Buckley Report: Josh Sommer’s Chordoma Foundation

Six years after its start, the Chordoma Foundation has made great progress toward better treatments. Bob Buckley reports on how far the Foundation has come and what still needs to be done to get chordoma patients the care they need.

30 Under 30: The Rising Stars Transforming Science And Health

Josh Sommer, Executive Director of the Chordoma Foundation, is leading the way in the field of Science and Healthcare. The healthcare landscape is transforming for the better, opening up to revolutionary new ideas and new approaches, and young people like Josh are playing a role in this incredible change.

The New Power Players in Drug R&D Are Wearing Bright T-Shirts

Nonprofits are playing an increasingly important role in driving drug research and development and the Chordoma Foundation is among those that are leading the way.

Genomics field gets a boost with rare-cancer breakthrough

Today, scientists made a major step in cancer research; they identified the underlying genetic cause behind a rare form of carcinoma cancer, chordoma.

This discovery puts the emerging field of genomics on the map, may speed up the drug approval process, and reduces the risks associated with groundbreaking research for venture-funded biotech companies. For genetics researchers, it adds credence to the theory that studying rare cancers may reveal more fundamental aspects of cancer biology that are relevant across all types.

What Can Tempt Researchers to Try Tackling a Tough Job? Try Offering a Prize

Cell lines are critically important to cancer researchers, but developing them is frequently time-consuming, frustrating and unglamorous work.

In 2010, the Chordoma Foundation partnered with Innocentive to launch a cell-line challenge, offering $10,000 prizes to researchers in order to  to accelerate the search for treatments.

Seattle’s Sage Bionetworks seeks a drug-discovery revolution

Josh Sommer’s talk at the Sage Congress inspired scientists, and pharmaceutical company executives to share and collaborate to speed the pace of drug development.

“The crowd, recalled conference organizer Stephen Friend, fell silent. All those brainiacs and fancy pants knew the problem wasn’t chordoma research, per se. It was them. It was how they kept their own cancer research to themselves. Their diabetes research. Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, you name it.”

New cancer report: Targeted therapies a success

Josh Sommer spoke alongside distinguished leaders in the field of cancer research at a press conference in Washington, DC announcing the release of the AACR Cancer Progress report 2011. Josh’s talk, which begins at 42:30 in this webcast, highlighted the progress in chordoma research, and urged increases in federal funding of cancer research in order to capitalize on powerful new technologies.

Silke Brüderlein has “Green Fingers” for Cell Cultures

Cell biologist Silke Brüderlein at the University of Ulm has a knack for establishing cell lines from difficult-to-grow tumors. For creating the first two valid chordoma cell lines, the Chordoma Foundation awarded Dr. Brüderlein a $10,000 prize. Now she continues working to create novel cell lines and has a full pipeline of new chordoma cell lines in development.

Chordoma Patients Surviving Longer

Patients with chordoma are surviving longer, according to data reported at the Third International Chordoma Research Workshop, held in Bethesda, Maryland.

In a reanalysis of nationwide cancer registry Mary McMaster, MD, from the National Cancer Institute’s Genetics Epidemiology Branch found that the median survival of chordoma patients has increased from seven to nine years.

Open innovation – an emerging hope for biopharma?

Biomedical innovation is impeded by, among other things, constrained communication and interaction between scientists; knowledge turns need to be accelerated, and scientists in different labs need to share data and information as if working side-by-side.

Engineering Progress against a Rare Cancer

An indepth look at chordoma research and the progress catalyzed by the Chordoma Foundation, including development of therapies targeting brachyury, a gene recently discovered to be important for both sporadic and familial chordoma.

Advocate Q&A: Tackling a Rare Cancer

CR magazine’s interview with Chordoma Foundation founder Josh Sommer on how the foundation was formed and how it has aided collaboration in cancer research.

Cancer and the Business of Medicine

On NPR’s To The Point, Josh Sommer speaks on a panel of experts about the challenges and opportunities the Chordoma Foundation faces in trying to cure chordoma, and conveys the urgency with which patients need research to move faster. (Josh is on at 30:40 and 40:45)

Desperately seeking cures

Sharon Begley explores the reasons why more discoveries don’t translate into cures. The Chordoma Foundation is mentioned as an example of how a nonprofit organization can accelerate the development of new treatments by facilitating the exchange of scientific materials needed for research.

Searching for your own cure

TV reporter Bob Buckley chronicle’s the story of Chordoma Foundation co-founders Josh and Simone Sommer’s urgent mission to find a cure.

Patient as Catalyst

The Chordoma Foundation’s innovative approach becomes a model for research in rare diseases.

The Loneliness of Fighting a Rare Cancer

Wall Street Journal Reporter, Amy Dockser Marcus, highlights the Chordoma Foundation as a model of innovation in the search for treatments for rare cancers.

Taking Another Step Towards a Cure

Researchers from Duke University Medical Center and the National Cancer Institute pinpoint abnormal genes as cause of familial chordoma.

Teaming Up to Tackle a Deadly Cancer

Survivor Daniel Alter’s battle against chordoma leads him to the Chordoma Foundation.

Racing to Find the Cure for His Own Cancer

Josh Sommer is named Person of the Week by ABC World News Tonight.

Exploring Rare Cancers

Chordoma Foundation’s work with Duke researchers is featured in the Duke Cancer Center Newsletter.

Reporter’s notebook: Courage to Cure Cancer

When Josh Sommer was diagnosed with cancer, he went to work in a lab to find a cure. NBC’s Jenna Wolfe reports on NBC TODAY Show how Sommer’s efforts grew into the Chordoma Foundation.

College Student Fights His Own Cancer

Duke student and chordoma survivor researches to find a cure for his own disease, featured in Associated Press and syndicated by papers across the US. Audio slideshow available here.

Junior Leads Charge Against Disease

The work of Josh Sommer and the Chordoma Foundation featured in The Chronicle, the student-run newspaper of the Duke community.

Patient leads fight for his life

Josh and Simone Sommer featured in Raleigh News and Observer about early efforts to spur research for chordoma.

Curing Chordoma

Josh and Simone Sommer interviewed on NPR’s The State of Things with Frank Stacio.

Fighting Time, Greensboro Man Encourages Study of Rare Disease

The Chordoma Foundation`s efforts to find a cure are featured in Triad Philanthrophy.