World Cancer Day: $3M to accelerate research in breast cancer

MONTREAL, Feb. 4, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - IRICoR (Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer — Commercialization of Research) and The Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation (QBCF) proudly join forces to launch the LeadAction|Breast Cancer du Sein on this symbolic World Cancer Day.

This new partnership aims to accelerate the discovery of new treatments to be accessible to patients. The Competition's total budget allocation of $3M ($1.5M from IRICoR and $1.5M from the QBCF) will be dedicated to fund innovative breast cancer research projects, from Quebec and the rest of Canada.

"Cutting edge breast cancer research needs to efficiently translate into benefits for patients. With this Competition, we are seizing the opportunity to combine our expertise in translating cancer research into innovative therapies with the Foundation's successful and thorough understanding of breast cancer patient needs. We are truly excited at IRICoR to start this promising initiative with the QBCF", points out Nadine Beauger, Chief Executive Officer of IRICoR.

A very important Competition 

1 in 8 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 1 in 31 will die from it. Men aren't spared from it either: they account for 1% of all breast cancers. These figures show that it is paramount to continue to advance research, particularly by setting up initiatives such as this Competition. 

"Major progress in our understanding of breast cancer has led to remarkable advances with respect to detection and treatment. These achievements underscore the importance of our mission: furthering research in order to increase the survival rate and improve the quality of life of people affected by breast cancer. Hence the tremendous importance of this Competition in partnership with IRICoR, a vital centre of excellence, that aims to accelerate the discovery of new therapies and reduce the time required for scientific knowledge to transition from the laboratory to the patients' bedside", added Jida El Hajjar, Vice-President - Investment and Health Promotion at the QBCF.

The projects selected will be announced in the fall of 2019.

For more information, please go to the LeadAction|Breast Cancer du Sein Competition page.

About IRICoR

As a project maturation cluster in the field of drug discovery, IRICoR is a not-for-profit organization based at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) of the Université de Montréal. IRICoR's mandate is to accelerate the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel therapies in cancer, immunotherapy, and related fields. Since 2008, IRICoR has been successfully investing in and supporting selected cutting-edge projects in order to rapidly translate early-stage innovation into potential new therapies, through either co-development partnerships with the biopharmaceutical industry or the creation of spin-off companies. IRICoR seamlessly integrates its business-related expertise with access to industry-level drug discovery capabilities, providing selected academic and industry projects with access to its network of experts and cutting-edge infrastructure, including one of the largest academia-based medicinal chemistry groups in Canada. IRICoR's major funding sources include the Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) program of the Canadian government, the Ministère de l'Économie, de la Science et de l'Innovation du Québec (MESI), and collaborative partnerships with the biopharmaceutical industry.

For more information about IRICoR: iricor.ca.

About the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation

The Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation (QBCF) is dedicated to achieving its vision: a breast cancer free future. Breast cancer milestones underline the importance of our MISSION: advancing leading-edge research, education, community support, and advocacy. Since 1994, QBCF has raised more than $46 million to support promising research leading to key breakthroughs in breast cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and end-of life care. Our role as catalyst for establishing strategic collaborations brought cancer institutions, health professionals, and researchers to adopt interesting innovations such as artificial intelligence, telehealth, 3-D printing, big data, and many more. Together with our researchers, volunteers, supporters, stakeholders and staff, we are committed to continue our mission and to transform breast cancer control.

For more information about the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation: rubanrose.org/en.

SOURCE IRICOR

For further information: or to arrange an interview: Marie-Pier Cornellier, Media Relations and Communications Specialist, Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation, Tel.: [phone], Ext. 236, Toll-free: 1 [phone], Cell: [phone], [e-mail]

Related Links

https://www.iricor.ca/fr/