Accelerating drug development for an ultra-orphan patient population

Josh Sommer, Executive Director, Chordoma Foundation and a survivor of a rare cancer called chordoma, and the co-founder and Executive Director of the Chordoma Foundation, a nonprofit working to improve the lives of those affected by chordoma, and lead the search for a cure. Under Josh's leadership, since 2007, the Foundation has built a global movement of patients, doctors, scientists and drug companies working together to bring about better treatments, better care and better experiences for all affected by chordoma. By developing vital research-enabling infrastructure and strategically investing in research, the Foundation has dramatically increased the speed and efficiency of the treatment-development process, resulting in a pipeline of seven clinical trials in the span of 10 years. For this work, Josh has been named by ABC News as a Person of the Year and twice was one of Forbes' 30 under 30 transforming science and healthcare.