Thanks to life-saving clinical trials, selinexor (Xpovio) was able to be approved by the FDA. The drug helps with multiple myeloma and was discovered by Dan Vogl, MD, MSCE, an associate professor of Hematology-Oncology in the Perelman School of Medicine. Selinexor works by blocking the protein that transports the tumor suppressants out of the nucleus. Advancements like these wouldn’t be possible without life-changing clinical trials, which Philly Fights Cancer helps to fund through year-round fundraising and awareness building. To donate or learn more about supporting Philly Fights Cancer: Round 5, follow the link here: https://phillyfightscancer.org/events/philly-fights-cancer-round-5/. To read about the full story, visit Penn Medicine at:  https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/news-blog/2019/july/a-new-cancer-drug-thanks-to-a-new-approach. 

Today, Philly Fights Cancer is proud to announce that the THIRD act for Philly Fights Cancer: Round 5 will be none other than superstar Hugh Jackman!

Hugh Jackman has made an impression on audiences of all ages with his multi-hyphenate career persona, as successful on stage in front of live crowds as he is on film. From his award-winning turn on Broadway as the 1970s singer/songwriter Peter Allen, to his metal claw-wielding Wolverine in the blockbuster X-Men franchise, Jackman has proven to be one of the most versatile actors of our time. Jackman garnered his first Academy Award® nomination, for Best Actor, for his performance in Tom Hooper’s Les Misérables, based on the popular stage show created from Victor Hugo’s famous novel of the same name. Jackman’s standout performance as protagonist Jean Valjean also earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical, as well as Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award® nominations, for both Best Ensemble and Best Male Actor in a Leading Role, and a BAFTA Award nomination. Most recently, he was nominated for his role as P.T. Barnum in The Greatest Showman. Sales for the soundtrack to the film have broken records the world over and reached multi-platinum status in many countries including the UK and America.

On Saturday, October 26^th, Hugh Jackman will join the lineup of incredible talent, which includes comedian John Mulaney and pop sensation Andy Grammer. Philly Fights Cancer: Round 5 will take place at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. For information on becoming a sponsor, see here.

The Philly Fights Cancer Young Friends are an integral part of Philly Fights Cancer. This dedicated group of young individuals supports the work of Abramson Cancer Center physicians and investigators through personal philanthropy and fundraising events. On June 26, 2019, Philly Fights Cancer co-chairs Stephanie Wolfson and Paige Dietz were honored with the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Millennial Corporate Philanthropy Award. The women were recognized for their role in fundraising, friend-raising, in-kind donations and volunteerism.

On Thursday, June 6^th the Young Friends of Philly Fights Cancer raised over $2,000 to benefit Philly Fights Cancer at their benefit Rumble event.

Rumble, Philadelphia’s premier new boxing gym, hosted the young friends for a rigourous one-hour class, that included a mix of high-energy cardio and classic boxing techniques. Check back on the Philly Fights Cancer website and follow the young friends on social media to stay up-to-date on the latest news and events.

We are excited to officially announce TWO of the THREE incredible acts for Philly Fights Cancer: Round 5. Our opening act is none other than Emmy-winning stand-up comedian John Mulaney, and our after-party performer is American singer, songwriter, and record producer Andy Grammer. We can’t wait to laugh, celebrate, and dance the night away alongside these incredible performers. More talent for Philly Fights Cancer: Round 5 to be announced soon! To learn about sponsorship opportunities and how to attend, see here.

About John Mulaney:

John Mulaney is an Emmy Award winning writer and comedian. He recently toured the United States with, Kid Gorgeous, which was also released as a Netflix Special in May 2018 and won the Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Variety Special. Additionally, he has hosted SNL twice, in April 2018 and March 2019. Previously, John starred in the Broadway hit, Oh, Hello on Broadway alongside Nick Kroll. He can most recently be heard in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse which won the Golden Globe for best Animated Feature Film.

In 2015 Mulaney released his 3rd hour stand up special a Netflix Original titled The Comeback Kid which the AV Club called “his best hour of his career.” He began his career in New York’s East Village and has since toured around the world.

