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Champions of the Pink Vaccine Endorse the Steps to Clinical Trail

Champions Of The Pink Vaccine

endorse a Phase I Trial of the World’s First Preventive Breast Cancer Vaccine

 

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By Dr. Kathleen T. Ruddy

September 17, 2013

Find out what's happening in Belleville-Nutleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

Belleville, NJChampions Of The Pink Vaccine, a coalition of five women from across the country who support funding of the preventive breast cancer vaccine developed by Professor Vincent Tuohy of the Cleveland Clinic’s Learner Institute in 2010, unanimously endorse taking the vaccine from the bench to the bedside in a Phase I clinical trial to see if the vaccine is safe for use in women.

 

Tuohy’s vaccine was shown to be completely safe and 100% effective in preventing breast cancer in three animal models, and was fully vetted by a panel of experts on the editorial review board of Nature Medicine before it published Tuohy’s paper in May, 2010.  The next step in moving the vaccine from the bench to the bedside is to test Tuohy’s vaccine in a Phase I study to see if it’s safe for use in women. 

 

A Phase I study (sometimes known as a “clinical trial”) is conducted in a small group of healthy volunteers, typically 40-100 participants, to make sure it is safe.  If safe, Tuohy’s vaccine can then be tested in a Phase II study to see if it is effective.

 

The Champions Of The Pink Vaccine have worked tirelessly for the past three years to support funding for a Phase I study of Tuohy’s vaccine.  The five Champions are:  Judy Fitzgerald, a breast cancer survivor, Founder and President of Sisters 4 Prevention, and author of “A Teacher’s Journey…What Breast Cancer Taught Me”; Elyn Jacobs, a breast cancer survivor, cancer strategist, and radio host of “Survive and Live Well”; Dr. Kathleen Ruddy, breast cancer surgeon, and Founder and President of the Breast Health and Healing Foundation; Toni Turchi, breast cancer survivor and Founder and President of the Toni Turchi Foudation and the Toni Turchi Foundation 5K Race; and Cindy Sullivan, breast cancer survivor.

 

The Champions Of The Pink Vaccine came together when it became clear that the traditional breast cancer funding sources, including the Susan G. Komen For The Cure Foundation, the Susan Love Foundation, the National Breast Cancer Coalition, and the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, were unwilling to fund a preventive breast cancer vaccine whose success was verified and validated by a panel of experts on the editorial review board of Nature Medicine.    

 

The Champions Of The Pink Vaccine agree whole-heartedly with Professor Vincent Tuohy, “Prevention is the cure”, and they look forward to accelerating the end of breast cancer by testing the world’s first preventive breast cancer vaccine in a Phase I study to see if it’s safe for use in women.  The Champions are deeply grateful to the Cleveland Clinic for its vision and leadership in bringing this important innovation forward into clinical trials. 

 

Although the Champions Of The Pink Vaccine are pleased that the funds necessary to begin a Phase I study of Tuohy’s vaccine are now available, they are aware that an even more difficult road lies ahead.  The Cleveland Clinic must obtain permission from the FDA so that the vaccine can be rigorously tested and proved safe.  Given the global burden of breast cancer – millions of lives, millions of breasts, billions of dollars – the Champions Of The Pink Vaccine believe this application for a Phase I study of Tuohy’s vaccine should be fast-tracked through the FDA. 

 

CONTACT

 

To learn more about The Champions Of The Pink Vaccine, please contact

 

Kathleen T. Ruddy, MD

Founder and President

Breast Health and Healing Foundation

36 Newark Avenue, Suite 130

Belleville, New Jersey 07109

Phone:  973-450-9955

Fax:  973-450-2552

drruddy@breasthealthandhealing.com

breasthealthandhealing.org

 

Judy Fitzgerald                                                                

Sisters4Prevention

Sisters4prevention@yahoo.com

401-864-2043

 

Toni Turchi

Email: info@toniturchifoundation.org

Address:

Toni Turchi Foundation

P.O. Box 467

Aurora, Ohio 44202

Phone: 330-333-0NED (0633)

 

 Loucinda Sullivan

Cell Phone 720.936.2208

Email: loucinda@me.com

 

 

Elyn Jacobs

Email: elyn@elynjacobs.com

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