Facebook's first president and Napster co-founder Sean Parker has donated $250 million for cancer research. The billionaire aims to hasten how information about recent researchers is delivered to cancer patients.
Syracuse noted that the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy was created using Parker's money and aims to unite six academic cancer centers and drugmakers.
"Everybody knows that we need to move forward and change the model [for cancer research]," said immunology researcher Jeffrey Bluestone. "The goal here is to rapidly move our discoveries to patients."
The same report said that researches on cancer usually have low progress because of various factors like costs, promotions and partnerships. However, Bluestone said that the Parker Institute aims to encourage collaborations among scientists and researchers.
According to USA Today, Parker decided to spend his money on this project because cancer immune therapy is at a turning point. He claimed that this will make sure useful research will be done without spending a lot of money.
It was also highlighted that the billionaire's donation is the "largest" amount ever donated for cancer immunotherapy and research. The move also comes a few months after US President Barack Obama called for a $1 billion fund for cancer research.
"The new Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy in San Francisco will fund 'high risk best ideas' that may not get funded by the government," Bluestone told USA Today. Aside from this aim, researchers hope to eventually increase the survival rates of cancer patients through good researchers.
USA Today highlighted that this is much needed in the country since, in the past 20 years, the survival rate for lung cancer patients has improved a little, from 13 percent to 17 percent. With the Parker Institute, the Napster co-founder said he hopes that immune therapy will not anymore be a "last resort" for cancer patients. Parker explained that the weakened bodies and immune systems of patients may not anymore respond to this type of treatment.
