THE THERAPEUTIC SCENARIO IN ONCOLOGY

Since the 1970s, oncology has been the field of medicine that witnessed the most rapid pace of therapeutic improvements especially thanks to the establishment of a multidisciplinary approach for the combined treatment of cancer patients, and the exponential discovery and fruition of innovative anticancer drugs.

The progress of cancer therapy is closely linked to the continuously growing knowledge on the pathogenesis of many tumours, the ability to find new druggable targets that emerged from basic research, and the effectiveness of the medical and scientific community in translating new knowledge and innovation into useful new therapeutic options.

Cancer therapy has rapidly evolved from the empirical chemotherapy of the 1970s and 1990s to molecular targeted therapies and antibody drug conjugates that more selectively hit the mechanisms of tumour growth. The advent of cancer immunotherapy has widened the arena of tumors that can be cured event in advanced stage, and cell and gene therapies are becoming real option to exploit for the benefit of cancer patients.

HISTORY OF THE FOUNDATION

In 1999 Gianni Bonadonna was one of the founders of Fondazione Michelangelo, a non-profit organization for the advancement of knowledge and treatment of cancer. Since its origin one of the main goals of the Foundation has been the national and international cooperation for the conduct of clinical studies and biological research to achieve the optimal application of new therapies and the interpretation of the results, and to foster the education of medical doctors in oncology.

In March 2017, Fondazione Michelangelo has launched the “Fondazione Gianni Bonadonna” a non-profit organization for innovative therapies in oncology to pursue the legacy of Gianni Bonadonna, a founding father of modern oncology.

The goal of Fondazione Gianni Bonadonna is to become a reference hub for all stakeholders involved – Academia, Pharmaceutical Industry, Biotech – and catalyse the clinical applicability of useful innovative therapies for cancer patients.

Luca Gianni, close collaborator of Gianni Bonadonna during his entire career, is the current President of Fondazione Gianni Bonadonna.