NEW YORK, April 22, 2025 — Deerfield Management is pleased to welcome Mark Michalski, M.D., as Chief Information Officer.

Dr. Michalski brings over two decades of experience in healthcare, technology, and executive leadership to Deerfield. A pioneer in the use of artificial intelligence for healthcare and a board-certified radiologist, he currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Ascertain, a New York City-based technology company specializing in AI-driven solutions for healthcare enterprises.

Ascertain’s AI platform supports critical workflows in revenue cycle management, pharmacy, case management, and care transitions, enabling healthcare organizations to improve efficiency and outcomes. Deerfield led Ascertain’s Series A investment round and will house the company at the firm’s New York City headquarters, Cure.

Previously, Dr. Michalski led strategic business development for Amazon’s healthcare and life sciences business units. He also served as Founding Executive Director of Mass General Brigham AI (formerly the Center for Clinical Data Science), where he spearheaded groundbreaking AI applications in clinical medicine. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles at Butterfly Network and Hyperfine Research, both innovative diagnostic imaging and AI companies that successfully exited.

“We’re at a turning point in healthcare where data, technology, and investment intersect to create profound opportunities for transformation,” commented Dr. Michalski. “At Deerfield, we have the chance to not just anticipate the future but to craft it—accelerating innovation and ultimately delivering better care for patients. I’m thrilled to be part of this mission and to help lead the charge in making these possibilities a reality.”

“Software is changing our ability to understand data, drive organizational efficiency, and, within healthcare, improve patient care,” said James Flynn, Deerfield’s Managing Partner. “Under Mark’s leadership, Deerfield will continue to expand its ability to launch new software-enabled products and services and support best-in-class capabilities for portfolio companies.”

About Deerfield Management
Deerfield is an investment management firm committed to advancing healthcare through investment, information, and philanthropy. The Firm works across the healthcare ecosystem to connect people, capital, ideas, and technology in bold, collaborative, and inclusive ways. For more information, please visit www.deerfield.com.

Contact
Jessica Sagers, PhD, Head of Communications
[email protected]

NEW YORK, April 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Deerfield has been a long-term shareholder of Brookdale Senior Living and is one of Brookdale’s largest capital partners. Our enthusiasm about Brookdale’s future has never been greater and we support the Board’s efforts to extend Brookdale’s leadership in patient care and financial performance.

We believe demand for Brookdale’s services will well outstrip supply in a few short years due to demographics alone. Revitalizing existing communities and executing a growth strategy made possible through rising operating cash flows can allow the company to close the growth and valuation gap with peers. In our view, this can comfortably yield a significantly higher equity value.

Articulating a clear vision and establishing an incentive system to align stakeholders is foundational for the company to reach its potential. We look forward to supporting Brookdale as it brings new talent and energy to the Board and executive team.

About Deerfield Management
Deerfield is an investment management firm committed to advancing healthcare through investment, information, and philanthropy. The Firm works across the healthcare ecosystem to connect people, capital, ideas, and technology in bold, collaborative, and inclusive ways. For more information, please visit www.deerfield.com. 

Contact
Jessica Sagers, PhD, Head of Communications
[email protected]

• Deerfield Management to collaborate with QIA as part of Fund of Funds venture capital program
• Regional office set to open in Doha in mid-2025
• Activities to include upskilling local entrepreneurs and fostering the Qatari innovation ecosystem via a healthcare startup accelerator

DOHA, Qatar and NEW YORK, Feb. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Deerfield Management today announced a collaboration with Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) as part of QIA’s Fund of Funds program.

The partnership unites Deerfield’s mission of advancing healthcare with QIA’s commitment to sustaining a vibrant startup ecosystem in Qatar and the wider MENA region.

QIA’s inaugural Fund of Funds venture capital program was launched in 2024 with a primary focus on technology and healthcare amongst other fast-growing sectors. The initiative is intended to boost economic diversification, support local development, and bring global best practices and capabilities to Qatar.

In support of this program, Deerfield is set to open a regional office in Doha by mid-2025. The office will seek to support the upskilling of local startups and entrepreneurs, coordinate educational programs, and serve as a resource hub for healthcare-focused ventures in the region. The partnership will foster international collaboration and champion technological creativity.

