Thyroid Cancer Funds Go to New Jersey Center

NEWARK, NJ--The Garden State Cancer Center has received a researchgrant of $605,000 from the FDA to develop a new treatment formedullary thyroid carcinoma. "The new therapy is based uponantibodies we have developed that target this cancer very selectively,"said Dr. Malik Juweid, director of nuclear medicine and principalinvestigator on the grant.

"In a series of more than 30 patients, we have shown thatby using radioactive isotopes attached to the antibodies, we cannot only find sites of this cancer when other methods have failed,but also approach therapeutically effective doses," Dr. Juweidsaid. The grant will support the research efforts of two seniorstaff as co-investigators and five technicians.

"We're pleased that the FDA has the vision to support researchto develop therapies for less common diseases such as medullarythyroid carcinoma," said Dr. David M. Goldenberg, founderand president of the Center.

Center to Relocate

The Garden State Cancer Center is the clinical division of theCenter for Mo-lecular Medicine and Immunology (CMMI), which specializesin the development of monoclonal antibodies for the detection,diagnosis, and treatment of many forms of cancer.

CMMI, currently housed at the University of Medicine and Dentistryof New Jersey, has received a $10.5 million Department of Energygrant to allow relocation to the site of the former Essex CountyGeriatric Center in Belleville.