureforMS.org research at Johns Hopkins

Our Newsweek feature landed us a new group that wants to fund MS research with us. Scott Rothrock and Ted Smith signed an agreement so that we can begin working together. Their goal is to raise $1.5M or more over the next 24 months to fund a phase III clinical trial repurposing cyclophosphamide and Copaxone for relapsing remitting MS to be conducted at Johns Hopkins and other medical centers. See their website at www.CureforMS.org.

July 2009

Multiple Sclerosis Research-Rockford Chapter of PFC

Our funded human clinical trial at the world renowned TCNL research center has now demonstrated that patients can quickly regain walking, balance, vision, hearing, sleep and other body functions with this non-invasive stimulation therapy. ALL PATIENTS IN THIS STUDY RECOVERED SIGNIFICANT FUNCTION. The first prototype PoNS portable devices are now being used by patients.

With significant support from Partnership for Cures, we have directed another $400,000 to the TCNL for the next 10 patients clinical trial that includes home use of the PoNS, stage two of PoNS development, documentation of the training program and training of a physical therapist. We are talking with a number of Rockford Hospitals who are very interested in helping raise funds and providing staff, resources and facilities to create research locations for this work in Rockford.

June 2009

Featured in Newsweek

We are featured in Sharon Begley's column "Bench to Bedside" in a June 2009 issue of Newsweek. Click on the logo to view the article.

PFC President and Chief Science Officer, Dr. Bruce Bloom, will be in Washington in June interviewing for an Ashoka Fellowship (http://www.ashoka.org/files/5StageSelection%20Process_0.jpg). He will also be visiting with the healthcare legislative aides in several congressional and senate offices to talk about how the cost savings from the work of PFC impacts the healthcare legislation being marked up right now.

May 2009

Jasper Against Batten Fund

We recently created a new funding partnership to raise $500,000 for research to support a clinical trial for Batten Disease, a fatal nerve disease of infants and children. These funds will be used to fund research that will hopefully touch Batten patients within the next two years. Several research opportunities are under investigation, including gene therapy, drug screening and enzyme replacement therapy. In the first two weeks we worked together to raise $250,000 in donations and pledges!

April 2009

4Bucks4Cures Initiatives

We will be launching our 4B4C Initiatives with funding partners with Heart and Soul Magazine and with EFete.com. Each of these companies will be sending e-mails or posting our "donate $4 and tell 4 of your friends to do the same" solicitation to their hundreds of thousands of subscribers. Funds from the Heart and Soul solicitation will support research at Meharry Medical College/Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. The EFete.com funding will support research into natural substances as medicine, such as the EGCG from Green Tea that is helping the familial dysautonomia patients. We are looking for more funding partners for these initiatives.

March 2009

The PrivateBank and Trust

We received a commitment for an unrestricted yearly grant of $25,000 from this corporate sponsor, which has also provided two prior $25,000 grants, as well as meeting space and event support throughout 2008, thanks to our Board member, Mark Kosiek.

February 2009

Brinson Foundation

We received our third $25,000 grant from the Brinson Foundation that will be used to support part of the Mayo Clinic blood cancer stem cell transplant project. This project is entering year two having accrued more patients in year one than expected, and having a 100% success rate in both the test and control groups!

January 2009

Myrovlytis Trust Great Britain

Our first International Collaboration begins with John Solly, the "Charity Manager" (Executive Director in British Speak) of this Great Britain not-for-profit. Their science advisors put together a "disease review" of the orphan disease Birt Hogg Dube Syndrome and they want to partner with us to find and manage research. We have proposed $100,000 in grants (2-4 grants of $25,000-50,000) over 1-2 years. We sent the disease review to several of our researchers who have done these kinds of genetic orphan diseases, and have forwarded it to our Science Chair Dr. Kron for review. We believe will will have live projects started within the next 180 days.

December 2008

Grant Healthcare Foundation

In the GHF Board of Directors approved the selection of Partnership for Cures as their exclusive medical research granting partner. Going forward we will generate all of the requests for proposals, review and validate all grants, recommend grants to the GHF Board, and then administer all grants made. Their current financial situation would allow them to grant between $80,000-150,000 to medical research each year, all to Chicago research institutions. Joan Ridell, their Executive Director, indicated that having our resource would encourage them to grant at the higher end. This year they approved and sent us a check for a Pilot Grant at the University of Illinois studying repurposing drugs for multiple sclerosis. The first quarter of that project is complete, under budget, ahead of schedule, and they have added a second generic drug to be tested.

