The University of Louisville, UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center and the Gibbs Foundation will continue their partnership in finding a cure for cancer through a new $3-million investment. Thanks to the success of their prior funding, the Gibbs Foundation has committed $1.5 million to continue support for Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes cell therapy (TILs) which led to the therapy’s FDA approval in Feb. 2024. In addition, the Gibbs Foundation has committed $1.5 million over three years to create the Gibbs Pancreatic Cancer Research Center which will support innovative research to reduce deaths caused by this incurable cancer.

Support of TILs cell therapy

Half of this incredible investment in the Brown Cancer Center, $1.5 million, supports the TILs program by providing funding for research staff, supplies and faculty time dedicated to clinical trials. The goal is to increase capacity and access for participants in clinical trials for TILs and other immunotherapies.

The Brown Cancer Center is a lead enrolling center in TILs trials and has had patients travel to Louisville from all over the United States. The success of the program is directly related to the Gibbs Foundation initial investment of $1.5 million in 2022.

This philanthropic investment follows FDA approval of the cell product AMTAGVI™ (lifileucel), developed by Iovance Biotherapeutics for the treatment of melanoma patients. The Brown Cancer Center participated in these clinical trials leading to this FDA approval and is one of the first authorized treatment centers.

Although the initial FDA approval is specific to metastatic melanoma, the expansion of this cellular therapy to other cancers is being tested at Brown Cancer Center and elsewhere with a goal to obtain FDA approval in several solid tumor types in the future. Read more on the FDA approval in the UofL Health press release.

Creation of Gibbs Pancreatic Cancer Research Program

Through $1.5 million over three years, the Gibbs Pancreatic Cancer Research Program will be created at the University of Louisville to support efforts in testing novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Five $50,000 pilot grants will be awarded to researchers each year for the development of novel therapeutics to treat pancreatic cancer and increase clinical trials dedicated to treating pancreatic cancer. This center will also provide funding for trial research staff and faculty time dedicated to these projects.

Executive Director of the Gibbs Foundation Hannah Roquet said, “The Gibbs Foundation is thrilled to be continuing our partnership with the Brown Cancer Center and the fight against cancer. Based on the positive outcomes of so many patients who have been through the TILs program, it is a battle we are winning.  The creation of the Gibbs Pancreatic Cancer Research Program is especially meaningful as it continues the legacy of our founder, George Gibbs, who fought his own battle valiantly, and provides the opportunity for groundbreaking research in a cancer that has taken the lives of many too quickly and without warning.  We are looking forward to the future of this very special program.”

The Gibbs Foundation, Inc. was established in 2014 by George Gibbs of Louisville who died in 2022 of pancreatic cancer at age 87. The Gibbs Foundation previously supported health research at UofL through gifts of more than $2.5 million to create and expand the Gibbs Lung Research Program.

“The Brown Cancer Center has one goal – to end cancer,” said Jason Chesney, chief administrative officer and director of the Brown Cancer Center, who also serves as chief of the Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology at the UofL School of Medicine. “As more cancer centers across the country begin to implement TILs programs, we will be saving more lives. Through the philanthropy of the Gibbs Foundation, we continue to be one step closer to achieving this goal. Their dedication to finding a cure and increasing access to novel therapeutics is astounding.”

More information on TILs therapy and UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center is available at UofLHealth.org/BCC.