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- Posted Wednesday September 2, 2015
Seena Magowitz Foundation presents $1 million for TGen's pancreatic cancer research
Honorary Tournament Chairman Gary Fazio and home furnishings industry recognized for building support to fight this deadly disease
PHOENIX, Ariz. - Sept. 2, 2015 - With a focus
on supporting development of an early detection test for pancreatic
cancer, the Seena Magowitz Foundation has presented $1 million to
the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).
Dr. Daniel Von Hoff, a world leader in research and drug
development, leads TGen's pancreatic cancer research efforts.
Through the Seena Magowitz Golf Classic, a well-known and
well-attended annual charity event in the home furnishings
industry, the Magowitz Foundation brings together industry leaders
from across the country in support of pancreatic cancer research
and treatment. Gary T. Fazio, who recently announced his retirement
as CEO of Serta Simmons Bedding LLC, chaired this year's 13th
annual golf classic held in Orlando.
Roger E. Magowitz, President of the Seena Magowitz Foundation,
praised Fazio for playing a key role in helping make this year's
golf event the most successful ever, helping generate substantial
contributions and much needed attention to the challenges facing
patients, families, doctors and researchers battling pancreatic
cancer on many fronts.
"This disease usually is not diagnosed until its late stages, when
it is very difficult to treat," Magowitz said. "Gary's
extraordinary efforts engaged everyone at Serta and Simmons, and
many throughout the home furnishing industry, to enlist in this
cause and pave the way for TGen to find new ways that pancreatic
cancer can be detected early and bring renewed hope to pancreatic
cancer patients."
During a recent furniture market meeting in Las Vegas, Gary
Fazio's successor, Michael Traub, recently named President of Serta
Simmons Bedding, joined other senior officials of Serta Simmons to
recognize Fazio's leadership and accomplishments. While there, they
were joined by Magowitz to present Dr. Von Hoff and other TGen
officials with a check for $1 million from the Magowitz Foundation,
including $600,000 raised by Serta Simmons.
This year, pancreatic cancer will take the lives of more than
40,000 Americans, making it the nation's fourth leading cause of
cancer-related death. Median survival for patients with advanced
disease is less than 6 months following diagnosis, and the 5-year
survival rate is less than 10 percent for all patients. Pancreatic
cancer's lethal nature stems from its propensity to rapidly spread
to distant organs, especially the liver and the lungs. Survival
remains low partly because no early screening test exists.
Under Dr. Von Hoff's leadership, TGen has made major progress in
treating pancreatic cancer, most notably through the work of its
Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C) Pancreatic Cancer Dream Team, (co-led by
Dr. Von Hoff) and its clinical research. The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) in 2013 approved the use of albumin-bound
paclitaxel (Abraxane) in combination with gemcitabine as a
front-line therapy for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.
The Seena Magowitz Foundation helped fund the Abraxane pancreatic
cancer clinical trials.
"Thanks to Roger Magowitz and the Seena Magowitz Foundation, Gary
Fazio, Serta Simmons, and our many supporters across the home
furnishings industry, we have made significant progress against
pancreatic cancer," said TGen Foundation President Michael Bassoff.
"We at TGen look forward to putting this additional support to work
immediately on early detection and better treatments for the
patients who need our help today."
Major sponsors of this year's event were: Serta, Simmons, Mattress
Firm, Leggett & Platt, Sleep Inc, and Tempur Sealy.
For more information about the Seena Magowitz Foundation, visit www.seenamagowitzfoundation.org
or contact Roger Magowitz at 602-524-7636 or [email protected].
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About TGen
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix,
Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting
groundbreaking research with life changing results. TGen is focused
on helping patients with cancer, neurological disorders and
diabetes, through cutting edge translational research (the process
of rapidly moving research towards patient benefit). TGen
physicians and scientists work to unravel the genetic components of
both common and rare complex diseases in adults and children.
Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical
communities literally worldwide, TGen makes a substantial
contribution to help our patients through efficiency and
effectiveness of the translational process Find out more about TGen
pancreatic cancer research at: www.tgen.org/onemore.
For more
information, visit:www.tgen.org. Follow TGen on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter @TGen.
Press Contact:
Steve Yozwiak
TGen Senior Science Writer
602-343-8704
[email protected]
