IN 2019, PRESS ON made a 4-year, $1 million pledge to the Children’s Hospital of Georgia (CHOG). The first $500,000 of that pledge, granted out and completed over 2019 and 2020, was earmarked for the Pediatric Immunotherapy Program (PIP) at Augusta University and CHOG led by Drs. Theodore Johnson and David Munn, pediatric oncologists at Augusta University’s Medical College of Georgia and Georgia Cancer Center. The PIP is designed specifically as a “destination” program to provide highly specialized experimental immunotherapy treatments for children with cancer from around the country who may not have other options for continued therapy.
The program is a lab-to-clinic pipeline used to identify existing drugs that have previously unappreciated immunotherapy benefits and repurpose them for treatment of children with recurrent brain tumors or newly diagnosed DIPG, a particularly aggressive pediatric brain tumor currently considered incurable.
“Our goal is to ‘Never Say No’ to children in need of critical palliative therapies using a problem-solving, solution-finding approach. Following this vision, the PIP treats children with unique experimental immunotherapy
The legacy you’ve created for children with brain tumors
Thanks to your generosity, we’re enabling hundreds of thousands of dollars in research all over the world to create less toxic and more effective therapies to treat childhood cancer.
regimens using what is essentially a concierge model of care delivery that is distinctive among pediatric oncology centers,” Johnson says.
Since Press On’s first grant, Drs. Munn and Johnson have completed their phase I trial, started the phase II trial, and expanded that trial to a second location at Emory in Atlanta, all with promising results. “We have found that a number of the children receiving this treatment are demonstrating quality of life improvements, such as returning to school, taking long-delayed vacation trips, engaging in activities they cherish such as hiking and rock climbing, moving into a dormitory at college, attending sporting events, and others. For these children, immunotherapy has made a major impact on their lives.”
PIP is giving hope to children with the world’s most aggressive forms of pediatric brain cancer, and the future of the program is promising—their pipeline research has identified new candidate immunotherapy drugs that may have potential synergy with Indoximod, a drug that scientists hypothesize will improve antitumor immune responses and slow the growth of tumors. They have begun negotiations with the
relevant stakeholders for a first-in-children clinical trial using this new immunotherapy in combination with their current protocols. This trial is in development, and they hope to add it to their current innovative portfolio within the next 1-2 years.
PIP has shown low to no toxicity for its patients as well. This is an equally groundbreaking outcome as many children lose their life and their future quality of life due to the toxic nature of established chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
Thanks to YOU, Press On has completed the first half of our $1 million pledge to the PIP program at CHOG and AU. Press On now turns its attention and yours to fulfilling the remaining $500,000 over 2021 and 2022 which is earmarked to establish a pediatric bone marrow transplantation unit at CHOG. With the hiring of Amir R. Mian, MD, MS, MBA, Professor and Chief Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Director, Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Program, the timing is perfect. Expect to hear more from us over the coming months about what is going on here. We are ready to Press On to the finish line with your continued support.
2022 Grants by Press On & Partners
PRESS ON IS COMMITTED to leveraging your generous donations by recruiting and joining forces with key established and grass roots strategic partners. Co-founder Stephen Chance calls this the “Press On Powerball Effect.” The table below reflects funds granted by Press On and our partners.
Children’s
State-of-the-art radiation therapy facility delivering higher-dose MIBG therapy, which targets cancerous tumors like neuroblastoma. Named in honor of Patrick Chance and now replicated at other centers.
Children’s Hospital of Georgia & Georgia Health Sciences Foundation (CHOG/GHSF)
Clinical trial for pediatric brain tumors (run by Drs. Johnson & Munn), supporting enrollment of new patients, and expanding enrollment to include DIPG (a highly aggressive and hard-to-treat brain tumor) patients in cutting-edge treatment. In partnership with CAM FUND.
Establishing a Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, and funding a first-ever study led by Drs. Johnson & Munn examining the efficacy of a drug that inhibits pediatric brain tumors from releasing a self-protective enzyme to defend themselves from the immune system’s response to attack tumors. The goal is for children to have improved overall survival compared with current approaches. A $4 million effort ($1 million over 4 years).
Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles (CHLA)
Initiation of the New Approaches to Neuroblastoma Therapy (NANT) consortium of scientists to identify targetable genetic and immunologic biomarkers in relapsed neuroblastoma patients. The study also assessed a novel method to support gene sequencing, allowing more relapsed patients access to personalized medical trials. In collaboration with Rising Tide, St. Baldrick’s, and The EVAN Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research in Switzerland.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)
Targeted radiation therapy for the LM01 oncogene, associated with the most aggressive forms of neuroblastoma.
Collaborative effort in designing MABG, a treatment intended to target isolated neuroblastoma tumor cells through radiation therapy.
Study that engineers T-cells with synthetic chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) to attack leukemic cells in high-risk pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) patients, resulting in an improved understanding of the biology of childhood AML and advancing clinical testing for children who otherwise have no remaining treatment options.
Subtotal
Children’s Oncology Group Foundation (COG)
Target pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia (TpAML), the largest ever collaborative funding of the #1 research project for AML patients. Developed a novel approach to speed personalized, precision medicine to patients using comprehensive targeted discoveries and providing clinical genomic testing.
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)
Part of the $68.7 Million global initiative to cure Pediatric Acute Leukemia (PedAl). LLS is convening key stakeholders across the globe to standardize and unite efforts in PedAl treatments. This monumental worldwide initiative opened patient enrollment for its first PedAL clinical trial in late summer 2021.
Medical University of South Carolina Children’s Health (MUSC)
Phase I immunotherapy clinical trials for medulloblastoma (brain tumors), neuroblastoma, and other solid tumors.
Subtotal
Memorial
Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC)
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Augusta (RMHCA)
Design of the house’s only Isolation Room and Playroom to accommodate patients requiring quarantine who travel from all over the world to Augusta for treatment.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (SJCRH)
Next-generation DNA sequencing technology of a rare subtype of AML, referred to at the time as the world’s most ambitious effort to discover the origins of childhood cancer and seek new cures.
Pioneering study to provide the world’s first Bone Marrow Transplant immunotherapy strategy for relapsed and high-risk neuroblastoma patients. Aims to change the poor prognosis of these patients and has resulted in three promising clinical trials.
Study performing extensive molecular analysis on pediatric brain tumors of patients that will receive therapy, with the goal of creating trials that tailor and evaluate therapy relative to molecular features.
Press On’s Total Impact
Total Donations since 2007 Partner Contributions $1,000,000 $1,000,000 $1,000,000
$20,000 to MSKCC
Bispecific Neuroblastoma Antibody Study
$146,806 to CHOA PI-3 Kinase Inhibitor for Neuroblastoma
$50,000 to CHOP LM01 Neuroblastoma Study
$50,000 to CHOP MAGB Neuroblastoma Study
$100,000 to MSKCC
Manufacture & Clinical Testing of Hu3F8-IgG1n on Neuroblastoma
$100,000 to SJCRH Dr. Leung’s Research on Natural Killer Cell (NKC) Transplants in AML Patients