Deerfield, through the Cure, will additionally direct a healthcare startup accelerator program in which a cohort of global and local entrepreneurs will work to sharpen their understanding of business and financial modeling; learn to conduct and analyze market research; advance the development and design of healthcare products; practice delivering effective investor presentations; and more. The accelerator program will take place both virtually and on the ground in Doha and will culminate in a pitch competition wherein entrepreneurs have the opportunity to showcase their ideas to interested stakeholders.

“Qatar’s rich cultural and economic environment makes the State a fertile environment for businesses to grow,” said James Flynn, Managing Partner at Deerfield. “In partnering with QIA, we hope to support local entrepreneurs and help a sustainable healthcare and life science ecosystem thrive.”

News of the partnership was announced at the 2025 Web Summit Qatar, an international gathering connecting thousands of entrepreneurs in the Middle East and beyond to investors, journalists, and technology professionals around the world.

About Deerfield Management

Deerfield is an investment management firm committed to advancing healthcare through investment, information, and philanthropy. The Firm works across the healthcare ecosystem to connect people, capital, ideas, and technology in bold, collaborative, and inclusive ways. For more information, please visit www.deerfield.com.

About QIA

QIA is the sovereign wealth fund of the State of Qatar. QIA was founded in 2005 to invest and manage the state reserve funds. QIA is among the largest and most active sovereign wealth funds globally. QIA invests across a wide range of asset classes and regions as well as in partnership with leading institutions around the world to build a global and diversified investment portfolio with a long-term perspective that can deliver sustainable returns and contribute to the prosperity of the State of Qatar.

About QIA’s Fund of Funds Program  

The Fund of Funds program aims to develop a strong startup and venture capital ecosystem in Qatar, attract venture capital firms and entrepreneurs to the region, and help close the current funding gap for local and regional entrepreneurs. The program, first announced in February 2024, will place a priority focus on the tech and healthcare sectors. The Fund of Funds program has a mandate that includes delivering a positive development impact on the Qatari venture capital ecosystem. 

Media Contact

Deerfield Management: Jessica Sagers, PhD, Head of Communications, [email protected]

Qatar Investment Authority: [email protected]

SOURCE Deerfield Management Company, L.P.

CHICAGO and NEW YORK, Jan. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The University of Chicago and healthcare investment firm Deerfield Management announced today the launch of Hyde Park Discovery, a collaboration aiming to advance the development of new medicines and other life-saving treatments for disease.

Over the next ten years, Deerfield will provide up to $130 million in targeted funding, as well as operational and scientific expertise to advance UChicago discoveries with the potential to become novel therapies. The strategic agreement brings together UChicago’s leading research and innovation capabilities across several key therapeutic areas and Deerfield’s experience in healthcare product development.

“The Biological Sciences Division at UChicago and the UChicago Medicine health system comprise a distinct environment that brings together basic researchers studying fundamental biology and physicians who provide advanced patient care. It is crucial to have the kind of support and innovative capabilities that Deerfield brings to accelerate discoveries and create meaningful results for our community and the world,” said Mark Anderson, dean of the Biological Sciences Division and the Pritzker School of Medicine and executive vice president for Medical Affairs at UChicago.

A joint steering committee made up of leadership from UChicago, the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Deerfield’s scientific team will evaluate projects based on several criteria with the goal of achieving Investigational New Drug readiness on an accelerated timeline. This operating model has the potential to bring new drugs to the market more quickly and cost-effectively.

“Our partnership with the University of Chicago and the Polsky Center underscores Deerfield’s conviction in the significant translational potential of the research that takes place there,” said James Flynn, managing partner at Deerfield. “In joining forces, we look forward to advancing compelling therapeutics together.”

“Bringing innovative ideas and technologies from the University of Chicago ecosystem to the world is the mission of the Polsky Center, and collaborations such as this help us make this goal a reality,” said Samir Mayekar, associate vice president and managing director of the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which houses the University’s official technology transfer office. “Backed by Deerfield’s scientific capabilities, we are optimistic that this agreement and the work that follows will result in new potential treatments and cures getting into the hands of the patients who need them.”

