Six US research institutions get $540 million funding from Ludwig Cancer Research

Cancer research in the US received a critical boost yesterday (January 6) as the six Ludwig Centers at Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Stanford University and the University of Chicago received a total of $540 million as part of a gift from Ludwig Cancer Research, on behalf of its founder, Daniel K Ludwig. This new funding ranks among the largest private philanthropic gifts to cancer research.

This latest gift adds to the endowments established in 2006 to create the Ludwig Centers at each institution, bringing the Ludwig total funding at these institutions to $900 million. Ludwig's global contribution to advancing cancer research is now $2.5 billion.

"Never before has the cancer community had the knowledge and tools to probe so deeply into understanding cancer and discovering new ways to defeat it," said Ed McDermott, Ludwig trustee and president and chief executive of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. "More must be done in terms of funding to ensure continued progress in an era of shrinking global resources for research. Providing reliable, long-term support to scientists fosters high impact, innovative research and must remain a priority for the cancer community," he added.