Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (ACGT) will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a special ACGT Awards Luncheon being held on Thursday, March 30, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Riverpark restaurant at the Alexandria Center for Life Science, located at 450 E. 29th St., New York, New York.Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy, founded by Edward and Barbara Netter of Greenwich, Connecticut, in 2001, is the only nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to funding cancer cell and gene therapy research. ACGT funds innovative scientists and biotechnology companies working to harness the power of cell and gene therapy to transform how cancer is treated and to drive momentum toward a cure. One hundred percent of all public donations directly support research and programs.“ACGT is a leader in the advancement of cancer cell and gene therapy and has helped lead a paradigm shift in how some cancers are treated,” said Barbara Netter, co-founder of ACGT and honorary chair of the board. “The ACGT Awards Luncheon is an opportunity to bring thought-leaders together and recognize some of the groundbreaking work that our alliance has accomplished.”The ACGT Awards Luncheon will feature pioneering physician, oncologist and New York Times best-selling author Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD, as the keynote speaker, and honor Crystal Mackall, MD, of Stanford University, with the Edward Netter Leadership Award.Dr. Mukherjee has redefined the public discourse on human health, medicine and science. His innovative research signals a paradigm shift in cancer pathology and has enabled the development of treatments that reach beyond current pharmaceutical models toward new biological and cellular therapies.Dr. Mackall has been a leader in the advancement of cell and gene therapies for the treatment of solid tumors, with a major focus on children’s cancers. Along with being an ACGT Research Fellow as well as a member of ACGT’s Scientific Advisory Council, Dr. Mackall is the Ernest and Amelia Gallo Family Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at Stanford University, the Founding Director of the Stanford Center for Cancer Cell Therapy, Associate Director of the Stanford Cancer Institute, Leader of the Cancer Immunotherapy Program and Director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. She has led numerous groundbreaking clinical trials to treat children with sarcomas and brain cancers.The Edward Netter Leadership Award will be presented to Dr. Mackall by Carl June, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania, who received the honor at ACGT’s 2019 Awards Gala. ACGT grant funding enabled Dr. June to research and develop cell and gene therapies that led to the first FDA approvals of CAR T-cell therapies for cancer. Named for ACGT co-founder, Edward Netter (1933-2011), the award recognizes a researcher who has made unparalleled and groundbreaking contributions to the field of cell and gene therapy for cancer. The award symbolizes those qualities Edward held with highest regard – perseverance, profound curiosity, skillful risk-taking, and a life-long pursuit towards the greater good.For information about purchasing a ticket to the ACGT Awards Luncheon, visit the ACGT Awards Luncheon website acgtfoundation.org/awards, call Keri Eisenberg at (475) 400-4373, or email keisenberg@acgtfoundation.org.
