The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada shines the spotlight on cancer cures during the whole month of February with "Someday is Today"

TORONTO, Jan. 6, 2014 /CNW/ - In light of World Cancer Day on February 4^th, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC) will highlight "Someday is Today" facts during the whole month of February to shine the spotlight on cures through their web sites (English and French) and social media accounts (Facebook and Twitter).

As a voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer, LLSC has invested over $28 million dollars in blood cancer research since 1955, bringing us closer than ever to realizing a world without blood cancers. LLSC has achieved its leadership position through forging partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academia and medical centers to develop more quickly the next round of potential blood cancer therapies.

In 2013, the greatest win in the fight against blood cancers is probably with gene therapy, an innovative treatment that transforms patients' blood cells into an effective army that seeks and destroys cancer tumours. The remarkable data on T-Cell Immunotherapy (gene therapy) presented in a press conference by LLS-funded researchers from University of Pennsylvania and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia at the 55^th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, continued to reveal more promising data three and a half years after beginning the first successful and sustained use of genetically engineered T cells to fight leukemia.

In 2012, LLSC, together with LLS, expanded its partnership with Vancouver, BC and Princeton, NJ based Celator Pharmaceuticals by committing an additional $5 million to further study their CPX-351 treatment in a Phase 3 trial. Celator Pharmaceuticals' CPX-351 drug is a novel way to effectively deliver the right ratio of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment and enhance anti-cancer activity. "The support from LLSC and LLS has been instrumental in our ability to expedite the clinical testing of CPX-351 and we are pleased to see such encouraging signs of benefit to patients" proclaims Dr. Lawrence Meyer, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Celator Pharmaceuticals. LLSC's Canadian Therapy Acceleration Program is conducting a Phase III clinical trial for CPX-351 drug and promising results to date indicate this may be the first new treatment for AML in decades.

In fact, LLS & LLSC are playing a unique role in the pathway to cures, especially for non-profit organizations.  Blood cancers, which include leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and myelodysplastic syndromes, are hematologic malignancies with a unique link to the cancer research community. Many innovations such as multi-drug chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation started as blood cancer therapies. In fact, almost 40% of all cancer drugs newly approved by Health Canada since 2000 were first developed for blood cancer patients. "Blood cancer research is a gateway to treatments and even cures for many other cancers, as well as some inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA)," explains DeGennaro. "LLS and LLSC are pioneering cutting-edge cancer research at the cellular and molecular level, which has the capacity to offer significant contributions beyond even blood cancers."

Thanks to the generous donations that funded these innovative researches in the last 60 years, more than a hundred thousand Canadians affected by blood cancer can benefit from a higher quality of life. We are on the threshold of amazing breakthroughs and your money accelerates miraculous new treatments and healing therapies once thought impossible.

Let's find a cure today, not someday. This is our goal and you are at the heart of it.

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada® (LLSC) is Canada's largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLSC mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLSC funds lifesaving blood cancer research across Canada and provides free information and support services.  Charitable Business Number: 10762 3654 RR0001
www.LLSCanada.org

Video with caption: "Video: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada shines the spotlight on cancer cures during the whole month of February with "Someday is Today"". Video available at: http://www.youtube.com/v/0rLum-mC1D8?hl=en_US&version=3

SOURCE: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada

Simon Ip
National Communications Manager
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