The Max Cure Foundation Inc

“Line 2 explanation - richard plotkin, vice chairman,is the father of david plotkin. Elliot kervin is the son-in- law of richard plotkin.”

“Line 11a explanation - review for accuracy and compared to prior year”

“The foundation reviews its conflict of interest policy and where a question arises, consults with legal counsel and where aprropriate, seeks guidance from the board of directors.”

“At the board of directors meeting, the board voted and approved david plotkin's salary.”

“Upon request doucments are available for inspection”

“The oversight process and selection process had no changes during the tax year.”

“In 2018, max cure foundation (mcf) donated a total of $212,459 to other charities and to families in its roar beyond barriers program. 1.research - in 2018 mcf granted $125,033 in research donations. A. In that regard, $17,500 was directly donated by mcf to the max cure fund (mc fund) at memorial sloan kettering cancer center (mskcc) to be used towards funding research . In 2018 mcf funded dr. Curran's work on car-t cells and their use in immunotherapy which shows success in treating bloodborne cancers. An additional $5,000 was donated to the mcf fund generally. An additional $7,850 was donated in 2018 to the joy fund at mskcc which provides for recreation, arts and crafts and other amenities for pediatric patients in treatment at the hospital, bringing total donations through 2018 to the joy fund by mcf to $82,850. The total of these contributions towards the mcf fund at mskcc from 2007 to over $1,000,000. Since 2007 mcf is responsible for donations to mskcc in the aggregate sum of $1,180,000. B. 2017 began mcf's initiative to identify the most aggressive and transformational research efforts, thanks to funding through the connor fund (connor cures foundation) and through the elisabeth brain cancer fund along with the support of a number of other donors. In 2018 mcf continued its effort to fund research that would translate to treatment by supporting two researchers at the ann & robert h. Lurie children's hospital of chicago. C. Through the support of the elisabeth brain cancer fund, mcf provided a total of $48,683.20 to a labroratory in europe endeavoring to design a method that will allow the passage of cancer therapy drugs across the blood-brain barrier in honor of a child afflicted by diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (dipg), which is fatal upon diagnosis. Mcf has supported the effort to find a method of treatment via the elisabeth brain cancer fund with over $91,000 in research funding since 2017. Previously mcf had donated $40,000 to a researcher seeking a cure for dipg. D. Through the support of the connor cures fund and the connor cures foundation, mcf provided $50,000 to two researchers at the lurie children's hospital of chicago. $20,000 was provided to dr. Oren becher for his development of a crispr dna database targetted at developing more effective therapies for children with dipg. $30,000 was provided to dr. Simone sredni for her development of research into at/rt soft tissue tumors which will result in a more comprehensive sbir or r01 grant application to the nih. E. Mcf also issued a donation of $1,000, made to cycle for survival for their efforts to defeat breast cancer. 2. The following donations were made in 2018 to other non-profits: city harvest ($2,500); the parkinson's foundation ($1,000); coalition against childhood cancer (cac2) mcf is a founding member of this collaborative organization of foundations and others supporting pediatric cancer issues ($600); temple b'nai abrahm mcf supported the temple's casino for a cause event ($720); american cancer society mcf donated in honor of dr. Heather landau who was honored by the society ($10,500); soccer for the future a nonprofit that provides pediatric oncology retreats and programs themed by soccer ($1,000); mount sinai medical center to support an enviornmental advocacy event ($300) thus the total paid to other non-profits in 2018 to generally spread awareness of mcf and pediatric cancer was $16,620. 3. In 2018, mcf disbursed $74,606 in financial assistance through the roar beyond barriers program (rbb). A. In all, since inception of the program, over 200 families across 21 states have been assisted by the roar beyond barriers program. Since 2008 mcf has contributed in excess of $770,000 to families in its family assistance initiative. Such assistance takes the form primarily of issuing to the families monthly gift cards from walmart and sam's club to allow the families to buy necessities such as food and clothing. Medical expenses are otherwise covered f”

