BLOOD CANCER UNITED INC

A) RESEARCH PROGRAMS:AT BLOOD CANCER UNITED, WE ARE PUSHING BOUNDARIES TOWARD POWERFUL NEW THERAPIES. WE PROPEL GROUNDBREAKING CANCER TREATMENTS THROUGH ALL PHASES OF THE RESEARCH AND DRUG DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AND ARE PROUD THAT OUR SUPPORT HAS BEEN KEY TO ADVANCING 80% OF THE 153 BLOOD CANCER TREATMENT APPROVALS SINCE 2017.AS WE CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THE SEARCH FOR LIFESAVING AND LESS TOXIC TREATMENTS IN 2025, WE INVESTED IN EXCITING RESEARCH FRONTIERS, INCLUDING PRECISION MEDICINE, IMMUNOTHERAPY, AND LINKS BETWEEN MUTATIONS AND BLOOD CANCER-ADVANCEMENTS THAT ARE CHANGING THE PARADIGM OF CANCER TREATMENT. IN THE PROCESS, WE PROPELLED SEVERAL NOVEL SCIENCE INITIATIVES TO NEW HEIGHTS-MANY OF WHICH HARDLY SEEMED POSSIBLE JUST A SHORT TIME AGO.WITH ADVISORY INPUT FROM RECOGNIZED BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH EXPERTS, BLOOD CANCER UNITED FUNDED EXEMPLARY PROJECTS ACROSS THE ENTIRE RESEARCH CONTINUUM RELEVANT TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR BLOOD CANCER PATIENTS, FROM BASIC LABORATORY SCIENCE THROUGH CLINICAL TRIALS, AND FROM INVESTIGATOR-INITIATED RESEARCH TO PRIVATE-SECTOR DRUG DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCES. BLOOD CANCER UNITED IS DELIBERATE AND PURPOSEFUL IN FINDING AND SUPPORTING RESEARCH THAT IS MOST LIKELY TO HELP PATIENTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION, WHILE BLOOD CANCER UNITED DEDICATES SUBSTANTIAL FUNDING TO ADVANCING NOVEL TREATMENTS FOR BLOOD CANCER, WE RECOGNIZE THAT IT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE COMMIT TO IMPROVING PATIENT ACCESS TO THESE ESSENTIAL THERAPIES. TO THIS END, BLOOD CANCER UNITED ALSO SUPPORTS HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH WORKING TO IDENTIFY BARRIERS THAT PREVENT CERTAIN PATIENTS FROM BEING ABLE TO ACCESS THE TREATMENT AND CARE THAT THEY NEED AND FINDING ACTIONABLE SOLUTIONS THAT BLOOD CANCER UNITED CAN IMPLEMENT TO OVERCOME THESE BARRIERS AND ADVANCE ITS MISSION. TO DATE, BLOOD CANCER UNITED HAS INVESTED OVER $2 BILLION IN RESEARCH AIMED AT HELPING ALL BLOOD CANCER PATIENTS LIVE BETTER, LONGER LIVES. OUR SUSTAINED RESEARCH INVESTMENT OVER MULTIPLE DECADES HAS PAID OFF HANDSOMELY. THIS IS BEST DEMONSTRATED BY OUR SEMINAL INVESTMENT IN CHIMERIC ANTIGEN RECEPTOR T-CELL (CAR T) THERAPY STARTING IN 1990 THAT, SINCE 2017, HAS TRANSLATED INTO 18 FDA-APPROVALS FOR PEDIATRIC AND ADULT B-CELL ACUTE LEUKEMIA, FOR SEVERAL TYPES OF NON-HODGKIN LYMPHOMA, AND MULTIPLE MYELOMA. CAR T-CELL THERAPY HAS IN SOME CASES PRODUCED CURES IN PATIENTS WHO HAVE FAILED ALL OTHER THERAPEUTIC OPTIONS.IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, BLOOD CANCER UNITED SUPPORTED RESEARCH IN THE U.S., CANADA AND SEVERAL OTHER COUNTRIES WITH A TOTAL RESEARCH DISBURSEMENT OF APPROXIMATELY $81.3 MILLION. RESEARCH FUNDING WAS DISTRIBUTED ACROSS ALL BLOOD CANCERS.EQUITY IN ACCESS RESEARCH PROGRAM IN FISCAL YEAR 2022, BLOOD CANCER UNITED LAUNCHED THE EQUITY IN ACCESS RESEARCH PROGRAM, WHICH AIMS TO FUND HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH THAT WILL GENERATE ACTIONABLE EVIDENCE TO ASSIST BLOOD CANCER UNITED IN ADVOCATING FOR CHANGES IN HEALTHCARE POLICY, DEVELOPING PATIENT-FACING PROGRAMS, AND FOSTERING PRACTICE CHANGE TO EXTEND AND IMPROVE THE LIVES OF ALL BLOOD CANCER PATIENTS. EQUITY IN ACCESS HAS AWARDED NEARLY $18 MILLION TO