Cancers
1 in 4 Malaysians are affected by cancer — we aim to reduce that percentage.
Lung Cancer
In 2020, 2.2 million people were diagnosed with lung cancer and 1.8 million died of the disease globally. Sadly, more Asians died of lung cancer compared to the rest of the world combined.
Notably, because we now know more about the different types of lung cancer and the different treatments that are needed to match each type of cancer, survival is improving for lung cancer. However, most of the new therapies which have been developed are unaffordable to the majority of low income patients.
Treatment
Today, there have been major advances in cancer treatment because of our understanding of what genetic changes cause cancers to happen (and which treatments can target these genetic changes and kill cancer cells). Such an understanding has played an important part in creating more effective therapies for cancers, but unfortunately, many of the therapies are unaffordable to the average Malaysian. Working with doctors in Malaysia and abroad, we are devising new ways of treating cancers affordably.
Notably, because we now know more about the different types of lung cancer and the different treatments that are needed to match each type of cancer, survival is improving for lung cancer. However, most of the new therapies which have been developed are unaffordable to the majority of low income patients.
Treatment
Today, there have been major advances in cancer treatment because of our understanding of what genetic changes cause cancers to happen (and which treatments can target these genetic changes and kill cancer cells). Such an understanding has played an important part in creating more effective therapies for cancers, but unfortunately, many of the therapies are unaffordable to the average Malaysian. Working with doctors in Malaysia and abroad, we are devising new ways of treating cancers affordably.
Our researchers aim to:
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Develop immunotherapy to treat lung cancers more effectively
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Test whether a lower dose of checkpoint immunotherapy may be effective for Asian lung cancer patients, so that doctors can safely prescribe a more affordable dose of the treatment to more patients.
How we’ve made a difference
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Identified unique cancer proteins that are found in tumour cells, which can be used to stimulate the patient’s immune system to fight cancer.
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Developed a collaboration with Ministry of Health and 9 hospitals in Malaysia to test the effectiveness of lower (and more affordable) doses of immunotherapy for treatment of lung cancers.
What we’re doing now
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Collaborating with biopharmaceutical partners to develop cancer vaccines for lung cancer.
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Conducting a clinical trial to test the effectiveness of lower doses of immunotherapy on survival of lung cancer patients in Malaysia.