August 10, 2020 (CAMBRIDGE, MA) – The Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MassBio®) today announced that Dr. Kenneth C. Anderson, Program Director of the Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center and LeBow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Kraft Family Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, will receive the second annual State of Possible Award. The award will be presented by Morgan Stanley during MassBio’s virtual 2020 State of Possible Conference on August 27th.
This annual award was created to honor individuals who have contributed significantly to the well-being of Massachusetts’ citizens. Eligible recipients must represent an organization with a commitment to bettering or protecting Massachusetts residents’ lives and/or their Massachusetts employees, be a leader in their communities, and create possibilities for the future of Massachusetts. Dr. Anderson’s leadership at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School exceeded our criteria in every way.
“It’s Dr. Anderson’s leadership in Massachusetts and across the world that is creating future possibilities for patients, including me as a multiple myeloma survivor,” said David Lucchino, Co-Founder, President, & CEO of Frequency Therapeutics, and Immediate Past Chair of MassBio. “His commitment to helping patients, making a difference in their lives, and treating them like family has set an example for what a physician should be. We’re honored to recognize his work at what has become one of the biggest events in the industry.”
Dr. Anderson has transformed myeloma therapy, pioneering a new way to identify and validate targets in the tumor cell and its environment to significantly extend patients’ expected survival at a time when there were few effective treatments for the disease. At Harvard Medical School, he continues to train and excite the next generation of myeloma leaders in basic, clinical, and translational research internationally. Lastly, as President of ASH, Dr. Anderson helped launch multiple new initiatives, including implementing new patient registries, defining an educational roadmap, and prioritizing research and efforts in sickle cell disease, immune therapies, personalized medicine, and hematologist recruitment and retention.
“I am extremely grateful for this honor, which I want to share with all who have transformed myeloma treatment – a dedicated team of researchers, caregivers, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, regulators, and most importantly, patients,” said Dr. Anderson. “Making science count for patients with bench-to-bedside translation of new therapies, while training the next generation of researchers and caregivers, has been my lifetime labor of love, inspired each and every day by our patients and their families. My heartfelt thanks to MassBio and to David Lucchino, whose leadership has helped fast-forward progress for patients in Massachusetts and all over the world.”
Don’t miss this opportunity to join MassBio as they honor the commitment Dr. Anderson has made to Massachusetts during the MassBio State of Possible Conference on Thursday, August 27th. Register for the conference here.
Media can register for the State of Possible Conference for free by emailing Jennifer Nason.