|
NEW YORK –
Gilda's Club New York City (GCNYC) honored
Dr. David Schenkein, Dr. James Allison, and ID Media on
Thursday,
November 17, 2011 at their 16th Anniversary
Benefit Gala.
This exciting affair was held at the renowned Pierre Hotel.
The evening began with a cocktail hour and silent
auction,
followed by a formal dinner, award ceremony and live
auction. Donations made will enable GCNYC to raise
awareness and
help fulfill its mission to provide social and emotional
support for everyone living with cancer in New York City,
including
their families and friends – FREE of charge.
GCNYC was proud to honor
two visionaries at this year’s event,
whose work has helped individuals
diagnosed with cancer,
David Schenkein, MD, Chief Executive
Officer,
Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
and James Allison, PhD, Chairman,
Immunology Program,
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
The efforts of these individuals have helped
shape the course of medicine for thousands of patients
living with cancer and
their families. Dr. Schenkein joined Agios in 2009 as the CEO
and has been a hematologist and medical oncologist for
more than 20 years. He has published more than 75
peer-reviewed articles. Under his leadership as the
former head of oncology drug development at Millennium and
Genentech, multiple novel and important oncology medicines
have come to market. Agios is passionately committed to the
fundamental transformation of cancer patients’ lives
through scientific leadership in the field of cancer
metabolism.
Dr. Allison is a leader in the field of
immunology, particularly in developing ways to help the
immune system recognize
and destroy cancer cells. His research is focused on
the mechanisms that regulate the immunological response of T
lymphocytes. He found a molecule, CTLA-4 that plays a
critical role in turning off T cells. He went on to show
that antibodies to CTLA-4 could induce rejection of tumors
in preclinical animal models. Allison was involved in the
generation of antibodies to human CTLA-4 which have been
extensively
tested in clinical trials in a variety of human cancers.
It was recently shown to significantly increase survival in
late stage melanoma patients, with about 25% surviving 4+
years.
This antibody, Ipilimumab, was the first drug ever to show
survival
benefit in late stage melanoma. It was recently approved
by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment
of melanoma.
In addition, a special presentation of “The
Bill Modell Heart of Gold Award” will be made to ID Media
for their outstanding
volunteer efforts within our community.
GCNYC is proud to have ABC’s Diana Williams
host the
event for her seventh year in a row. “We are honored
to have Diana’s continued support as part of this important
event, and to help us share our story,” said Lily Safani,
CEO of GCNYC. A new addition to the evening is our
auctioneer, C. Hugh Hildesley,
from Sotheby’s.
About
Gilda’s Club New York City:
Gilda’s Club New York City
creates welcoming communities
of free support for everyone living with cancer - men,
women, teens and children - along with their families and
friends.
Our innovative program is an essential complement to
medical care, providing networking and support groups,
workshops, lectures and social activities, all free of
charge.
We provide our program in beautiful, non-residential
homelike settings: our clubhouse is a four-story brownstone
on West Houston Street in Manhattan, and we have seven
sites in Brooklyn and the Bronx as part of our community
satellite program. Visit
www.gildasclubnyc.org for more information.
|