In 2008, he began writing at Saturday Night Live where he appeared as a “Weekend Update” correspondent and co-created characters such as “Stefon” with Bill Hader. He currently writes for IFC’s Documentary Now and for Netflix’s Big Mouth on which he voices the character of Andrew. Mulaney’s first comedy album, The Top Part, was released in 2009. He released his second Comedy Central special and album New In Town in 2012, and upon review Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly hailed Mulaney as “one of the best stand-up comics alive.

About Andy Grammer:

Multi-platinum selling pop artist Andy Grammer is all about inspiring and empowering the world by communicating his truths through his music. The first male pop star in a decade since John Mayer to reach the Top 10 at Adult Pop Radio on his first two singles, Grammer has taken the music world by storm with a succession of anthemic pop hits, 6 of which are certified gold or better. His debut album featured the platinum singles "Keep Your Head Up" and "Fine By Me." Andy's second album, Magazines or Novels, featured the triple platinum infectious smash hit "Honey, I'm Good," which was one of the best-selling songs of 2015, and the certified gold anthem "Good To Be Alive (Hallelujah)." Andy’s third full length album, The Good Parts, was released December 1, 2017.  The record includes his global smash hit single “Fresh Eyes,” which has become a streaming phenomenon with over 300 million total streams, the catchy summer jam featuring Lunch Money Lewis, “Give Love,” as well as his NEW hit single “Smoke Clears.”

On Wednesday, June 5th, the Philly Fights Cancer Young Friends will be hosting a charity workout class at Rumble, Philadelphia’s coolest new boxing gym located in the heart of Center City. Proceeds generated from class sales will be donated to Philly Fights Cancer, whose mission is to raise funds and awareness for the life-saving clinical trials at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center. Class will take place on Wednesday, June 5th at 7:30pm. The boxing session is pay-what-you-wish, with a suggested donation of $50.

Rumble

1520 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19102

Tickets can be purchased here: givingpages.upenn.edu/phillyfightscancer

In 2016, Philly Fights Cancer: Round 4 honoree Sean Parker — the founder of Napster and an early investor in Facebook — pledged $250 million to bring together researchers from academic cancer centers across the country with the goal of accelerating the development of new treatments that harness the immune system to attack cancer.

According to a new article from Stat News, the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy is presenting clinical trial results for the first time. And those results, which come just a year and a half after the first patient was enrolled in the study, show tumor shrinkage from the multi-drug regimen administered to patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.

The new findings from the Phase 1 clinical trial were unveiled at the American Association of Cancer Research annual meeting underway in Atlanta.

“I don’t want to look too far down the road, but these results are impressive,” Dr. Robert Vonderheide, the Parker Institute investigator in charge of the trial and director of the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, said in an interview with STAT.

In 2016, Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center joined the Parker Institute for Immunotherapy, a collaborative research partnership that allows a group of international teams to further work towards the goal of fighting and curing cancer together. Philly Fights Cancer benefits the life-saving clinical trials and translational research taking place at the Abramson Cancer Center.

To read more about the findings of the clinical trials and what this means for the future of pancreatic cancer, see the full article below.

https://www.statnews.com/2019/03/31/the-parker-institute-touts-early-results-in-pancreatic-cancer-trial-and-a-new-model-to-accelerate-drug-development/

The production of our annual Philly Fights Cancer event is no small feat. Those who attend experience the incredible food, atmosphere, and entertainment of the night, but have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes? Check out this video from Philly Fights Cancer: Round 4 , which shows our fabulous partners in action, including Evantine Design, Eventquip, Neuman’s Catering, and more. Video by Cinema Cake on our Facebook Page here.

Now in its second year, Charity and Social Datebook is Philadelphia’s premier annual publication surrounding the region’s most prestigious charity and fundraising events. This year, Philly Fights Cancer is featured on the cover of the publication with a stunning photo from the fund appeal portion of Philly Fights Cancer: Round 4. The magazine features highlights from the event, as well as information about the charity’s mission and purpose in raising essential funding for Abramson Cancer Center’s translational research and clinical trials. The full digital magazine can be found here, as well as printed copies at luxury businesses and retailers around the Greater Philadelphia area.

Thank you, Jewish Exponent, for including the news of our Citation Presentation event with Mayor Jim Kenney in your latest issue. Learn more about the memorable day here: http://jewishexponent.com/2019/01/29/philly-fights-cancer/