EGFR Resisters Partners with LUNGevity to Issue RFA for Research into EGFR-Positive Lung Cancer

Collaboration seeks to improve outcomes for patients with EGFR-positive non-small cell lung cancer

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LUNGevity Foundation is honored to announce its second research partnership with the EGFR Resisters in issuing a Request for Application (RFA) for high-impact research focused on EGFR-positive lung cancer. The EGFR Resisters is a powerful patient-led community advocating for improved treatment options for patients with EGFR-positive lung cancer. This collaboration aims to transform the outcomes for patients diagnosed with EGFR-positive lung cancer by ultimately changing EGFR-positive lung cancer into a chronic or curable condition.

"Over the past decade, we have seen tremendous growth in personalized treatment options for patients with EGFR-positive non-small cell lung cancer. These targeted therapies have been incredibly impactful and effective for many patients," noted Upal Basu Roy, PhD, MPH, LUNGevity's executive director of research. "Unfortunately, we have also seen that tumors treated with these targeted therapies eventually develop resistance to treatment and begin to grow again. This award mechanism was developed to identify and fund research to understand what's next when current treatment options stop working."

The EGFR Resisters/LUNGevity Research Award Program for EGFR-Positive Lung Cancer funds high-impact research that seeks to significantly transform the future for patients diagnosed with EGFR-positive lung cancer. Projects must directly relate to improvement of patient outcomes and/or lead to a clinical trial. This is a $200,000 two-year award. The program is open to both US and non-US applicants.

"The EGFR Resisters is an incredible community of patients and caregivers who are fully committed to improving outcomes for others with EGFR-positive lung cancer," said Dr. Basu Roy. "The projects funded through this mechanism will be selected by members of the EGFR Resisters community, along with scientific leaders."

"This research is truly life-or-death for many of us," noted Jill Feldman, co-founder of the EGFR Resisters. "It is vitally important that we choose the research projects very carefully. The EGFR Resisters is grateful to have LUNGevity's strong vetting process, which uses the same high standards as the National Institutes of Health, to help guide us in selecting the most innovative and impactful research."

The EGFR Resisters/LUNGevity Research Award Program for EGFR-Positive Lung Cancer has a two-step application process. An applicant must first submit a letter of intent (LOI) due February 27, 2023. Only a subset of applicants will be invited to submit a full application after the LOIs are reviewed; these applications will be due May 8, 2023.

Award recipients are expected to be announced in late summer 2023. For more information about this award, including full application details, visit www.lungevity.org/egfr-award.

About the EGFR Resisters

The EGFR Resisters is a grassroots community of over 4,000 EGFR-positive lung cancer patients and caregivers from 90+ countries, dedicated exclusively to improving outcomes for people with EGFR-positive lung cancer by changing EGFR-positive lung cancer into a manageable, chronic disease. The group uses the strength of its collaborations to drive important research questions and fund novel research and clinical trials. For more information about the EGFR Resisters, please visit www.egfrcancer.org

About LUNGevity Foundation

LUNGevity Foundation is the nation's leading lung cancer organization focused on improving outcomes for people with lung cancer. The foundation works tirelessly to advance research into early detection and more effective treatments, and to ensure that patients have access to these advances. LUNGevity seeks to make an immediate impact on quality of life and survivorship for everyone touched by the disease—while promoting health equity by addressing disparities throughout the care continuum. LUNGevity provides information and educational tools to empower patients and their caregivers, promote impactful public policy initiatives, and amplify the patient voice through research and engagement. The organization provides an active community for patients and survivors—and those who help them live better and longer lives.

Comprehensive resources include a medically vetted and patient-centric website, a toll-free HELPLine for support, the International Lung Cancer Survivorship Conference, and an easy-to-use Clinical Trial Finder, among other tools. All of these programs are to achieve our vision—a world where no one dies of lung cancer. LUNGevity Foundation is proud to be a four-star Charity Navigator organization.

About Lung Cancer in the US

• About 1 in 16 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime.
• More than 238,000 people in the US will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year.
• About 60%-65% of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people who have never smoked or are former smokers.
• Lung cancer takes more lives in the United States than the next two deadliest cancers (colorectal and pancreatic) combined.
• Only about 23% of all people diagnosed with lung cancer in the United States will survive 5 years or more, BUT if it is caught before it spreads, the chance of 5-year survival improves dramatically.

Please visit LUNGevity.org to learn more.

SOURCE LUNGevity Foundation