LEXINGTON, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#GBMAGILE–Jeffrey Tarrant, entrepreneur, hedge fund investor, philanthropist, and
brain cancer survivor, has agreed to join the Board of Directors of the Global
Coalition for Adaptive Research (GCAR), a non-profit
organization working to speed the discovery and development of cures for
rare and deadly diseases starting with one of the most deadly brain
cancers – glioblastoma (GBM).
“We are very excited to have someone of Jeffrey’s stature join our
board,” stated Faramarz Yousefzadeh, Chairman of the Board of Directors.
“His business experience, reputation as a respected social entrepreneur
and most importantly his patient voice, will add tremendous value to the
diverse capabilities of our board.”
Jeffrey Tarrant, founder and chairman of MOV37 and Protégé Partners, has
more than three decades of experience picking emerging talent. Prior to
founding MOV37 and Protégé Partners, Jeffrey managed institutional size
alternative investments for private family fortunes and was a member of
the board of The Investment Fund for Foundations. Jeffrey is known for
investing in and seeding emerging managers, many of whom have become
renowned names in the industry. During this time, Jeffrey also created
Altvest (now a division of Morning Star), the hedge fund industry’s
first Internet-based commercial database and analytics systems.
Diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in 2017, Jeffrey received the
standard of care and then sought additional treatments in the U.S. and
abroad. Unfortunately, Jeffrey knows first-hand how dire the situation
is for GBM patients. Treatment options and patient outcomes have
remained largely unchanged over several decades and there is no known
cure. 95% of patients succumb within five years of diagnosis with more
than half dying within the first 15 months after diagnosis.
GBM AGILE, sponsored by GCAR, is a game-changer for neuro-oncology as
the world’s first global “adaptive” clinical trial for GBM. It was first
conceived in 2015 by an international group of more than 130 clinicians,
researchers, biostatisticians, imagers, pathologists, patient advocates,
and leaders from government and industry. The trial is designed to more
rapidly identify effective therapies for patients with glioblastoma
through response-adaptive randomization and a seamless phase 2/3 design.
“As a long-time entrepreneur and now a brain cancer survivor, I am very
impressed with this team and so pleased to see a patient-centered
solution to solving this disease. As a patient, I can’t afford to wait –
GBM AGILE will get breakthrough medicines to patients like me faster
than standard clinical trial designs. I believe so deeply in this
platform that in addition to joining the board, my family and I have
made a significant funding commitment to the project.”
Jeffrey was recently inducted into the 2018 HFM InvestHedge Hall of
Fame, which recognizes the innovative contributions of prominent hedge
fund investors. Jeffrey was founder and director of ARK, (Absolute
Return for Kids), a U.K. based charity with a mission to transform the
lives of children. He is currently a director of WITNESS, a global human
rights organization, and he is on the advisory board of The Angiogenesis
Foundation. Jeffrey’s philanthropic efforts include active support for
many award-winning social issue documentary films. Jeffrey Tarrant is a
graduate of Harvard Business School and University of California, Davis.
“GBM AGILE is an important step forward for glioblastoma and patients
who desperately need new options. As a more accurate and faster way to
evaluate new drugs, we hope to ease the burden of development in
glioblastoma and invite more activity in the space. The long history of
failure underscores the need for a radical transformation on how drugs
are brought forward into clinical testing. We now have a solution and
must act now, patients like Jeffrey are counting on us,” stated Dr. Tim
Cloughesy, GCAR’s Chief Medical Officer and GBM AGILE’s principal
investigator.
About Global Coalition for Adaptive Research
The Global Coalition for Adaptive Research (GCAR) is a 501(c)(3)
non-profit charitable organization, comprised of some of the world’s
foremost physicians, clinical researchers and investigators united in
expediting the discovery and development of cures for patients with rare
and deadly diseases. As its first priority, GCAR is sponsoring GBM
AGILE, an adaptive platform trial for patients with glioblastoma (GBM) –
the deadliest and most common of malignant primary brain tumors. It is
GCAR’s vision is to expand and replicate what is learned using this
innovative model for glioblastoma to benefit patients with other rare
and deadly diseases. To learn more about GCAR, visit our website at: www.gcaresearch.org
and join us by following us: @GCAResearch and www.facebook.com/GCAResearch
Contacts
GCAR:
Rachel Rosenstein-Sisson
rrosenstein.sisson@gcaresearch.org