On behalf of the PharmaLinx LLC family, I would like to thank all of those who contributed to the success of the 7th annual charity golf event. Seven years ago, believe it or not, we — Lisa Banket, Marah Walsh, and myself — not only founded the company and began publishing PharmaVOICE but established an annual charity event. Since the beginning, we have been cohosting the golf outing with our good friends at AXIS Healthcare LLC, who have been invaluable contributors to the event’s success over the years. From the start, we believed it was integral to the PharmaVOICE corporate culture and mission to give something back to the industry and community. We also recognized that one of PharmaVOICE’s greatest strengths is the ability to bring together folks from all of the different sectors of the industry to help make this event a success year after year. (Please turn to page 84 for a full list of corporate sponsors.) For the fifth year in a row, the funds raised from the event will be donated to The Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (LIMR). LIMR, which receives funding from peer-reviewed sources such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as well as from individuals, foundations, and corporations to support its work, is an exceptional partner. LIMR has begun to focus its research efforts on a new class of genes that dictate cancer susceptibility — modifier genes — and that have a major impact on the progression or dormancy of early-stage cancers initiated by mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. LIMR also is expanding its studies of modifier genes to focus on how they impact susceptibility to age-associated disease generally. Studies in aging focus on cellular pathways that are known to regulate tumorigenesis as well as cellular senescence and longevity. Those of you who are involved in philanthropic endeavors know the value of having a nonprofit partner that is proactive in supporting your event and that provides regular reports on how the funds are being used. At this year’s event, held September 17th, Laura Mandik-Nayak, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, LIMR, and Todd Abrams, Ph.D., Director, Philanthropy and Business Development, LIMR, explained how the more than $15,000 raised by the generous contributions of our sponsors will be used to study the events that trigger the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which is an inflammatory autoimmune disease that causes chronic pain and joint destruction in about 3 million people in the United States. Current treatments for RA rely on suppressing the inflammatory response, an approach that can have numerous adverse side effects and is not fully effective at controlling disease progression. At LIMR, Dr. Mandik-Nayak is taking a different approach and is focusing on the triggering mechanism by which the immune system becomes activated to induce inflammation in the joint. “The overall goal of our research is to develop novel immunization strategies that can be used to prevent the resulting debilitating disease,” she says. “In the future, these strategies could lead to a new approach for the prevention and treatment of RA.” Once again, a sincere thank you to those who contributed and to those who joined us for a fabulous day of golf. We look forward to seeing you next year on September 15th, mark your calendars. Taren Grom Editor Catching up at the 7th Annual PharmaLinx Charity Golf Outing are Taren Grom and Micheal Harte from etrials.
