Childhood Cancer Advocates Collaborate at AACR Annual Meeting
Childhood cancer advocates, including our own founder Susan L. Weiner, were among the thousands of oncology experts in attendance at this week’s American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in Atlanta.
We’re particularly proud that Susan was part of a major symposium panel on pediatric oncology focused on the global potential of the ACCELERATE multi-stakeholder platform. This session featured representatives from FDA, the Pediatric Cancer Working Group and international stakeholders.
The ACCELERATE program provides a transparent forum to tackle overarching issues in the development of innovative therapeutic medicines with the goal of improving global outcomes for children and adolescents with cancer. Dr. Weiner serves on the ACCELERATE Steering Committee, as one of just three committee members from the United States.
The Steering Committee hopes to one day bring a Pediatric Strategy Forum to the U.S. — a goal made closer by this new exposure at AACR. From the ACCELERATE site, these forums aim to “facilitate dialogue and provide an opportunity for constructive interactions between relevant stakeholders on topics requiring an open discussion on the development of medicines in the best interests of children and adolescents with cancer.” The 4th Pediatric Strategy Session is taking place this month in the Netherlands, on the topic of medicinal product development for acute myeloid leukemia in children and adolescents.
At the same session, Dr. Greg Reaman of the FDA described the RACE for Children Act and credited the childhood cancer advocacy community for working collaboratively over many years to achieve the 2017 passage of this landmark legislation, designed to increase kids’ access to new cancer drugs.
Other coalition achievements featured at AACR included a poster presentation by Alliance for Childhood Cancer Chair and St. Baldrick’s Advocacy Director Danielle Leach on the Childhood Cancer STAR Act, and a poster presentation by CAC2 President Vickie Buenger on the power of collaboration and cooperation in the childhood cancer community.
Continue to follow this space for updates and developments on these collaborative efforts and achievements — and the impact they’re having on children with cancer and childhood cancer survivors.