The University of Chicago is on the forefront of groundbreaking research and clinical development with a leading academic medical system, more than 160 interdisciplinary institutes and centers, and 50 state-of-the-art core facilities. World-class faculty bring together the fundamentals of medicine and advanced technology with expertise in computer science, AI, materials science, chemistry, and more.

“We are thrilled about partnering with Deerfield in the pursuit of commercializing discoveries made at the University of Chicago that have the potential to impact patient care,” said Scott Oakes, professor and vice dean of clinical science research in the Biological Sciences Division at UChicago. “This investment attests to the incredible science being done here and helps to advance our mission of bringing the fruits of that research to the world.” 

About the University of Chicago

The University of Chicago is a leading academic and research institution that has driven new ways of thinking since its founding in 1890. As an intellectual destination, the University draws scholars and students from around the world to its campuses and centers around the globe. The University provides a distinctive educational experience and research environment, empowering individuals to challenge conventional thinking and pursue field-defining research that produces new understanding and breakthroughs with global impact. 

About the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation advances innovative ideas and technologies from the University of Chicago ecosystem to the world. We are dedicated to supporting students, faculty, staff, and alumni, as well as other entrepreneurs and community-based small business owners in navigating the complex process of bringing new products, services, and research to market. For more information, visit polsky.uchicago.edu.

About Deerfield Management

Deerfield is an investment management firm committed to advancing healthcare through investment, information, and philanthropy. The Firm works across the healthcare ecosystem to connect people, capital, ideas, and technology in bold, collaborative, and inclusive ways. For more information, please visit www.deerfield.com.

Media Contact

Jessica Sagers, Head of Communications, Deerfield Management
[email protected], 332-323-0100

SOURCE Deerfield Management Company, L.P.

NEW YORK, Jan. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Deerfield Foundation, a philanthropic affiliate of New York City-based healthcare investment firm Deerfield Management, today announced the awarding of $1.5 million in support for 14 not-for-profit organizations in seven countries to improve the health of children and their families in 2025.

“At the Deerfield Foundation, we’ve been dedicated for nearly 20 years to funding initiatives that drive positive change in health, innovation and equity – especially for children and the communities where they live,” said Mark Veich, Board Member of the Deerfield Foundation. “Through our targeted grants, we support organizations working to create breakthrough therapies, expand access to care, and strengthen public health efforts, all with the goal of improving lives at the individual and community level.”

Since its establishment as a private, not-for-profit entity in 2005, the Deerfield Foundation has awarded more than $50 million to over 125 organizations. The Foundation administers grants in support of a key pillar of Deerfield Management’s mission: to advance healthcare through investment, information, and philanthropy. Its funding is supported not only by Deerfield profits but also by the continued generosity of Deerfield employees, who contribute to the Foundation’s effort to create lasting improvements in health and well-being across communities.

Organizations selected by the Deerfield Foundation will receive one-year grants to support initiatives focused on pediatric and adolescent health beginning in January 2025. This year, a volunteer program committee of 30 Deerfield employees reviewed funding proposals based on their potential to achieve direct, measurable impact, as well as opportunities for Deerfield employees to engage in meaningful collaboration with grantees. In alignment with the Foundation’s commitment to fostering partnerships, all grantees are invited to submit proposals by Deerfield employees, as the Foundation does not accept unsolicited funding requests.

Of the 2025 grantees, eight are based in the United States and an additional six are global organizations. The 2025 grantees are:

• African Mission Healthcare (Uganda)
• Achilles International (New York, NY)
• Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation (United States)
• The Matthew Larson Foundation for Pediatric Brain Tumors (Iron Matt) (Tri-State Area)
• May We Help (Cincinnati, OH)
• Peace Island Childrens Center (Uganda)
• Piers Park Sailing Center (Boston, MA)
• The Pradiya Foundation (Nepal)
• Project Sunshine (New York, NY)
• Swifty Foundation (United States)
• Health and Education for All (Bangladesh, Myanmar)
• Jeffrey Modell Foundation (Global)
• Manjushree Vidyapith Inclusion School (India)
• Pakistan Children’s Heart Foundation (Pakistan)

Augmenting the impact of its annual grants, the Deerfield Foundation and Deerfield Management established the Advancium Health Network in 2022. This public charity is committed to removing barriers to healthcare advancement and aims to be a leading force in health technology and innovation, focusing on areas of urgent need. Additionally, in June 2023, the Deerfield Foundation introduced a research award created in memory of longtime Deerfield Partner, Peter Steelman. The American Society of Hematology Peter Steelman Scholar Award supports research into acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a form of cancer affecting the blood and bone marrow.

