LLS Chief Mission Officer Appointed to Prestigious NIH Oversight Boards

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Oct 09, 2012, 09:27 ET

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Oct. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Louis J. DeGennaro, Ph.D, LLS chief mission officer has been appointed to two prestigious National Institutes of Health (NIH) boards created to help overcome the bottlenecks in the translational research pipeline and accelerate the pace of drug development.

Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, tapped Dr. DeGennaro to serve as a member of the newly created National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) Advisory Council, and the Cures Acceleration Network (CAN) Review Board of the NIH.

Congress authorized the creation of NCATS at the request of NIH director Frances Collins Ph.D. Its mission is to "catalyze the generation of innovative methods and technologies that will enhance the development, testing and implementation of diagnostics and therapeutics across a wide range of human diseases and conditions."

NCATS has been authorized to fund a variety of initiatives designed to address scientific and technical challenges that impede translational research. Among the types of projects to be funded are: rescuing and repurposing drugs existing drugs; improving the process for predicting whether drugs will be safe in humans; identifying and validating drug targets. Dr. DeGennaro and the other members of the NCATS Advisory Council will make recommendations on center initiatives, policies and programs, and review applications for research funding.

The Cures Acceleration Network within NCATS was created by Congress to advance development of "high need cures". The Network will reduce barriers to translation in areas the private sector is less likely to pursue. The CAN Review board is comprised of representatives from diverse fields, including research, medicine, biopharmaceuticals, venture capital or private equity organizations, and disease advocacy organizations. The board will help to identify significant barriers to successful translation of basic science into clinical application and make recommendations. The term for both bodies is two years, beginning Sept. 1.

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society^® (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services.

Founded in 1949 and headquartered in White Plains, NY, LLS has chapters throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.LLS.org or contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. www.lls.org.

Contact: Andrea Greif
(914) 821-8958
[email protected]

SOURCE The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society