Steve Case on working toward a brain cancer cure
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Steve Case outlined a revolution in health care, driven by patient choice and convenience, to the JP Morgan Health Care Conference in January 2005. He began his speech by explaining how ABC
2 came to be -- rooted in his family's own experience, with his brother Dan's brain tumor diagnosis, a vision of innovation and cooperation among doctors, researchers, government, industry, and patients and their families to step up the search for a cure.
"Thank you for that kind introduction, David. You probably are feeling a little like I am today -- that it's hard to be here without my late brother Dan, who initiated this investor conference focused on health. Dan was very special not only to his family, but also to his colleagues and friends, many of whom are here today. We thank you.
In fact, the story of my brother's battle with brain cancer is, in kind of a roundabout way, what brings me here today. It was Dan's courage and tenacity that launched an innovative approach to end brain cancer, and his experience as a patient that inspired my commitment to lead a consumer-based revolution in health care.
It was about five years ago that Dan called me late one night with devastating news -- he had a brain tumor. Dan told us not to worry and that everything would be fine. I didn't know much about brain tumors, but I knew they were bad, and we soon learned just how bad from the medical professionals.
Almost immediately, we met with some outstanding doctors and researchers and started asking questions.
What caused brain tumors? Nobody knew.
How could they be treated? Nobody knew.
Was there any prospect of a cure? No.
How long might Dan have? It could be measured in months.
It's amazing when you think about it. The "therapy" they were providing patients was the same that had been used unsuccessfully for decades. There had been little progress in understanding the disease. And in the new, sophisticated world of bio-tech there were only a handful of new drugs even being tested.
Because it often strikes individuals at a relatively young age, brain cancer now ranks seventh for adults and first for children in terms of years of life lost. One half of the primary brain tumor patients affected die within 12 months and few survive five years.
What was even more incredible was the "patient" experience. Every time we entered a doctor's office, Dan had to recite his entire medical history. He filled out multiple forms, many seeking the very same information. Sick as he was at times, he was made to stand in long lines simply waiting to give blood or a donation in a cup. A low point was when we simply couldn?t find a way to get an MRI transferred from one institution to another for consultation. The technology existed but the bureaucracy ruled the day. And worst of all there was little appreciation of the energy drain all this demanded of patients and their families.
Naturally, Dan decided we couldn't accept the status quo. It was his idea to bring together the best and brightest minds in the field, to address the central issue: how to catalyze a fast increase in medical solutions for brain cancer patients. The result of those initial meetings was Accelerate Brain Cure, better known as ABC2.
ABC2 was conceived as a nonprofit organization with a for-profit mindset. Larry Probst, John Doerr, and David Golden joined the Board, and we all agreed on a simple vision: increase investments of all kinds in the fight against brain cancer.
There were plenty of barriers to success.
First, a relatively small number of the best and brightest researchers were focused on brain cancer.
Second, that small group operated in their own silos and rarely collaborated on the search for new therapies.
Third, investment dollars to support preclinical testing were in short supply.
Fourth, the risks associated with drug development discouraged public-private partnerships to help get the pipeline flowing.
Fifth, there were no incentives in place to encourage a new approach to the problem.
We sought to build bridges and encourage collaboration among researchers, educators, medical professionals, industry, government, patients, and family members. This approach has had a remarkable impact in just a few short years.
By sponsoring collaborations, creating investigator awards to attract new research talent, funding pre-clinical testing, and forming a partnership with Genentech that has already resulted in the creation of promising drug called Tarceva, we have proved our model works.
To build on all this success, the board of ABC2 has decided to dramatically expand the innovative, collaborative, results-driven approach we have modeled for the last three years. At the same time, we know there is a glaring hole in the process still to be addressed: increasing the capital needed to start-up companies that focus on developing new therapies for brain cancer and other brain diseases.
The result is a bifurcated approach to accelerating new medical solutions. ABC2's outstanding founding CEO, John Reher, will now manage the newly created Brain Trust Accelerator Fund. Brain Trust, a $25 million venture capital fund that will close at the end of this month, will make investments in promising companies and technologies seeking to treat brain diseases.
Kate Carr, former president and CEO of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, will succeed John at ABC2. Kate has proved her willingness to take on a tough challenge -- pediatric AIDs -- that many thought was impossible. Now she will seek increase the power and performance of ABC2 with one goal in mind: making brain cancer a manageable disease. A cure for brain cancer may take more than a decade. But if we can limit the growth of brain tumors, we can make brain cancer as manageable as AIDS or diabetes.
But even if we succeed, I know that more work needs to be done.
No patient receiving medical treatment of any kind should go through the process that Dan went through. And if families receiving health care begin to think and act like consumers, they won't have to.
How much longer do you think people will tolerate paying more and more for care that does not meet today's standards of consumer choice, convenience and control?
How much longer will people put up with a system where they have to struggle for access to their own medical records?
How much longer will people accept a system that fails to recognize the value of life-enhancing and cost-cutting programs that promote wellness and healthy living?
I think we all know the answer. The clock is ticking down to zero."
The Case Foundation, 2008. All Rights Reserved.