CURESEARCH MISSION
Our mission is to end children's cancer by driving targeted and innovative research with measurable results in an accelerated time frame.
RESEARCH VISION
Improve children's cancer treatment and cures to deliver the potential for childhood cancer patients to lead long, healthy lives.
MESSAGE FROM THE CEO
Next year will mark the 45th anniversary of President Nixon's declaration of war on cancer, and the intervening years have seen remarkable changes in how we understand, diagnose, and treat cancer. Yet for all of the progress, children still die of cancer at unacceptable rates, there are few anti-cancer treatments specifically designed for children, and there are numerous institutional impediments to quickly finding and delivering safe and effective treatments to pediatric patients.
CureSearch for Children's Cancer and our partners - representing the spectrum of researchers, families, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, regulatory agencies, and advocates - agree it's time for a fundamental change in the way we approach the development and delivery of cancer interventions for children. That's why over the next two years we are launching our Catapult Initiative, a program that will offer assistance to treatment developers to facilitate and expedite the advancement of promising treatments through the labyrinth of research and regulatory processes that often impede or prevent the testing and delivery of new interventions.
We are excited to launch this initiative with our first Catapult Summit this February in San Francisco and we look forward to updating you on our progress in the year ahead.
Laura Thrall
CEO
CureSearch for Children's Cancer
CURES WITH INTEGRITY
The CureSearch core values guide us as we push forward in finding cures and less-toxic treatment for children with cancer.
HONESTY & INTEGRITY
TRANSPARENCY & ACCOUNTABILITY
CREATIVITY & COLLABORATION
THE CURESEARCH DIFFERENCE
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We focus only on children's cancer. |
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We're not here just to fund research, we're here to drive patient impact. |
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Our Scientific Advisory Council and Scientific Review Board brain trust is unmatched. |
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We invest in large-scale grants over a three-year timeframe, which allows our researchers to focus on their work, not fundraising. |
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We hold ourselves - and our grant recipients - accountable through a novel measurement framework and frequent reporting to our constituents. |
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We build strong, long-term partnerships with our funded researchers so that successful work is supported beyond the scope of their original CureSearch grant. |
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We are bridging the 'valley of death' by creating unique partnerships with biotech and pharma to ensure that promising research makes it out of the lab and into the clinic. |
THE CURESEARCH PROMISE
Because soon is not soon enough, CureSearch continues to accelerate the search for new cures. CureSearch bridges the gap between basic research discoveries and getting new cures to kids by:
INVESTING IN HIGH-IMPACT RESEARCH
 Investigators |
 New Therapies |
 Children Affected Each Year (0-19 Years of Age) |
BRINGING SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS TOGETHER
CureSearch, in partnership with HeathSpottr, is hosting The Catapult - a summit event for our funded researchers, board members and key advisors to engage with experts from industry, academia, advocacy, policy formation and regulation. This day-and-a-half summit will explore and accelerate strategic opportunities to advance the delivery of new pediatric cancer treatments to children.
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FOSTERING TRANSFORMATIVE PARTNERSHIPS
Knowing that we cannot win the fight to end children's cancer alone, CureSearch fosters relationships with other cancer foundations including Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research and Gateway for Cancer Research.
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We are also building partnerships with the pharmaceutical industry, and facilitating relationships between academic researchers and the industry partners that can translate new treatments to patient-ready drugs.
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
Sheri Sobrato Brisson, trustee of the Sobrato Family Foundation and a brain tumor survivor, has generously supported Dr. Gilbertson's work with a $250,000 contribution to CureSearch. In an effort to ensure this award is quickly and fully funded, Ms. Sobrato Brisson has pledged an additional $100,000 if CureSearch can secure $100,000 in matching funds specific to this project before December 31, 2015. If we are able to secure the additional matching funds by year-end, CureSearch will have fully funded the Gilbertson research project.
ACCELERATION INITIATIVE 2
$1.69M over three years
(2015-2018)
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Two awardees selected in partnership with
Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research.
