DALLAS, TEXAS: April 15, 2015 –The MMK Foundation, a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) established by Mark and Marcia King to effect positive, sustainable change in the lives of children, citizens, and communities globally, today announced a gift of $75,000 to the Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers payable over three years in equal installments of $25,000. The Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers’ work is to bring innovative treatment options and personalized therapies to cancer patients while promoting hope and improvements in the quality of life of patients.

The work of the Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers transforms the latest cancer discoveries in the laboratory into innovative new treatments that directly benefit cancer patients and their families. Founded in 1992, the Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers have helped more than 5,000 patients through clinical trials and new treatments. They have developed quality assurance standards for research and conducted more than 450 clinical trials in compliance with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“Philanthropic contributions help advance new cancer treatment options for patients that would not otherwise be possible. Through our support, we can positively impact children, families, and friends locally and ultimately worldwide.”

There is a paradigm shift occurring in cancer care and the Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers are committed to changing the way cancer patients are treated. Their mission is to expand treatment options for all cancer patients through investigational vaccine, gene, and cellular therapies. They believe personalized molecular medicine will eventually transform the way patients are treated.

Dr. John Nemunaitis, Executive Medical Director for the Mary Crowley Cancer Research Center said: “While current research has advanced scientific knowledge about how cancer affects the body, there is much more to be done and at a faster pace. This inspires our scientists to work harder toward a cure and a higher quality of life for every patient. Gifts from donors help us continue our vital work to make advancements in the treatment of cancer. Our donors play a significant role in extending survival for our courageous patients.”

Through the expertise of the physicians and scientists at the Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers, patients gain access to innovative investigational therapies often well in advance of their approval for worldwide use. It provides access to these investigational options in a research setting with a focus on targeted cancer drugs available through clinical trials at the Mary Crowley clinics. Many of the targeted cancer drugs now approved by FDA were tested in early clinical trials at The Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers.

While the ultimate goal is to cure patients, the Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers ongoing objective is to provide novel agents in innovative ways to transform cancer into a manageable condition for patients while maintaining their quality of life until a cure can be found or achieved. Applying investigational and innovative therapies early in the course of a patient’s disease optimizes its effects and can prevent the recurrence of the disease.

Mark King, Founder of the MMK Foundation, said: “Today, cancer directly touches so many lives and the important work being done by the Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers to develop new treatments, apply personalized therapies, and bring hope and quality of life improvements to those dealing with a diagnosis of cancer is essential. Marcia and I are very pleased to support their efforts through our gift and look forward to an ongoing and long-term relationship with the Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers.”

About 1.6 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer this year. By 2030, the number of cancer diagnoses is expected to rise 45 percent. By then, oncologists predict cancer will eclipse heart disease as the nation’s leading cause of death. Years ago, cancer treatment accounted for just $157 billion of the nation’s annual $2.6 trillion health bill. Propelled by new drugs and an aging population, however, cancer spending is rising quickly. A forecast from the National Cancer Institute said spending could hit $207 billion by the end of the decade. Annual spending for the average cancer patient is already more than $20,000 higher in the U.S. than it is in Europe.

Marcia King, Co-Founder of the MMK Foundation said: “Philanthropic contributions help advance new cancer treatment options for patients that would not otherwise be possible. Through our support, we can positively impact children, families, and friends locally and ultimately worldwide.” Marcia went on to say: “Knowing that 100% of our donations will be directed to patients in need of another chance for survival and that we have provided financial resources for clinical research to make advances and improvements in the treatment of cancer is gratifying and in part why we created the MMK Foundation.”

At Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers the goal is to dramatically extend cancer patient survival until there is a cure. They focus on the most difficult cancers to treat, often after standard treatments have been exhausted while working to expand treatment options for all cancer patients through investigational vaccines, gene, and cellular therapies. The goal of the timely effective control of cancer gets ever closer because of the breakthrough work being done by the Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers. Their patient-centric model of clinical trial recruitment combined with the necessary infrastructure to conduct clinical research and collaboration with community oncologists has allowed the transition from a scientific concept to the development of a patient investigational therapy in an expedited timeframe.