RESEARCHERS ADDRESSING CRITICAL ISSUES SUCH AS THE COST OF ORAL ANTICANCER MEDICATIONS, THE ROLE OF HEALTH INSURANCE IN FINANCIAL HARDSHIP, AND ACCESS FOR EVERY PATIENT TO CLINICAL TRIALS. BLOOD CANCER UNITED RECOGNIZES THE CRITICAL NEED FOR HIGH-QUALITY EVIDENCE ON INTERVENTIONS TO INCREASE PARTICIPATION IN THERAPEUTIC CANCER CLINICAL TRIALS, WHICH ARE CONSIDERED HIGH-QUALITY CANCER CARE, PARTICULARLY AMONG UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS (E.G., PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOW INCOMES, PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN RURAL AREAS, ETHNICALLY AND RACIALLY MINORITIZED GROUPS). IN FISCAL YEAR 2025 ALONE, EQUITY IN ACCESS AWARDED NEARLY $5 MILLION TO RESEARCHERS WHO WILL IMPLEMENT AND EVALUATE NOVEL INTERVENTION APPROACHES DESIGNED TO INCREASE THERAPEUTIC CLINICAL TRIAL ENROLLMENT. THERAPY ACCELERATION PROGRAM (TAP)TAP IS BLOOD CANCER UNITED'S MISSION-DRIVEN, STRATEGIC VENTURE PHILANTHROPY INITIATIVE THAT SEEKS TO ACCELERATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATIVE BLOOD CANCER THERAPEUTICS AND CHANGE THE STANDARD OF CARE, WHILE ALSO GENERATING A RETURN ON INVESTMENT TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ITS MISSION. TAP COLLABORATES WITH BIOTECH COMPANIES TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL PLATFORMS AND FIRST-IN-CLASS ASSETS ADDRESSING UNMET MEDICAL NEEDS, EMERGING PATIENT POPULATIONS AND EVEN RARE BLOOD CANCERS.ESTABLISHED IN 2007, TAP HAS INVESTED MORE THAN $115 MILLION IN OVER 50 BIOTECH COMPANY PROJECTS. SINCE 2017, FIVE TAP-SUPPORTED THERAPIES HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA) OR INCLUDED IN THE NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE CANCER NETWORK (NCCN) GUIDELINES. CURRENTLY, THERE ARE OVER 30 ACTIVE CLINICAL STUDIES WITH TAP-SUPPORTED THERAPIES, INCLUDING SEVERAL REGISTRATION-ENABLING CLINICAL STUDIES IN BLOOD CANCER THAT COULD LEAD TO MORE FDA APPROVALS.IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, TAP MADE INVESTMENTS IN FIVE BIOTECH COMPANIES THAT INCLUDED THREE EXISTING BIOTECH PARTNERS AND TWO NEW UP-AND-COMING BIOTECH COMPANIES, TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE THE DRUG DEVELOPMENT LANDSCAPE AND TO SUPPORT CLINICAL TRIALS FOR BLOOD CANCER PATIENTS. SEVERAL TAP PARTNER COMPANIES ARE BASED IN EUROPE AND NOW, WITH HELP FROM TAP, THESE COMPANIES ARE RUNNING CLINICAL TRIALS IN THE US. TAP CONTINUES TO EXPAND ITS REACH AND IMPACT BY LEVERAGING ITS UNIQUE EXPERTISE TO ATTRACT MORE COMPANIES AND INVESTORS TO BLOOD CANCER DISEASES, AND TO EXPAND THE TAP INVESTMENT CAPACITY TO SUPPORT THE MOST PROMISING ASSETS.CLINICAL TRIALSBEAT AML MASTER TRIALBEGINNING NOVEMBER 2016, BLOOD CANCER UNITED LAUNCHED THE BEAT AML MASTER TRIAL, A COLLABORATIVE CLINICAL TRIAL TESTING SEVERAL NOVEL TARGETED THERAPIES FOR PATIENTS WITH ACUTE MYELOID LEUKEMIA (AML) DESIGNED TO FACILITATE FDA APPROVAL OF NEW DRUGS AND CHANGE THE TREATMENT PARADIGM FOR PATIENTS DIAGNOSED WITH AML BY DEVELOPING MORE INDIVIDUALIZED, EFFECTIVE TREATMENT APPROACHES. THE MASTER TRIAL INVOLVES COLLABORATIONS WITH MULTIPLE MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS, DRUG COMPANIES, A GENOMIC PROVIDER, A CLINICAL RESEARCH ORGANIZATION, AND THE FDA, ALL OF WHOM HAVE COMMITTED TO WORKING COLLABORATIVELY. IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, 135 PATIENTS ENROLLED IN A SUB-STUDY UNDER THE BEAT AML MASTER TRIAL.