November 2008

41 & 9 Foundation

The 41 & 9 Foundation was set up in memory of Hank Schueler, a 14 year old boy who succumbed to complications of lymphoblastic leukemia or "ALL" on December 14, 2007. The foundation's goal is to provide funding for innovative, leading edge research in the field of pediatric high risk leukemia and the fungal infections children are at risk for contracting while their body's immune systems are compromised during chemotherapy treatment. Partnership for Cures and 41 & 9 Foundation have teamed up to find the research that will create treatments to improve the quality of life for children suffering from complications of ALL.

October 2008

Myelodysplastic Syndrome Research (MDS)

Partnership for Cures has recently joined forces with the family of a Chicago-based artist that will gift up to $1 million to find an effective, affordable treatment for people suffering from myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).  Myelodysplastic (myelo–bone marrow dysplastic –abnormal growth) syndromes are caused by abnormal blood-forming cells of the bone marrow. In MDS the bone marrow cannot produce enough healthy red blood cells, white blood cells or platelets. PFC is currently reviewing five MDS projects for this partnership.

September 2008

LUNGevity Foundation

Partnership for Cures and the LUNGevity Foundation have a history of partnering together to make a difference in medical research.  The Executive and Science boards of LUNGevity have recently approved and additional $400,000 in funding through PFC for three lung cancer projects which will begin immediately.  Two of these projects are at Rush University in Chicago, and the third will be at Massachusetts General in Boston.  Funding for the Mass General project will build on a 2006 grant funded through a LUNGevity-PFC partnership.  All three of these grants are two years in duration and all could lead directly to clinical trials on patients at or before the end of the two year research cycle.

Past Events

Mark Damisch Piano Concert

Mark Damisch, President (Mayor) of Northbrook, a lawyer and an internationally acclaimed concert pianist, kicked off his world tour while at the same time, helping to fund critical multiple myeloma cancer research.

The event was a wonderful success and we were overjoyed to see such a fine turnout of people interested in joining the fight against cancer and other serious illnesses. Special thanks to Steve Braun, CLU of Northwestern Mutual Financial Network for his sponsorship and continued support, to Mark Damisch for his wonderful performance and to Professor Ralph and Dolores Barnett for hosting us for a third time.

The Best of the Bar Show Benefit Performance
Lake Forest Academy, Cressey Fine Arts Center
1500 West Kennedy Road Lake Forest, IL 60045

Hundreds of patients and their friends, relatives and business associates came to The Best of the Bar Show, to raise over $35,000 to find a cure for DIABETES at the same time! This critically acclaimed, witty spoof of Chicago and the world, performed by the talented cast from the Chicago Bar Association, came to Lake Forest for the very first time. There was no need to travel all the way downtown to catch the funniest show ever, performed for the benefit of diabetes research. Funds raised were matched 8:1 by funds already secured by Goldman Philanthropic Partnerships to complete funding for an innovative diabetes research project at the University of Virginia.

Thanks to the generous underwriting by Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Perry Snyderman, Bridgeview Bank and Diamond Schreiber Homes, 100% of the funds raised at the event will directly support the breakthrough research.

Among the most exciting aspects of the evening was the presentation of a Goldman Angel Award to Dr. Lee M. Jampol, Chairman and Professor of Ophthalmology at Northwestern University. Dr. Jampol was honored for "his extra ordinary achievement in seeking cures for retinal diseases and caring for patients and their families". Presenting the award at the event were founders George and Judy Goldman of Lake Forest and Bobby and Lori Miller, members of the Board and Diabetes Advisory boards. Lori Miller, who has had diabetes for 26 years, had her eyesight saved due to Dr. Jampol's expert care. In his presentation to Dr. Jampol, Bobby Miller stated: "Dr. Jampol is well known for his expertise in diabetic retinopathy, research and treatment of macular diseases of the eye and in the implementation of aggressive treatment strategies. Had we not found Dr. Jampol at the time we did, and had it not been for his care and expertise, Lori and I feel that our lives would be significantly different today. Quite frankly, we feel that Lori's vision would be extremely compromised or non-existent-blind. We feel that this is the right avenue to extend our sincere gratitude and thanks to recognize Dr. Jampol for saving Lori's vision, as we are truly grateful."

A SOLD OUT pre-event party was hosted by our friends Jim Diamond and Susan Schreiber of Diamond Schreiber Homes at one of their spectacular custom mansions nearby, where donors met and heard from UVa researcher Dr. Raghu Mirmira, who hails form the North Shore.