About the Deerfield Foundation
An affiliate of Deerfield Management, the Deerfield Foundation is a New York City-based not-for-profit organization whose mission is to strive to improve health, accelerate innovation, and promote human equity. Since its inception in 2005, the Foundation has formed numerous partnerships and invested in the advancement of children’s health from clinics in the South Bronx to Nepal. Funds are provided through employee contributions and directly from Deerfield’s profits.

Deerfield contact:

Julianna Santamaria

[email protected]

Phone: (212) 583 – 8324

SOURCE Deerfield Management Company, L.P.

New York, New York – October 8, 2024 — Deerfield Management and the nation’s No. 1 school of pharmacy, the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, are pleased to announce the launch of an innovative certificate program for students, postdoctoral fellows, and professionals in biotherapeutics.

Titled “Molecules to Market,” this certificate program aims to bridge the gap between industry and academia by teaching participants the business fundamentals required for translating scientific discoveries into commercial products with potential to improve human health. Multidisciplinary courses developed and taught by experienced researchers and drug developers at Deerfield and UNC-Chapel Hill illuminate the complex path to successful commercialization of a scientific idea. Courses include:

• Translational Science
• Fundamentals of Regulatory Affairs
• Fundamentals of Biotherapeutic Market Analysis
• Business Planning for Biotherapeutics
• Preclinical Development
• Clinical Development

Admission to the certificate program will be available to advanced undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, and faculty and industry professionals who wish to learn more about the business behind developing a new medicine. Interested participants can enroll in any one of the available courses to earn an individual “microcredential” or opt to complete all program requirements to earn the full certificate.

“The Molecules to Market certificate program is a rigorous, rewarding introduction to biotechnology taught by specialists with experience along the road from lab bench to pharmacy shelf,” commented Associate Professor and Assistant Dean Mike Jarstfer, PhD, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. “The program is designed to provide aspiring entrepreneurs and industry professionals with a strong foundation for success.”

“For the past four years, Deerfield has partnered with UNC-Chapel Hill to advance promising technologies from academic to industrial settings. We are excited to now offer this expansive, accessible introduction to the world of drug development, which we hope will contribute to many other successfully marketed innovations in the future,” commented James Flynn, Deerfield’s Managing Partner.

The certificate program is designed to help students:

• Explain key scientific and safety variables that affect the success of a scientific idea
• Explain key intellectual property, regulatory, and clinical tractability concerns that determine the developability of a scientific idea
• Relate key market and commercial variables that affect the success of a scientific idea
• Communicate the scientific rationale, path to market, and findings from market analysis to key stakeholders

Interested participants are invited to visit the program’s website for additional information.

ABOUT DEERFIELD MANAGEMENT

Deerfield is an investment management firm committed to advancing healthcare through investment, information, and philanthropy. The Firm works across the healthcare ecosystem to connect people, capital, ideas, and technology in bold, collaborative, and inclusive ways. For more information, please visit www.deerfield.com.

Deerfield has not received or provided any cash or non-cash compensation in exchange for the statements in this press release. UNC has received funding and in-kind contributions from Deerfield in connection with the development of the certificate program. Deerfield and UNC also have a research collaboration. As a result of these relationships, UNC and the abovenamed individual may have an incentive to provide positive statements about Deerfield. Neither UNC nor the abovenamed individual have a financial interest in any Deerfield investment vehicles.

Media Contact: Jessica Sagers, [email protected]

SOURCE Deerfield Management Company, L.P.

To support doctors looking to preserve their independence while increasing their ability to serve patients, Deerfield Management is launching a joint venture with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

NEW YORK, NY – (June 17, 2024) —  Elion Therapeutics (“Elion”, formerly Sfunga Therapeutics), a biotechnology company dedicated to transforming the treatment of life-threatening invasive fungal infections (IFIs), announced today it has closed a $81 million Series B funding round led by Deerfield Management (“Deerfield”) and the AMR Action Fund. Additional investors include Illinois Ventures.