B) PATIENT & COMMUNITY SERVICES:AN ESTIMATED 1.7 MILLION PEOPLE ACROSS THE UNITED STATES (US) ARE CURRENTLY LIVING WITH OR ARE IN REMISSION FROM LEUKEMIA, LYMPHOMA, MYELOMA, MYELODYSPLASTIC SYNDROMES AND MYELOPROLIFERATIVE NEOPLASMS. BLOOD CANCER UNITED OFFERS AN ARRAY OF FREE, COMPREHENSIVE RESOURCES TO BLOOD CANCER PATIENTS, CAREGIVERS, FAMILIES AND FRIENDS OFPATIENTS, ADVOCATES, HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AND THE PUBLIC. BLOOD CANCER UNITED IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING THE MOST ACCURATE AND UP-TO-DATE BLOOD CANCER INFORMATION. PROFESSIONAL VOLUNTEER CLINICAL ADVISORS WORK WITH BLOOD CANCER UNITED STAFF TO REVIEW ALL OF THE INFORMATION BLOOD CANCER UNITED PROVIDES THROUGH HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL AND PATIENT EDUCATION PROGRAMS, PUBLICATIONS AND THE BLOOD CANCER UNITED WEBSITE. SUPPORT SERVICES ARE PROVIDED BY PROFESSIONALS OR RIGOROUSLY TRAINED PEER VOLUNTEERS. ALL RESOURCES ARE PROVIDED THROUGH A VARIETY OF MEDIA - PRINT, ONLINE, BY PHONE, AND FACE-TO-FACE IN COMMUNITIES. A NUMBER OF RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE IN SPANISH FOR PATIENTS, CAREGIVERS AND HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS.FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE OUR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AIM TO LESSEN THE ECONOMIC TOLL ON PATIENTS AND FAMILIES TO HELP PATIENTS AFFORD LIFE-SAVING TREATMENTS. TO COUNTER CONTINUALLY RISING DRUG PRICES AND ALLEVIATE THE BURDENS FELT BY PATIENTS COPING WITH BLOOD CANCER, BLOOD CANCER UNITED PROVIDED 69,120 GRANTS TOTALING OVER $162M IN ASSISTANCE AWARDED. THE MAJORITY, $153M, SUPPORTED PATIENTS' INSURANCE PREMIUMS, TREATMENT-RELATED CO-PAYS, AND CO-INSURANCE OUT OF POCKET COSTS THROUGH OUR CO-PAY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. IN KEEPING WITH OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION, BLOOD CANCER UNITED RECOGNIZES THAT NEED EXISTS THROUGHOUT ALL GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS AND WITHIN ALL PATIENT POPULATIONS, INCLUDING THOSE TRADITIONALLY UNDERREPRESENTED. CO-PAY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THE CO-PAY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM SUPPORTS QUALIFYING BLOOD CANCER PATIENTS MEET THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE OR MEDICARE PLAN PART B OR D PREMIUMS OR CO-PAYMENT OBLIGATIONS RELATED TO TREATING THEIR BLOOD CANCER DIAGNOSIS. PATIENTS WITH PRESCRIPTION DRUG COVERAGE, MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES UNDER MEDICARE PART B AND/OR MEDICARE PART D, MEDICARE SUPPLEMENTARY HEALTH INSURANCE OR MEDICARE ADVANTAGE SHOULD CHECK WITH BLOOD CANCER UNITED TO SEE IF THEY MEET ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS TO RECEIVE FINANCIAL SUPPORT. CO-PAY ASSISTANCE IS SUBJECT TO FUNDING AVAILABILITY BY SPECIFIC BLOOD CANCER DIAGNOSIS. IN 2025, BLOOD CANCER UNITED AWARDED 35,302 GRANTS THROUGH ITS CO-PAY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. SUSAN