The Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Consortium (PCCTC) Receives Gift from Friends and Family Against Prostate Cancer
The Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Consortium (PCCTC) is pleased to announce a philanthropic investment from Friends and Family Against Prostate Cancer to support innovative enhancements to multicenter prostate cancer clinical research.
The PCCTC is a premier multicenter clinical research organization specializing in cutting-edge prostate cancer research recognized for its culture of transparent project co-development between investigators, research sites, and industry partners. The group’s distinguished investigators work together on a single mission: to design, implement and complete hypothesis-driven trials in prostate cancer, translating scientific discoveries into improved standards of care.
Friends and Family Against Prostate Cancer was established by Rick Merluzzi and Dr Irene Gage in 2023 to energize an expanding network of friends and family focused on helping each other through prostate cancer treatments, building awareness of the disease, and raising money to further research toward a cure.
The intent of the gift is to enable investigators to embed prospective biomarker studies within PCCTC clinical trials. An improved understanding of genetic aberrations will allow researchers to develop therapies in more precisely defined and biologically relevant patient groups. The ability to screen for patients most likely to respond to a novel agent is essential for both shortening development timelines and reducing exposure to unnecessary toxicity from ineffective treatment.
“The importance of correlative studies cannot be understated. They are a critical component to advancing the research community’s understanding of disease biology and drug resistance,” said Jake Vinson, PCCTC CEO. “Thanks to the foresight of Friends and Family Against Prostate Cancer we can strategically build upon our infrastructure and expertise to seek answers for some of the most challenging questions in prostate cancer research.”
“Prostate cancer research has evolved considerably over the past ten years. We are excited to support the PCCTC’s biomarker work, outcomes of which will directly inform the next decade of innovation,” said Rick Merluzzi, Chairman of Friends and Family Against Prostate Cancer.
About Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is the second most common form of cancer affecting men in the United States -- an estimated one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetimes. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2024, almost 299,010 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed, and about 35,250 men will die of the disease. Approximately 3.1 million Americans currently count themselves as prostate cancer survivors.
About The Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Consortium (PCCTC)
The Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Consortium (PCCTC) was initiated in 2005 by the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP) in response to critically unmet needs in prostate cancer clinical research identified by physician investigators and patient advocates. To fulfill their mission, the PCCTC developed a unique infrastructure which has fostered a culture of transparent project co-development between investigators, research sites and industry partners. Established as an independent entity in 2014, the PCCTC, LLC is now the nation’s premier multicenter clinical research organization specializing in cutting-edge prostate cancer research. Through the collaborative nature and intellectual synergy of its leadership, the PCCTC remains poised to make a significant impact on the lives of patients by keeping the pipeline primed with the most promising novel agents and validated biomarkers. For more information, visit www.pcctc.org.
About Friends and Family Against Prostate Cancer (FFAPC)
Friends and Family Against Prostate Cancer is a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 2023. The organizations mission is to energize an expanding network of friends and family focused on helping each other through prostate cancer treatments, building awareness of the disease and raising money to further research toward a cure. For more information, visit https://friendsandfamilyagainstprostatecancer.org.
PCCTC Media Contact:
Kristofer Prepelica, PhD, prepelik@mskcc.org, +1.646.484.0610
