CURE Media Group to Host First Annual Gala Honoring Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Heroes

CURE Media Group, which services over a million patients, survivors and caregivers across an industry-leading multi-channel platform devoted solely to cancer updates, research and education, will honor John C. Byrd, M.D., Brian Koffman, M.D., Christopher Dwyer and Lisa Minkove as the winners of its first annual Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) Heroes awards ceremony. The gala will be held on Sunday, Dec. 2, at 6 p.m. at the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego during the 60th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition.

“The CLL Heroes recognition program celebrates incredible individuals who have made a difference in the lives of people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. It is an honor to rightfully recognize all four of these individuals as heroes, and for their contributions every day in the CLL community,” said Michael J. Hennessy Jr., president of MJH Associates Inc., parent company of CURE Media Group.

Keynote speaker Chuck Pagano, former NFL football coach, cancer survivor and advocate, will join in honoring the following four remarkable individuals at the ceremony:

• John C. Byrd, M.D., is an internationally known researcher and clinical specialist in leukemia and other hematologic malignancies at The Ohio State University’s Comprehensive Cancer Center, Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, where he serves as senior adviser for cancer experimental therapeutics. Byrd’s work in moving drugs from the lab to the clinic has helped identify novel agents that are effective against CLL, including Rituxan (rituximab), Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), Zydelig (idelalisib), Imbruvica (ibrutinib) and recently Calquence (acalabrutinib). He is also developing new therapeutics specifically for older patients with acute myeloid leukemia. His goal to develop targeted agents is derived from his desire to offer patients nontoxic therapies that improve survival with fewer side effects. Despite his passion for clinical and translational research, Byrd’s favorite day of the week is Tuesday, when he spends eight to 12 hours in the clinic providing care for patients with CLL and other types of leukemia.
• Brian Koffman, M.D., is a family doctor, an educator and a clinical professor who has dedicated himself to teaching and helping the CLL community since his own leukemia diagnosis in 2005. Koffman believes his dual status as a physician and a patient offers him a unique understanding that allows him to provide clear explanations of complex issues, advocate for his fellow CLL patients and inform his fellow health care providers. He has done this initially through his blog and later by co-founding and serving as chief medical officer and executive vice president of the nonprofit 501(c)(3) CLL Society Inc., which strives to meet the needs of CLL patients and their caregivers through education, support, advocacy and research.
• Christopher Dwyer is a patient advocate who has spent years offering hope, encouragement and strength to others who, like him, are living with CLL. Many know Dwyer as the host of the Facebook group Bad to the Bone - Living With CLL and a top contributor to numerous online chat groups, including the Association of Cancer Online Resources CLL list and the CLL support group on the HealthUnlocked site. In addition, Dwyer founded the CLL Canada informational website. He also volunteered at a board level for CLL Patient Advocacy Group in Canada for many years and, through his hard work there, has helped many patients get the care they need by advocating for new therapies and diagnostics.
• Lisa Minkove was a patient advocate with CLL who left a powerful legacy upon her death on April 9, 2018. Minkove was diagnosed with CLL and renal cell carcinoma in 2010. In 2013, she created an international Facebook support group for women with CLL, small lymphocytic leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Minkove had the vision and skills to weave hope and humor into the fabric of the realities of CLL. Today there are more than 1,000 members of Minkove’s group sharing comfort, support and important research information in an effort to seek the best outcomes.

The CLL Heroes honorees are nominated by patients and caregivers for their heroic contributions in the field of CLL or in the individual lives of people with CLL.

For more information and to reserve a seat at the recognition dinner, please visit https://www.curetoday.com/cllheroes.

About CURE Media Group

CURE Media Group is the leading resource for cancer updates, research and education. It combines a full suite of media products, including its industry-leading website, CUREtoday.com; innovative video programs, such as “CURE Connections®”; a series of widely attended live events; and CURE® magazine, which reaches over 1 million readers, as well as the dynamic website for oncology nurses, OncNursingNews.com, and its companion, Oncology Nursing News® magazine. CURE Media Group is part of the Cranbury, New Jersey-based MJH Associates Inc. family of businesses, which includes the acclaimed OncLive® (http://www.www.onclive.com) platform of resources for the practicing oncologist. For more information, visit http://www.curetoday.com and http://www.mjhassoc.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181116005377/en/