2022 state of the union
Hello Friends. Is it almost 2023 already?
Let’s recap the progress and mission for the organization over the past 18 months. It has gone so fast. This has been a period of time largely dedicated to building for the long term and investing in the future. As you know, we exist to provide unique value to the community and here are some of the many ways we are delivering:
BRAZEN CAPITAL
Our for-profit spinout, Brazen Bio, Inc. (established in 2021) has founded a venture capital fund (Brazen Capital, LLC) focused on launching the next generation of scientist-CEOs (like myself).
What is the goal? The goal is to translate more discoveries from the laboratory bench to benefit patients as soon as possible (again, like my very own journey inventing the glioblastoma drug, OS2966). In addition, Brazen Capital is committed to funding 50% female CEOs.
Why does this matter? More technologies in the market means better patient outcomes, more cures. Financially speaking, 80% of the share of profits from investments made in startups will flow to Brazen Bio. As Cure Glioblastoma is an equity owner of Brazen Bio, it is hoped that—eventually—we will be sustained primarily through this mechanism rather than individual donations to maximize resources and impact.
How can you help? If you are an accredited investor, you can invest in Brazen Capital Fund I. Register your interest HERE.
ELSA’S TOUCH
A constant theme of our organization is extending our reach by partnering with families touched by glioblastoma. The Jatwani family from Orange County, California is represented by Vinay and his two sons, Dylan and Colin. This partnership is particularly satisfying because Dylan Jatwani (17) started as an intern with us last year. Dylan found us through social media in 2020 and we’ve been impressed by his initiative to celebrate the life of his mother, Elsa.
What is the goal? The Elsa’s Touch Program—the only program of its kind—was established to inspire the next generation of leaders in glioblastoma and brain tumor research. Every year, beginning in 2022, Cure Glioblastoma will fund and host several Elsa Scholars at the annual Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) Meeting. This year, the program funded SEVEN Elsa Scholars to attend the SNO meeting in Tampa, Florida (Nov 2022). We thank the Executive Director of SNO, Chas Haynes, for helping to facilitate the scholarship. To read more about the seven inaugural Elsa Scholars, please see this post on Instagram.
Why does this matter? This program came from my own experience attending a major international research conference at the age of 20. This experience in 1995 inspired my path to developing my very own glioblastoma drug 15 years later. An additional reason this program is extra special is that it is led by Elsa’s sons, Dylan and Colin!
How can you help? Next year, with your kind support, we hope to increase the number of Elsa Scholars to 10. To contribute specifically to this program, please navigate to the Elsa’s Touch Program website HERE.
M. SEAN GRADY FELLOWSHIP
Speaking of the mentor who paid for my first research conference… I am excited to *partially* unveil our newest program. This is named after M. Sean Grady, MD, my earliest and most impactful mentor. Dr. Grady took me under his wing when I was a premed and has continued to support my career and endeavors for nearly THIRTY(!) years!!!
What is the goal? To support women and underrepresented folks interested in an academic career in neurosurgery, particularly neuro-oncology. In addition to an educational award, the Grady Fellows will have direct access to Dr. Grady himself! This is invaluable as he served as the Chairman of Neurosurgery at U Penn for over 20 years and trained dozens of residents.
Why does this matter? Neurosurgery continues to be a predominately white male profession. Increasing diversity of thought, backgrounds, and experiences will only enhance the field and inspire new innovations and research programs which will ultimately benefit patients. Dr. Grady also led and taught with kindness and patience, which is what the field desperately needs more of.
How can you help? We will announce the very first Grady Fellow soon! To support this program please make a tax-deductible donation HERE.
INTERNAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS
Another unique feature of Cure Glioblastoma is—since the beginning—we have led our own research programs internally. We do not currently fund outside research (which can be duplicative and possibly less impactful since the same investigators tend to win multiple grants).
What is the goal? We have several projects ongoing which have resulted in patent pending inventions. At the basic science level we are interested in studying the mechanisms by which cancer cells resist drugs and other treatments. At the translational level, we are interested in developing new drug development platforms as well as new diagnostic technologies for glioblastoma. At the clinical level, we hope to sponsor our own highly innovative glioblastoma clinical trial (i.e., the “Dream Combo Therapy Clinical Trial” or “D-CTCT”) when funding allows… see below.
Why does this matter? Our goal is to put ourselves out of business, not guarantee we exist indefinitely. We make these research dollars count!
How can you help? To support our research please make a tax-deductible donation HERE.
CURE GLIOBLASTOMA GALA
For 3 years we have been talking about a major Gala to raise significant funds for our programs, particularly our “D-CTCT”. Each time, our plans were conveniently quashed by the pandemic and multiple COVID surges. We believe 2023 is our year. Thanks to my viral TikToks and subsequent media coverage, several prominent celebrities, entertainers, and folks “in the biz” have reached out and are interested in helping. It is time.
What is the goal? We hope to raise $1M in 2023 to enable us to take the first steps towards operationalizing our D-CTCT. It will take several million dollars and many, many months of hard work to begin patient enrollment. This initial $1M will allow us to finally launch the program towards that end including key pilot studies and development of the clinical protocol.
Why does this matter? The D-CTCT was the entire thesis behind Cure Glioblastoma. Based on my 25+ years in the field, I believe the ingredients for a potentially curative treatment for glioblastoma ALREADY EXIST. This is a combination approach rooted in immunotherapy (3-4 drugs, most of which are already approved). However, there are many frictions we must overcome to make this happen including buy-in from the large pharma companies (not necessary, but helpful), building a clinical team, and raising funding for the trial itself. If $10M miraculously fell out of the sky we’d be off to the races. Until then, we do have extensive experience with milestone-based development so this is how we will get the ball rolling.
How can you help? More information for the Gala will be made available in early 2023. It is likely it will be a NYC event, although LA is possible. For now, volunteers are welcomed and you may also make a tax-deductible donation HERE.
In closing, you can see we have already accomplished a lot with relatively little… and we have even bigger aspirations for 2023, our fourth year in operations! I want to thank you for being a supporter of our mission and—as there are still a few days to make your tax deductible donation to Cure Glioblastoma for 2022—encourage you to please consider supporting us with another donation HERE. I am,
Yours Ever,
Cofounder & President, @CureGlioblastoma
@brainsurgerydropout on TikTok
@brain.surgery.dropout on IG