With a Focus on Immunotherapy, a San Diego Cancer Research Funder Is Expanding its Reach

Illustration of T-Cells of the immune System attacking growing Cancer cells. IMAGE: SPECTRAL-DESIGN/SHUTTERSTOCK

Unless you have been part of the cancer research community in San Diego, you may not have heard of the Immunotherapy Foundation, but that may soon change. The funder was established in 2015 by investor Ralph Whitworth and his wife Fernanda Whitworth, following the recurrence of Ralph’s oropharyngeal cancer. With treatment options for his illness dwindling, the Whitworths learned about the emerging field of immunotherapy, which aims to direct the body’s own immune system to fight various cancers.

Ralph Whitworth, who was first diagnosed with cancer on the same day he was named chairman of the board of Hewlett-Packard, succumbed to his illness in 2016. But that was not before the Whitworths, residents of the San Diego area, created the Immunotherapy Foundation to support and accelerate research in the field. Fernanda Whitworth continues as foundation president. While immunotherapy can potentially address many types of cancers, the foundation’s focus is on those driven by human papillomavirus (HPV). This includes six types of cancers, including cervical cancer, which cause more than 33,000 cases annually.

The Whitworths’ founding $1.5 million gift and personal efforts led to a new partnership between UCSD’s Moores Cancer Center and the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, which quickly became a key site for immunotherapy research. The foundation has been supporting research on HPV-related cancers, particularly those of the head and neck, focusing on three broad immunotherapy categories: adoptive cell therapies, personalized vaccines and novel drugs. At least three projects the foundation has funded have advanced to human trials.

To raise additional funds in subsequent years, the foundation’s fundraising activities included annual rock concert events—Ralph was the kind of guy who could get bands like the Rolling Stones to perform at the events. Impressive as that was, the Immunotherapy Foundation is now a foundation in transition. In the last year, it has begun the process of evolving from a local funder to one with a regional, national and international scope, working to advance research as well as the HPV vaccination rates that can prevent many cancers before they occur.

“If we can play in the $3 million to $5 million range, it’s going to take a little more than a great rock and roll event,” said Christina Jordan, executive director of the Immunotherapy Foundation. “It’s going to take a fundraising strategy to get there.”

Since 2017, the foundation has largely focused on support for research into tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), which led to the development of a personalized cancer vaccine that could address solid tumors associated with several types of cancers, including lung, melanoma and pancreatic. Now, says Jordan, IF is also broadening its strategy and support into immunotherapy research for more cancers, including breast cancer.

In fact, hiring Jordan was one of the first steps in that evolution. She had spent 17 years at San Diego-area Sharp Healthcare, a not-for-profit regional healthcare group, where she’d run some substantial fundraising initiatives, including raising $60 million for a new medical center building. During 2020, the foundation’s first capital campaign had raised $5.1 million, with a goal of $6 million by the end of 2020.