WE THANK YOU
August 2008
Welcome to our fifth edition of ‘Helping Hand’. We are The
Robert & Maggie Bras and Family
New Drug Development Program at The Princess Margaret, a hospital and
research centre which has earned an international reputation for excellence in
both patient care and cancer research. We are recognized as one of the top
five cancer facilities in the world.
Maggie and Robert Bras had a
desire to ‘give back’. We wished to ‘give back’ to an institution – the
Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, that gave such excellent care to
Robert during his battle with the disease we call cancer. We asked the question
of The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation – “where would a Bras
endowment give the most impact in the fight to conquer cancer”. The answer
– in new drug development.
In January of 2001, Dr. Malcolm Moore, head of the Division of Medical
Oncology and Hematology became the director of the program, along with
co-directors, Drs. Amit Oza and Lillian Siu. As I type these three
doctor’s names, it is with awe and admiration, as each has garnered world
attention as top researchers, scientists and oncologists in their chosen
field. The program was to be comprised of a multi-disciplinary team
devoted to researching and developing new agents and therapies to eradicate
cancer, primarily through early phase clinical trials. The Bras Family
Drug Development Program would also work in concert with the OCI’s drug
discovery program to uncover biomarkers that will enable more targeted and
effective drugs.
By the end of 2001, we not only had one director and two co-directors
but a staff consisting of 1 program manager, 3 study coordinators, 4 nurses, 1
lab technician, 1 administrative coordinator, 1 clinical fellow and 1
biostatistician. In 2003, we had 11 study coordinators, 6 nurses, 2
administrative coordinators and 4 fellows!
We were growing in leaps and bounds and had to find a home within Princess Margaret Hospital to house our program. With
the importance being placed on new drug development by The University Health
Network, The Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH), and it’s research arm, the
Ontario Cancer Institute (OCI), we were awarded 5,000 square feet of space on
the 5th floor of PMH where a state of the art centre, with the vision
created and donated by Brian Gluckstein of Gluckstein Design, was officially
opened in the Autumn of 2005.
Today, we have outgrown our centre on the fifth floor, and have spilled over
to a rented house, and into MaRS. As of July 1st, 2008 we
consist of: 1 director; 2 co-directors; 1 staff physician; 2 program
managers; 1 administrative coordinator; 1 reception/assistant; 3 assistants to
the doctors; 28 clinical study coordinators; 12 nurses; 2 research assistants; 1
correlative studies coordinator; 1 manager of correlative studies and OTRN
program; 1 lab technician; 1 pharmacist; 1 biostatistician; 6 Fellows; 1
clinical associate and 5 summer students!
After years of hard work, the program has garnered the credibility and
international reputation needed to be chosen by pharmaceutical companies and
large government agencies for testing the most promising new cancer drugs.
Recently, three pharmaceutical companies have named us the best in the
world! This is obviously a wonderful opportunity for patients as well as
an endorsement of the people who run the program.
The Bras Drug Program conducts Phase I and II Clinical Trials, introducing
new agents into the clinical arena which starts with first-in-man studies of new
drugs or combinations of drugs (Phase I). These are highly specialized
studies that need to be conducted very carefully, looking for safety,
tolerability, toxicity and perhaps early hints of activity. Phase II
studies take doses and schedules established in Phase I, and formally evaluate
them in specific cancers for their effectiveness. We currently have 18
open Consortium NCI trials and approximately 48 open industry-related NCIC and
In-House Trials. Our large portfolio of Phase I and II studies are gaining
our centre both national and international recognition.
The PMH Phase I consortium (led by the Bras Family DDP, with Juravinski
Cancer Centre in Hamilton as a sub site), received an official award in April
2008 of a 5-year Phase I grant from the U.S. National Cancer Institute,
totaling about $3 million USD. The funding will ensure patients have
access to the most novel anticancer agents while continuing to bolster clinical
and translational research at PMH/OCI. The application was one of only two
new applications awarded in this cycle and the only non-U.S. site to receive a
U.S. National Cancer Institute Phase I grant!
The backbone of the Phase II program is our contract with the U.S. National
Cancer Institute. We successfully re-competed for a new contract worth
$7.5 million USD for another five years, starting in January 2006, in a very
competitive selection process. We remain one of only nine such contract
holders in North America, and the only site
outside of the U.S.
We are proud to lead a consortium of 16 other cancer sites, two of which are
in the U.S., allowing several novel
anticancer drugs to be used in Canada, many for the first time.
Translating the results of early phase clinical trials into treatments that
change the standard of care is the ultimate validation of a new drug. The
Bras Family DDP continues to work closely with colleagues from the National
Cancer Institute (NCIC) Clinical Trials Group, which has led many Phase III
trials that have established new and improved treatments for many cancers.
These studies continue to have major impact on countless patients around the
world. The Bras Family DDP also collaborates with site groups throughout
PMH/OCI. Principal investigators from PMH with some recent studies that
have changed the standard of care for different cancers include:
- Malcolm Moore – Erlotinib in Pancreatic Cancer
- Frances Shepherd – Erlotinib in Lung Cancer
- Warren Mason – Temozolomide and Radiation in Brain Tumours.
In sum, the Bras Family Drug Development Program has grown since it began in
2001, allowing patients to have increased access to innovative investigational
trials. Patient accrual has also been growing every year with strong
physician leadership as the key to the success of the program. Another
critical factor in the success of the DDP is the comprehensive and talented team
that work behind the scenes to make sure trials are available for
patients.
Our challenge is to continue to improve treatment for cancer. Our success is
measured not only by the quality and rigor of our work, but also the impact we
have on patients and their families. The program continues to succeed
because of the dedication and enthusiasm of our entire team toward the goal of
providing longer and better lives for cancer patients.
Sadly, Robert lost his battle with cancer on September 4, 2002. As I had said in my last
newsletter and I will say it again, I cannot thank him enough for inspiring me
daily, and giving me the courage to carry on the battle he waged so valiantly
with grace, dignity and hope. I am inspired also by the dedication of our staff
and the staff within PMH who tirelessly work toward our goal, and I challenge
you to work toward the goal with them and me – to conquer cancer – IN OUR
LIFETIME.
Thank you to our donors. Your contribution to our program are used for
the highest priorities – fellowship assistance, equipment, new facilities and
technical support of clinical trials – that lead to new and improved
treatments. We thank you!
Sincerely,
Maggie Bras
President, Advisory Committee
www.brasfamily.com
“If you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the
end of each of your arms – one for helping yourself and one for helping
others.” - Anonymous