LANG PRE CAR T-CELL THERAPY TRAVEL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BLOOD CANCER UNITED AWARDED 270 GRANTS EACH IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,500 FOR TREATMENT-RELATED TRANSPORTATION AND LODGING COSTS FOR PATIENTS WHO ARE BEING EVALUATED TO RECEIVE CAR T-CELL THERAPY AS EITHER STANDARD TREATMENT OR A CLINICAL TRIAL. SUSAN LANG PAY-IT-FORWARD PATIENT TRAVEL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BLOOD CANCER UNITED AWARDED 2,040 GRANTS EACH IN THE AMOUNT OF $500 FOR TREATMENT-RELATED TRANSPORTATION AND LODGING COSTS. URGENT NEED PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MOPPIE'S LOVE AND CHARLIE'S FUND, BLOOD CANCER UNITED AWARDED 9,119 GRANTS EACH IN THE AMOUNT OF $500 FOR NON-MEDICAL LIVING EXPENSES-INCLUDING RENT, UTILITIES, AND FOOD. LOCAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BLOOD CANCER UNITED AWARDED 989 GRANTS EACH IN THE AMOUNT OF $500 TO COVER NON-MEDICAL LIVING EXPENSES-INCLUDING RENT, UTILITIES, AND FOOD, ETC.PATIENT AID PROGRAM BLOOD CANCER UNITED AWARDED ONE-TIME STIPENDS OF $100 TO OVER 20,345 PATIENTS TO HELP OFFSET NON-MEDICAL EXPENSES. PATIENT AID HELENE & MILTON BLOOD CANCER UNITED AWARDED ONE-TIME STIPENDS OF $100 TO 1055 PATIENTS WHO RESIDED IN DESIGNATED ZIP CODES DECLARED FOR INDIVIDUALASSISTANCE BY FEMA, TO ALLEVIATE FINANCIAL HARDSHIP AS A RESULT OF THE HURRICANES. MEDICAL DEBT CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM BLOOD CANCER UNITED'S MEDICAL DEBT CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM PROVIDES ONE-ON-ONE, PERSONALIZED SUPPORT TO EMPOWER PATIENTS TO ADDRESS THEIR MEDICAL DEBT IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS: ADDRESS FINANCIAL CONCERNS, INCLUDING MANAGING EXISTING MEDICAL DEBT AND PLANNING FOR UPCOMING MEDICAL EXPENSES; IDENTIFY RESOURCES SUCH AS CHARITY CARE ORGANIZATIONS OR MANUFACTURER PATIENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS THAT MAY REDUCE THE FINANCIAL BURDEN; ASSIST WITH INSURANCE PLAN EVALUATION AND ENROLLMENT, SUCH AS MEDICAID, MEDICARE, MARKETPLACE PLANS, AND EMPLOYER-SPONSORED HEALTH INSURANCE; NAVIGATE INSURANCE BENEFITS, DENIALS OF CARE, AND OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS; AND PROVIDE SUPPORT WITH CHARITY CARE, NEGOTIATIONS, INVOICE REVIEW, ETC. THE MEDICAL DEBT CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM HANDLED 1579 CASES, HELPING IN THE RESOLUTION OF $3.8 MILLION IN MEDICAL DEBT BLOOD CANCER UNITED IS NOT A DEBT FORGIVENESS PROGRAM, DOES NOT PAY OFF MEDICAL DEBT, AND CANNOT ASSIST WITH DEBT THAT IS IN COLLECTIONS. PROGRAM CASE MANAGERS WORK WITH PATIENTS AND OFFER WAYS TO HELP MANAGE CURRENT DEBT AND PREVENT ACCUMULATING MORE. SCHOLARSHIP FOR BLOOD CANCER SURVIVORS IN 2025, THE BLOOD CANCER UNITED SCHOLARSHIP FOR BLOOD CANCER SURVIVORS AWARDED 285 SCHOLARSHIPS EACH UP TO $7,500 IN TUITION SUPPORT FOR VIRTUAL OR IN-PERSON VOCATIONAL, TWO-YEAR, OR FOUR-YEAR UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION.