Alberta Cancer Foundation announces $10 million in support of cellular therapy excellence

EDMONTON, Alberta, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At a recent BioAlberta event in Edmonton, the Alberta Cancer Foundation announced a major boost for the province's cellular therapy program ? a revolutionary treatment for cancer that has the potential to dramatically improve survival rates for hard-to-treat cancers. The nearly $10 million commitment will bring life-saving treatment to more Albertans sooner and further the province's reputation as a leader in cancer research.

"Cellular therapy may represent the most significant progress in curing some treatment-resistant cancers in decades. And it's happening right here, in Alberta," said Wendy Beauchesne, CEO of the Alberta Cancer Foundation. Cellular therapy harnesses the power of a patient's own immune system by engineering ?super cells' to attack and kill cancer cells and tumours within their own body.

In 2018, the Alberta Cancer Foundation and the Government of Alberta kickstarted the Alberta Cellular Therapy Program, including a made-in-Alberta clinical trial led by the renowned Dr. Michael Chu. To date, this remarkable clinical trial has increased the quality of life for 25 patients at a much lower cost than commercial alternatives. Most importantly, many of these patients have gone from being palliative to being cancer-free. This $10 million boost will enable more patients to access these clinical trials, drive down the cost of these treatments and help build a Health Canada-approved, in-house lab for manufacturing CAR T cell therapies ? bringing them closer to patients in the Cross Cancer Institute.

"Imagine the potential this holds for cancer patients for whom surgery, radiation and chemotherapy simply doesn't work," said Brenda Hubley, Chief Program Officer at Cancer Care Alberta. "This funding announcement ? made possible through the generous support of donors ? starts to bring a new future into focus for those cancer patients desperate for good news."

Both Hubley and Beauchesne agree that there is a unique opportunity for Alberta to build on its strengths in immunotherapy research, point-of-care manufacturing, clinical trial delivery, commercial translation, and cellular therapy services ? building a true ?best in class' centre of excellence for cellular therapy. "The last 20 years have seen incredible advances in cancer care and treatment, and Alberta has been right there at the very front," said Beauchesne. "This $10 million sets us up for the next 20 years of innovation and hope for Albertans," added Hubley.

Media contact:

Ryan Kelly
Vice President of Communications and Community Partnerships
Alberta Cancer Foundation
1-780-220-8791
[email protected]