Elion’s clinical-stage candidate, SF001, a next-generation polyene antifungal, completed a first-in-human single-ascending dose study and is now being evaluated in a multiple-ascending dose study.  The active molecule is a novel analog of the antifungal amphotericin B (AmB), rationally designed to mitigate systemic toxicities. In 2023, SF001 received Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) and Fast Track designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for early antifungal therapy of presumed invasive fungal disease and treatment of invasive aspergillosis.

“Invasive fungal infections have reached historic levels of concern, largely due to increased medical reliance on biologic immunosuppression, more people with severe pulmonary disease at risk of IFI, and increased exposures associated with environmental changes,” said Kieren Marr, M.D., M.B.A., Elion’s President and Chief Medical Officer. “As we move into the next stage of our clinical program, we’re optimistic about the potential of SF001 to deliver antifungal treatment with reduced toxicity and the potential to address critical challenges with currently available options.”

Elion is led by Dr. Marr and a highly experienced team of experts who have been instrumental in the development of most currently available antifungal agents. Dr. Marr, co-founder of Elion and international expert in fungal diseases, served as Director of Transplant and Oncology Infectious Diseases at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine until 2022, when she became Elion’s Chief Medical Officer and recruited the leadership team as it stands today.

“The speed of development of SF001 to date has been impressive and is a testament to the world-class leadership team established at Elion,” said James Flynn, Managing Partner, Deerfield Management. “Fungal infections are a growing medical concern globally, and we have an opportunity with this therapeutic candidate to address millions of disease cases and preventable deaths that occur every year. We are excited to support this mission and confident that this financing will provide the runway to achieve Elion’s clinical development goals.”

“With resistance to existing antifungals growing and infection rates increasing, it is essential that we develop effective therapies for patients in need,” said AMR Action Fund CEO Henry Skinner, PhD, MBE. “The World Health Organization recently identified four fungal pathogens that it considers a ‘critical priority,’ including Aspergillus fumigatus. We are pleased to support the team at Elion and believe their work could deliver an important treatment for patients suffering from devastating fungal infections.”

ABOUT INVASIVE FUNGAL INFECTIONS

More than 150 million people suffer from serious fungal infections worldwide. Severe, life-threatening fungal infections result in approximately 2.5 million annual deaths globally. IFIs typically occur in individuals with compromised immune systems due to HIV/AIDS, cancer therapies or organ transplants, or those with severe lung disease, especially those caused by influenza and SARS CoV-2 infections. Only four classes of antifungal drugs are currently available, and antifungal resistance, organ toxicities, and drug-drug interactions complicate IFI treatment. This group of drugs includes AmB, a highly efficacious natural product widely used since the 1950s to treat a variety of fungal infections. However, AmB also causes kidney impairment, occurring in up to 80 percent of patients. SF001 was rationally designed to mitigate renal toxicities through increased specificity to fungal cells.

ABOUT ELION THERAPEUTICS

Elion Therapeutics is a cutting-edge biotechnology company dedicated to transforming the treatment of life-threatening IFIs. Elion was founded on the belief that mechanistic insights enable targeted optimizations of natural products. Today, Elion is advancing the first polyene antifungal rationally designed to mitigate toxicities and potentially transform the future of polyene therapy. For more information, please visit www.eliontx.com. 

ABOUT DEERFIELD MANAGEMENT

Deerfield is an investment management firm committed to advancing healthcare through investment, information and philanthropy. The Firm works across the healthcare ecosystem to connect people, capital, ideas and technology in bold, collaborative and inclusive ways. For more information, please visit www.deerfield.com.

NEW YORK, New York – June 5, 2024 – Deerfield Management is pleased to welcome Dr. Frank Nestle, M.D., FMedSci, as Partner on the Therapeutics team and Chief Executive Officer of the firm’s therapeutic discovery and development operations.

