For Patients
Patients are the point
Parker doesn’t provide direct patient care, but patients are at the core of everything we do. Our entire model is built around one important imperative: developing game-changing immunotherapy treatments, and getting them to patients who need them without unnecessary delay. Because if you or someone you love has cancer, you have no time to waste. Neither do we.
It’s important to note that faster doesn’t mean cutting corners, or skipping steps. Scientific rigor is non-negotiable. At Parker Institute, faster is about working across academia and industry to build a system where promising science doesn’t stall — so immunotherapy breakthroughs don’t get stuck, and more of them actually save lives, sooner.
Immunotherapy is changing the way the world thinks about cancer.
For decades, cancer treatment relied primarily on surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Today, immunotherapy has transformed cancer care by helping the body's own immune system recognize and attack cancer.
The immune system constantly patrols the body, scanning for threats. Cancer can develop when abnormal cells learn how to hide from the body's defenses, or prevent immune cells from attacking them. Immunotherapy works by helping the immune system find, recognize, and destroy cancer cells.
For some patients, immunotherapy has produced responses that last for years — sometimes even after treatment has ended. Researchers continue to explore how these approaches can help more patients, and more types of cancer.
What was once a radical idea is now one of the most exciting and rapidly evolving areas of medicine, with new therapies emerging every day. At the Parker Institute, we believe the next generation of breakthroughs will come from collaboration, innovation, and a relentless focus on patients. Every discovery brings us closer to a future where more cancers can be prevented, controlled, and ultimately cured.
Common Questions
Immunotherapy Clinical Trials
Every approved cancer therapy was once tested in a clinical trial, which is a carefully monitored research study that involves volunteer participants. This phase of medical research helps researchers determine whether new therapies are safe and effective, who they’re best suited for, what side effects they may produce, and how successful they are relative to existing treatments.
Participation is always voluntary. Many patients choose to join a clinical trial because it gives them access to promising therapies that aren’t yet widely available.
If you’re interested in learning about available clinical trials, you should start by talking with your healthcare team.
The following resources can also help.