Richard Gilbertson, MD, PhDUniversity of Cambridge Targeted Therapies for High-risk ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES 30 drugs to be tested |
Maria-Grazia Roncarolo, MDStanford University Cell-based Therapy for AML ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES 1 Novel cell therapy delivered |
ACCELERATION INITIATIVE 1
$5M over three years
(2013-2016)
Mary Beckerle, PhD 
Huntsman Cancer Institute
University of Utah
Epigenetics
$1.73M
1 | Lead compound in late preclinical testing |
2 | Novel tumor model designs |
35 | Patient samples |
1 | Novel biomarker study developed |
"CureSearch funding has facilitated our current studies focused on performing essential toxicity, stability and efficacy studies in our preclinical models in advance of human clinical trials."
- Mary Beckerle, PhD
William Weiss, PhD
The Regents of the
University of California, CA
Epigenetics
$1.88M
3 | Drugs for high risk medulloblastoma in preclinical testing |
2 | Novel tumor model designs |
28 | Patient biopsies studied |
1 | Novel gene signature linked to high risk medulloblastoma |
"CureSearch support has enabled our team to identify previously unrealized epigenetic changes in high-risk MB that can be targeted by existing or emerging drugs."
- William Weiss, PhD
Kathleen Sakamoto, MD, PhD
Stanford University
Immunotherapy*
$1.37M
1 | Novel treatment for multiple pediatric cancers |
1 | Adult trial nearing completion |
3 | Number of Adolescent Young Adult (AYA) patients referred |
"We are thankful for CureSearch's support. The adult trial is progressing well and we are currently enrolling adolescent young adult (AYA) patients. We anticipate this will enable us to launch a pediatric trial in 2016."
- Kathleen Sakamoto, MD, PhD
*Studies deferred.
YOUNG INVESTIGATORS
The CureSearch Young Investigator program is designed to attract early stage investigators and feed the pipeline for future Acceleration Initiative investigators. YI Grants fund transformational science designed to deliver the next generation of cancer treatment.
YOUNG INVESTIGATOR 2
$1.35M over three years
(2015-2018)
Encouraged by the promise and success of our first twelve Young Investigators, CureSearch awarded six new grants in 2015. The new grant term is three years and the award has more than doubled. After one year, each of the grantees has made substantial progress toward finding new treatments.
SIX YOUNG INVESTIGATOR 2 GRANTEESRanjit Bindra, MD, PhD Kara Davis, DO Anthony Graves, MD, PhD Andrew Lee Hong, MD Birgit Knoechel, MD, PhD Abby Rosenberg, MD, MS |
Cumulative Impacts
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YOUNG INVESTIGATOR 1
$1.2M over two years
(2012-2014)
Twelve researchers focused on high-risk, poor outcome cancers:
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Cumulative Impacts
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CURESEARCH COMMUNITY
IMPACT AWARDS
CureSearch has supported clinical trials in hospitals across the country for many years. In October 2015, we awarded two types of awards for local institutions.
$240,000Community Impact Awards 14 Children's hospitals across the U.S. awarded for programs to support patients and caregivers in psychosocial programs, professional training or educational resources. |
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$260,000Map of Hospitals/Institutions Receiving CCIA Grants
EDUCATION
Our website, which attracts more than 500,000 visitors per year, offers a broad spectrum of educational resources and tools:
NEW FOR 2015Our CureSearch CancerCare mobile app! The mobile app launched in September as part of our Childhood Cancer Awareness Month activities.
Check out the dedicated webpage including video and screen shots. |
  
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CURESEARCH PARTNERS
Our work would not be possible without the generous support of thousands of Walkers, Hikers, Challenge-Seekers, and donors.
It is our honor to recognize the following partners for their extraordinary support:
Genentech | Love Your Melon | eBay giving works
Shark Shootout Charities | Anonymous
Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Club
DONOR FUNDS AND ULTIMATE GIFTS
CureSearch is grateful to the families who have established a Champion or Legacy Fund to honor their child:
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Jacob Koenigs 'Jakefest' Memorial Fund and Kiewit |
Luke McGuire Legacy Fund |
EVENTS
You want an end to children's cancer. We do too. Let's work together to raise awareness and the money it takes to find cures. Events are a great way to do both.
CureSearch offers events focused on:
| WALKS | HIKES |
| FITNESS CHALLENGES | KIDS |
| CREATE YOUR OWN EVENT | |
BEING SOCIAL...ON SOCIAL MEDIA
We are shining the spotlight on children's cancer on various social media channels where we post new research developments, stories about members of our CureSearch family, videos, photos and more. Join the conversation:
Join the fight to end children's cancer.
DONATE NOW