Deerfield Discovery and Development (“3DC”) plays a critical role in advancing early-stage therapeutics from scientific discovery through preclinical proof of concept and into the clinic. 3DC partners closely with principal investigators in Deerfield’s extensive research collaboration network, industry leaders, and entrepreneurs to provide deep functional expertise and experience spanning numerous scientific domains.

Dr. Nestle brings a wealth of experience to 3DC from his previous position as Global Head of Research and Chief Scientific Officer at Sanofi, where he oversaw all major therapeutic areas and technology platforms. Dr. Nestle played a crucial role in establishing Sanofi as a global leader in immunology, doubling the number of clinical candidates in development through promoting research productivity and leveraging artificial intelligence. He has been tenacious in the pursuit of external innovation, including the acquisition of major research platforms and clinically impactful investigational medicines such as amlitelimab, a promising therapy for atopic dermatitis.

“Deerfield’s partnerships with leading academic centers, state-of-the-art on-site laboratories, industrial collaborations, and connections with entrepreneurs create a powerful ecosystem designed to identify and advance new therapeutics,” commented Dr. Nestle. “The opportunity to partner and collaborate with stakeholders across the entire healthcare spectrum in traditional and innovative ways is extremely exciting.”

“3DC provides Deerfield scientists with the capacity to execute on discovery work ourselves wherever it can be done better, faster, or more economically,” said James Flynn, Deerfield’s Managing Partner. “Dr. Nestle’s expertise in expanding clinical development capabilities, identifying cutting-edge technologies, and fostering collaborations with industry, academics, and public-sector partners make him the ideal candidate to lead Deerfield to the next level.”

3DC is housed within Deerfield’s recently opened innovation campus, Cure. Located at 345 Park Avenue South in New York City, Cure’s 320,000-square foot facility provides a collaborative environment for healthcare, life science, and technology-focused companies, featuring wet and dry lab space as well as shared engineering, computing, and community-building resources. 3DC research scientists are currently advancing more than two dozen novel therapeutics, enabled by Deerfield’s collaborations with leading research institutions and industry partners.

Michael Foley, Ph.D., who previously led 3DC, will transition to a new position as CEO of Excelsior Sciences, a Deerfield portfolio company housed at Cure.

“Mike Foley has done a stellar job in building a cutting-edge scientific team at Deerfield, capable of advancing therapeutics across a wide range of modalities and diseases,” commented Flynn. “We are grateful for his contributions and have made sure he isn’t going far.”

ABOUT DEERFIELD MANAGEMENT

Deerfield is an investment management firm committed to advancing healthcare through investment, information, and philanthropy. The Firm works across the healthcare ecosystem to connect people, capital, ideas, and technology in bold, collaborative, and inclusive ways. For more information, please visit www.deerfield.com.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – May 6, 2024 – Deerfield Management and the Deerfield Foundation announced today they will honor the 2023-2024 recipients of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Peter Steelman Scholar Award at the second annual Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Summit. The AML Summit convenes industry experts, leaders, and partners across healthcare to further advance research on this cancer of the bone marrow and blood.

The AML Summit will recognize Emily Heikamp, M.D., Ph.D., M.Sc., and Sascha Haubner, M.D., as the 2023-2024 recipients of the ASH Peter Steelman Scholar Award for their academic achievements and contributions to AML research:

• Dr. Heikamp, a physician-scientist at Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, specializes in epigenetic chromatin regulators in a rare, often fatal type of AML. Her research has identified novel molecular dependencies in this AML subtype, contributing to the development of targeted epigenetic drugs that are in early-phase clinical trials.
• Dr. Haubner is a physician-scientist specializing in chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapies for safe and efficient targeting of AML. As a senior research scientist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), he developed a novel combinatorial CAR T cell therapy (termed ADCLEC.syn1) which is currently undergoing clinical testing for AML patients at MSKCC.

“Congratulations to Dr. Heikamp and Dr. Haubner, whose outstanding work embodies the legacy of the award itself, which honors former friend and Deerfield colleague, Peter Steelman, and his shared commitment to advancing healthcare,” said Ross L. Levine, M.D., Senior Vice President, Memorial Hospital Translational Research at MSKCC, and Chair of The AML Summit. “We are thrilled to offer this award in partnership with ASH, which we hope will help support and pave the way for improved therapies for those affected by AML.”

