DUARTE, Calif .– (BUSINESS WIRE) – February 11, 2021
City of Hope, a world-renowned independent cancer and diabetes research and treatment center, announced today that it has renamed its preeminent diabetes research center the Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute in honor of its longtime director and research pioneer. Riggs’ scientific achievements included developing the technology that led to the first synthetic human insulin – a breakthrough that enabled the mass production of insulin for people with diabetes. This discovery, which fueled today’s global biotech industry valued at $ 500 billion, was followed by numerous innovations in the field of biomedical science. Today, synthetic insulin is used regularly by hundreds of millions of people.
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Arthur Riggs, Ph.D., Director Emeritus of the Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute in City of Hope. Photo credit: City of Hope
Riggs, the Samuel Rahbar Chair in Diabetes and Drug Research, also developed recombinant DNA technology that can be used to produce humanized monoclonal antibodies that form the basis of modern treatments for diabetes, cancer, autoimmune diseases, blindness, and a host of other diseases. These therapies include trastuzumab (trade name: Herceptin), rituximab (trade name: Rituxan), pembrolizumab (trade name: Keytruda), and many others that are among the most widely used cancer drugs in the world.
“Arthur Riggs is a true visionary and a scientific giant,” said Robert Stone, City of Hope President and CEO and Distinguished Chair, Chief Executive Officer of Helen and Morgan Chu. “Dr. Riggs has been instrumental in the Institute’s growth and achievement for over five decades as a researcher, explorer, mentor, and primary donor. His contributions to biomedical research have changed the lives of countless people with serious illnesses, and his mark on the City of Hope is indelible and will continue to exist in the institute that now bears his name. “
At City of Hope, Riggs not only dedicated himself to scientific activities, but tacitly contributed almost all of the wealth of his discoveries to support cutting-edge research in the development of new therapies to improve human health.
Over the past 30 years, Riggs has donated more than $ 310 million to City of Hope. His generosity culminated in a $ 100 million gift in January 2021 to help fund the continuation of the research he has been passionate about for more than half a century.
Until now, Riggs has insisted that his gifts remain anonymous so that they do not distract attention from his work. He decided to make his philanthropy public now, hoping to encourage other donors to join the City of Hope’s battle against diabetes and cancer, especially at a time when new therapeutic discoveries are needed more than ever.
“I came to City of Hope because the environment here offers just that – hope for people with diabetes, cancer and many other serious diseases,” Riggs said. “I believe so strongly in the promise of our work at City of Hope that one day, probably sooner than most think, we’ll create a diabetes-free world. However, we will only realize the full potential of this important work through the generosity of many other donors who choose us. “
The Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute is one of the world’s leading scientific organizations devoted to the study of the biology of diabetes and its treatment. It houses eight departments, including the Wanek Family Project on Type 1 Diabetes, and continues Riggs’ work under the newly appointed Director Debbie C. Thurmond, Ph.D., the Ruth B. & Robert K. Lanman Chair in Gene Regulation & continue. Drug Discovery Research.
“It has been a humbling honor to take responsibility for this institute that Dr. Riggs has built so purposefully and carefully,” said Thurmond. “It is perfectly fitting that it should bear his name if we continue the work he began – for the benefit of people with diabetes. His philanthropy is an extension of the generosity of the Spirit that he has shown to me and to everyone else who has ever walked through these doors, and its impact will remain with us for many years to come. “
About the city of hope
City of Hope is an independent biomedical research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. City of Hope was founded in 1913 and is a leader in bone marrow transplantation and immunotherapy such as CAR T cell therapy. City of Hope’s translational research and personalized treatment protocols advance care around the world. Human synthetic insulin, monoclonal antibodies, and numerous breakthrough cancer drugs are based on technology developed at the facility. AccessHope ™, a wholly-owned subsidiary, was founded in 2019 and is dedicated to serving employers and their health partners through access to City of Hope’s exceptional cancer expertise. City of Hope, a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, is named one of the best hospitals in the country for cancer by US News & World Report. The main campus is located near Los Angeles with additional locations throughout Southern California and Arizona. For more information about City of Hope, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.
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CONTACT: Letisia Marquez
626-476-7593
lemarquez@coh.org
KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA
KEYWORD IN INDUSTRY: DIABETES HEALTH OTHER HEALTH PHARMACEUTICAL OTHER PHILANTHROPY PHILANTHROPY ONCOLOGY OTHER SCIENCE RESEARCH HOSPITAL FUND RAISING GENETICS FOUNDATION SCIENCE
SOURCE: City of Hope
Copyright Business Wire 2021.
PUB: 02/11/2021 09:00 AM / DISC: 02/11/2021 09:01 AM
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210211005339/de
Copyright Business Wire 2021.
