The CURE FL (Curative Research to Eliminate Follicular Lymphoma) program is a unique set of research awards for the FLF, a catalyst for scientific research to lead to better treatments and cures. These awards harness top clinical scientists and researchers from around the world, with the most innovative and exciting research projects. We hope our leading investigative teams will make strong progress and move quickly towards trials, and for successful outcomes to be available to patients as soon as possible.
The CURE FL programs are a call for transformative projects in areas of treatment that we have identified as being the most likely to deliver rapid progress towards a cure. We aim to support innovative and impactful pre-clinical and early-phase clinical research, bringing a primary focus on FL. As with all our work at the FLF, we ensure that the chosen proposals are aligned with patient needs and interests.
For patients with FL, I want to emphasize that each project aims to have a clinical trial available or in late-stage planning, by the end of the funding period. This demonstrates our commitment to getting new treatments to patients as quickly as possible.
Dr Mitchell Smith, CMO at the Follicular Lymphoma Foundation
FL as a condition is often put in the “back seat” in research compared to other forms of lymphomas and blood cancers, because it is slower progressing, and clinical trials are more challenging. The CURE FL Awards are specifically designed to change this, to give an impactful voice to the FL community, to highlight that patients living with FL should not be overlooked and to drive the pace for new therapies, which are urgently needed.
Most FL patients experience several periods of remission and relapse over a number of years or decades. A small number of patients progress to a more aggressive form of FL earlier, with 5-year survival rates being as low as 50%. Even patients with more favorable survival rates endure both the psychological toll of an incurable, relapsing disease and the increasing toxicities of therapies designated for later relapses.
Like many cancers, FL is genetically not just one disease, so finding cures will require a range of therapies to help a range of people. This rests on finding the right drug to be provided to the right patient at the right time.
An extensive review of the FL research landscape in 2021/22 identified two areas as the most likely to lead to curative therapies and be available to FL patients as soon as possible:
➤ Cellular immunotherapy (CAR-T and others)
➤ Targeted therapies (standalone or in combination with other treatments)
The CURE FL program is designed to encourage creative approaches to examining how these therapies can best be targeted towards a cure in FL. Our criteria for assessment include the potential of any work funded to go into a clinical trial or be applied directly to patient treatment in the near term.
We encourage potential applicants to think creatively about high-impact projects as well as the creation of cross-functional/organisational teams.
From the start, we wanted to direct funding to scientific areas of FL need, with patient interests fully in mind, and be able to accelerate the path to the clinic. Through the CURE FL awards, we link research and clinical communities with patients.
CURE FL awardees are chosen with the input and support of a wide range of experts in the global FL field, together with patients to ensure their views and experiences are part of the development process for new treatments. A rigorous review process with several scientific review panels, advisory boards, and patient review panels, enables us to identify our successful investigators.
The CURE FL Awards mean real progress towards a cure. Speaking on behalf of our members, we feel supported – it helps us to worry less and look forward to a positive future. Wheels are in motion to find cures for us all, so thank you.
Nicky Greenhalgh – Founder of the Living with Follicular Lymphoma community and patient representative
The FLF has worked closely with our partners, the Centre for Strategic Philanthropy (CSP) at the Milken Institute, to develop and launch the CURE FL Awards to assess and prioritise targets for philanthropic development for FL therapies.
The FLF, working in partnership with the Center for Strategic Philanthropy at the Milken Institute, developed the CURE FL Awards to assess and prioritize targets for philanthropic development for FL therapies
The first cycle launched in early 2022 is run in collaboration with the Milken Institute, and the second cycle, launched in August 2023, is run in partnership with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and The Institute for Follicular Lymphoma Innovation.
We’d love to hear from you if you’re interested in learning more about the FLF and our initiatives. We welcome your feedback, support, and collaboration in any way you can.
If you want to find out more about the FLF and any of our research programs, please contact us at info@theflf.org.