As keynote speakers at this year’s summit, Dr. Heikamp and Dr. Haubner will share more about their ongoing research efforts. Attendees will also hear from Simone Riedel, Ph.D., a Research Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Oncology) at the University of Pennsylvania and the 2022 recipient of the ASH Peter Steelman Scholar Award.

“Receiving this award as the inaugural recipient has been instrumental in further shaping and developing my research on epigenetic gene regulation over the past year. It has not only provided crucial financial support but also opened doors to invaluable relationships and resources within the research community,” said Dr. Riedel. “I offer my heartfelt congratulations to both Dr. Heikamp and Dr. Haubner, as well as future recipients – I’m excited and optimistic about the future of our work and its potential to make a profound difference in the field.”

The AML Summit will be held on Tuesday, June 18at Cure®, a healthcare innovation campus in New York City, and will showcase innovative clinical initiatives and cutting-edge research in AML. Additional featured guest speakers will include:

• Ross Levine, M.D., Leukemia Specialist & Physician-Scientist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; Chair of the AML Summit
• Simone Riedel, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Oncology) at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
• Emily Heikamp, M.D. Ph.D., M.Sc., Instructor in Pediatric Hematology – Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
• Sascha Haubner, M.D., Senior Research Scientist | CAR Therapy at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Scott Armstrong, M.D., Ph.D., President, Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center; Chairman, Department of Pediatric Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Associate Chief, Division of Hematology/Oncology at Boston Children’s Hospital; and David G. Nathan Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School
• Manuel Aivado, M.D., Ph.D., CEO of Stelexis
• Julian Adams, Ph.D., President and CEO of Stand Up To Cancer
• Jeff Spear, LLP

About AML

Adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a cancer that occurs when bone marrow generates immature white blood cells that do not develop normally.  Types of AML are defined by the maturity of the cancer cells at diagnosis, and the degree of their abnormalities. AML is the most common acute leukemia in adults. About 20,000 new AML diagnoses and 11,220 AML-related deaths, mostly in adults, will occur in the United States during 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates. Annually, about 75,266 people are living with AML in the United States, according to the CDC, and their five-year survival rate is 31.9 percent.

About the ASH Peter Steelman Scholar Award

Designed by Deerfield Management and Deerfield Foundation in partnership with ASH, the ASH-Peter Steelman Scholar Award supports exceptional academic research efforts focused on AML, and is part of ASH’s Scholar Award program. For many researchers, the period between the completion of training and the establishment of an independent career can be a perilous and uncertain time. Since 1985, the ASH Scholar Award program has helped ease this difficult transition by providing support during that critical period required for the completion of training and achievement of status as an independent investigator.

Recipients of the award will receive an extensive benefits package from the Deerfield Foundation, including: full funding for participation in the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting; an annual invitation, stipend, and research presentation opportunity at the AML Summit; biannual meetings with Deerfield Management’s Oncology Working Group and ongoing collaboration with Deerfield Management; and ongoing access to Deerfield and Advancium Health Network’s Science to the Street.

Named in honor of former Deerfield Management Partner Peter Steelman, the award commemorates his lasting impact as a dedicated team member and a compassionate individual who embraced everyone with acceptance and kindness. In his tenure at Deerfield, Peter was instrumental in the creation of Deerfield’s academic network, which today spans nearly 30 of the country’s most prestigious institutions. Peter will always be missed and forever remembered. 

About Deerfield Foundation

An affiliate of Deerfield Management, the Deerfield Foundation is a New York City-based not-for-profit organization whose mission is to strive to improve health, accelerate innovation and promote human equity. Since its inception in 2007, the Foundation has formed numerous partnerships and invested in the advancement of children’s health, from clinics in the South Bronx to Nepal. Funds are provided through employee contributions and directly from Deerfield’s profits.

About Deerfield Management

Deerfield is an investment management firm committed to advancing healthcare through investment, information and philanthropy. The Firm works across the healthcare ecosystem to connect people, capital, ideas and technology in bold, collaborative and inclusive ways. For more information, please visit www.deerfield.com.

Deerfield contact:

Rachel Pelletier

[email protected]

(440) 409-6274