Luke’s Song and the Tragedy of Pediatric Cancer and the Power of Hope: Tim Brown of Children’s Cancer Therapy Development Institute with Host Richard Levick of LEVICK

In a deeply moving interview, Tim Brown, a former Vice President and General Manager of biotechnology at Genentech and now a volunteer with Children’s Cancer Therapy Development Institute (cc-TDI) speaks with host Richard Levick of LEVICK about their personal journey with their son Luke, from fatal diagnosis to the historically slow efforts to find cures for pediatric cancers. In a remarkably candid conversation, Tim discusses the loss of his son Luke (20) six years ago with a diagnosis without hope. The FDA approves on average 12 drugs every year to treat adult cancer but has only approved 12 drugs to treat childhood cancer since 1978 (12 approved drugs in 44 years for children). Since cc-TDI’s inception in 2015, it has pushed two drugs into three clinical trials to treat childhood cancer. Through the sadness there is also the power of hope, the gift of perspective, extraordinary love amongst the family and the courage to give new meaning to the tragedy by helping other families.