Science
IMMUNOTHERAPY
FOUNDATION
Changing The Odds
F
During the course of
amilies who have
their search, a fortuitous
experienced
phone call took place
an advanced
between Ralph and Dr.
cancer diagnosis
Ezra Cohen, a world-
are far too familiar with
renowned head and
the difficult decisions to
neck oncologist and
be made in the moments
researcher who was
immediately following
leaving his position
the news – namely, the
at the University of
choice of accepting
Chicago to become the
the limited, standard
associate director of
treatment options
The late Ralph Whitworth observing the expansion of human t-cells being
UCSD Moores Cancer
available or looking for
processed in the Immunotherapy Foundation Advanced Cellular Therapy Lab
Center. Dr. Cohen’s
new roads forward, at
vision was to help
any cost. For investor
unlock the promise of the emerging field of cancer immunotherapy,
Ralph Whitworth, building new roads was a way of life, a lifelong
studying how to harness the power of the human immune system
philosophy handed down from his father that fueled a pioneering
to fight cancer, rather than traditional chemotherapies and
career of activist investing, steering publicly traded companies
radiation. Believing in the promise of this new approach, Fernanda
toward profitability from the helm of his firm, Relational Investors.
and Ralph pledged to support these new projects, strategizing a
For his wife, Fernanda Whitworth, cancer had left its mark on her
unique collaboration between UCSD Moores Cancer Center and
life twice already, taking first her mother and then her aunt. Now,
the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology to create a novel
Fernanda was seeing cancer affect her family for a third time -
bench-to-bedside research partnership that would accelerate
recurrent and metastatic in her husband Ralph, after a grueling
the most promising cancer immunotherapy into human trials –
regimen of radiation and chemotherapy for his HPV+ head and
bridging the crucial gap into potential new cancer therapies.
neck cancer. At the time Ralph’s cancer returned, patients with
his diagnosis had few next steps – recurrence of this disease is
In early 2015, the philanthropic support of the Whitworth Family
particularly lethal, and Ralph was given only months to live. But
formalized into the Immunotherapy Foundation (IF), which enabled
neither Fernanda nor Ralph were prepared to accept the options
the construction and certification of an advanced cell therapy
on the table, and together began learning all they could on the
laboratory, recruited world-class researchers to its supported
leading research for Ralph’s particular cancer. Their determination
programs, resourced a neoantigen identification platform for use
to change the odds would help light the spark for a new vision of
across different types of therapies, and has helped to create a
cancer care.
thriving research ecosystem for San Diego.
16 GBSAN.COM | AUGUST 2018