Dear Friends,

It is often said that you can go fast if you go alone, but to go far you need to go together.  Since the beginning of ABC² in 2001, we have been fortunate to travel in the company of wonderful friends.  Because of this, our journey has taken us far beyond what we originally envisioned.  Now, in our 18^th year, the Board of Directors and founders of ABC² have come to believe that it is time for us to wind down the foundation and pass the torch to a new generation of leaders.  We are proud of what we’ve all accomplished together, and we are confident that the community we have helped build, and the seeds of the research we’ve planted, will bring us to a cure.

ABC² began when a wonderful man, San Francisco investment banker Dan Case, was diagnosed with glioblastoma.  Dan, who helped build what we now think of as Silicon Valley, faced this challenge with his characteristic vision, courage and thoughtfulness.  Together with family and friends, he created ABC² to bring an aggressive entrepreneurial approach to fighting brain cancer.  In fact, one of ABC²’s very first research initiatives forged a partnership with Genentech to bring the new drug Avastin to glioma patients.  Sadly, in a story we all know too well, Dan passed away during the foundation’s first year.  However, his family and friends recognized the importance of the work that they had started and they saw that it was important to continue on.  What they thought might be a 2-3 year project eventually turned into an incredible 18-year journey. 

Over this time, ABC² has grown from one family’s story to include so many others whose lives have also been touched by brain cancer. We are all proud of what we’ve accomplished and we are grateful for the supportive community that has made this possible.  Together we have helped shape national cancer policy; helped bring 32 new treatments into the clinic; and built foundational platforms in precision medicine, preclinical development, immune therapy and adaptive clinical trial design.  We have funded more than 120 grants that provided more than $22 million for research.  We have also been fortunate to play a role in building the vibrant brain cancer research, treatment and advocacy community that we have today.  However, we now believe that it is time for us to take this step and we are encouraged that the research landscape has grown to the point where our role is no longer so unique.  This makes it possible for us to look to our next chapter.

While we will formally close the doors at ABC² at the end of the year, we intend to remain engaged in the brain cancer research community.  We will continue funding research projects through the end of the year and we are working on ways to assure that the funds we have raised can be put to work to continue to fund ABC²-style research projects even after our closure.  We will be forever grateful for the friends we’ve made along the way and we thank the many, many people who have selflessly committed themselves to this cause.  Most importantly, we remain optimistic that in the not-too-distant future families will no longer have to endure the dire experience of a brain cancer diagnosis, but instead will see this as a condition that they can manage and go on to lead ever more productive lives.

If you would like to reach out to me directly about this decision or the path forward, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].

Thank you and best wishes.

Max Wallace
President and CEO
Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure