Foundation President Appointed to New National Cancer Institute Post

October 1, 2001 Bethesda, MD -- The National Cancer Institute (NCI) announced the appointment of Goldman Philanthropic Partnerships President Judith Goldman to the NCI Consumer Advocates in Research and Related Activities (CARRA) program. This new federal appointment will be instrumental in voicing the views of cancer survivors and their families to the federal government on NCI activities and programs.

The three year appointment to the CARRA program will begin on September 10, 2001, according to the NCI. As a founding member of this patient advocacy program, Ms. Goldman will work with a unique network of NCI staff, scientists and clinicians to improve and enhance NCI research and other activities. She will make recommendations on behalf of cancer patients on the creation of public education materials, the evaluation of patient-oriented research at cancer research centers, and overall cancer research plans and policies.

"This new appointment not only offers me an excellent opportunity to represent the community of cancer patients, it also gives me a chance to open a dialogue on our foundation's goal of seeking out new and innovative treatment options in the cancer research arena," said Ms. Goldman, an 11 year survivor of multiple myeloma, a blood cancer with a two and a half to five year life expectancy that kills 11,000 annually.

Ms. Goldman co-founded the Goldman Philanthropic Partnerships with her husband, George, a Lake Forest entrepreneur with more than 40 years of experience in developing investment partnerships, some in excess of $100 million. "After my illness went into remission, we set out to create a new kind of foundation designed to validate new research and treatments for cancer and other diseases, and then offer donors an opportunity to make creative research concepts a reality," said Ms. Goldman.

In addition to the NCI appointment, Ms. Goldman has been a voice for multiple myeloma patients through her testimony on Capitol Hill and through Illinois events such as Cancer Survivors Day. She has been instrumental in working with the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) by founding the Midwest Action Committee (MAC), a regional representative of the IMF, committed to multiple myeloma patient education and support. MAC sponsors public education campaigns designed to describe the impact of multiple myeloma on patients, identify treatment options, and validate the important role that physicians must play in the management of this cancer. Ms. Goldman also continues to play a critical role in four patient groups and publishes a monthly newsletter distributed to over 300 myeloma patients, doctors and nurses. She personally maintains a hotline for newly diagnosed patients.

Although she has been involved with many organizations, the focal point of her advocacy work in recent years has been the formation and launching of the Goldman Philanthropic Partnerships. The Goldmans initially formed the Judith and George Goldman Foundation in November 1998, and began to explore the feasibility of developing a charitable foundation that would establish unique partnerships to fund groundbreaking research that often fails to get government or pharmaceutical company support. This effort culminated in the July 2001 unveiling of the Goldman Philanthropic Partnerships.

By applying business principles to the research process, the foundation has established a new method of moving promising research forward through the concept of Inspired Ventures. Modeled after the limited partnership and venture capital business models, Inspired Ventures are comprised of dedicated donors, creative research investigators, and the Partnerships contribution and/or ongoing management. According to the Goldmans, the ultimate goal is to develop an Inspired Venture portfolio that will include visionary programs, unique treatments, and breakthrough research from around the country and the world.

"Our personal search for answers and for cures has identified several opportunities that have generated partnerships with key research institutions and patient advocates," according to Judith Goldman. Currently, the Partnerships has developed the following programs:

• Through a relationship with the Mayo Clinic, the Partnerships awarded a $300,000 grant to Vincent Rajkumar, MD, for his research on anti-Angiogenesis, which involves cutting off the blood supply to myeloma cells to stop cancerous cell growth. The foundation's identification of the power of Dr. Rajkumar's concepts has already led to several major commitments by the National Institutes of Health;
• The Mayo Clinic also worked with the Partnerships to present the Judith and George Goldman Symposium on Innovative Research in Myeloma, a three-day symposium which brought together leading myeloma researchers with diverse backgrounds from all around the world, providing an important opportunity to brainstorm and share strategies toward conquering this incurable blood disease;
• In October 2001, the Partnerships will be one of the main sponsors of Comprehensive Cancer Care 2001. This conference is supported by National Cancer Institute, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the American Cancer Society, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, The Kanbar Fund for Innovative Cancer Research, and the University of Texas-Houston Medical School. This integrative medicine conference is spearheaded by James Gordon, MD, chair of the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy and founder of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine. The conference will feature 80 leading practitioners who will offer three days of workshops for over 2,000 cancer specialists and patients.

"Inspiring new advances in medicine through these partnerships will require the combined efforts of dedicated donors, the research community, advocacy organizations and the government. And by working together, it's my hope that we can reach out to those afflicted with terrible diseases and ultimately give them another chance at life," said Ms. Goldman.