“A. Of particular significance in 2014 was the case of josh hardy. Josh had experienced four bouts of kidney cancer from the age of 9 months and in january 2014 at the age of 7, had a bone marrow transplant which resulted in his being diagnosed in mid-february with a life threatening adenovirus given that his immune system was totally compromised. The available medications which had been approved by the fda and which were used in josh's treatment were not working and as of march 7, 2014, he was given two weeks to live unless, according to his treating doctors, he was given an experimental drug known as brincidofovir which was manufactured by chimerix, a bio tech firm in north carolina. B. Chimerix declined the request by josh's treating doctors to give josh the drug consistent with its having declined since 2012 over 300 prior requests for the drug by terminally and seriously ill patients. Mcf agreed on march 7, 2014, to attempt to get the drug for josh which hopefully would save his life. C. Ultimately, due primarily to the efforts of mcf, josh on march 12, 2014 received the drug which is credited with saving his life. When the former ceo of chimerix is asked what distinguished josh hardy from the over 300 requests by seriously and terminally ill patients that the company declined, he advised that he answers in two words, referring to the foundation's vice-chairman, "richard plotkin." josh's health continued to improve over the 2.5 years following his being given the drug. Josh, at age 10, died on september 22, 2016 from complications caused by the cancer he had battled since he was 9 months old. D. In an article appearing in the boston globe magazine on july 19, 2015 by sylvia pagan westphal titled, "sick kids, desperate parents, and the battle for experimental drugs," the author, with reference to the events which led to the saving of josh's life, said: "the family was introduced to richard plotkin, [characterized in the article as "an aggressive patient advocate who masterfully choreographed a pr siege against the company"], a former litigation lawyer who heads the max cure foundation, which he founded after his grandson was diagnosed with lymphoma. With the same relentless energy once deployed in the courtroom, plotkin plunged headlong into the hardy cause, directing its pr campaign."”

“See also an article in the june, 2016, issue of harper's magazine entitled, "hashtag prescription, the hidden cost of crowd-sourcing a cure" which discusses richard's role in this seminol case involving josh hardy. The experimental drug, as noted, cured the adenovirus afflicting josh. Sadly, though, as noted, on september 22, 2016, josh, at age 10, succumbed to the cancer that had afflicted him for his entire life. In 2014, mcf's vice president, richard plotkin, was appointed to an advocacy committee dealing with the white house on issues relating to pediatric cancers. He has also been interviewed on national public radio (npr) and on cbs radio regarding his role in the josh hardy matter. In addition, richard has been invited to participate in panel discussions at various industry conferences and has been a featured speaker at other times to various audiences, all of which dealt with his efforts to save the life of josh hardy and how his efforts were successful when those requests from over 300 prior patients' requests for brincidofovir were denied. This included a presentation in february 2015 at harvard medical school where he spoke on the issue of the legal and ethical issues arising out of the josh hardy matter. Richard was appointed in july 2014 as the national pediatric cancer advocate on a committee formed by nyu langone medical center, department of ethics, to determine, as a result of the josh hardy matter, if the rules and regulations established by the fda to allow drug manufacturers to dispense unapproved drugs to terminally and seriously ill patients under what is known as expanded access/compassionate use needed to be revised. Richard is also a member of the advisory council formed by another foundation that established a navigation system for families to attempt to obtain experimental drugs for their terminally ill children, among other patients. During the last quarter of 2014, richard was consulted by congressman michael mccaul in connection with legislation congressman mccaul would be proposing to congress dealing with the expanded access/compassionate use issues arising out of the josh hardy matter. That legislation, sponsored by congressman mccaul, was included in 21st century cures act and the star act, the former of which was signed into law on december 13, 2016. Richard has also been consulted by the government accountability office (gao) with respect to a study being done for congress relative to the dispensing of experimental drugs to terminally ill and seriously ill patients. Moreover, in early 2014, prior to mcf's involvement with josh hardy, mcf (through richard plotkin) was credited with obtaining from the fda the first ever compassionate use waiver for a combination drug therapy for a child with cancer in the form of an unapproved drug to be combined with two approved drugs. Despite mcf's efforts here, the child passed away from his cancer the same day, march 12, 2014, that josh hardy was given the life - saving drug, brincidofovir. This demonstrates the "hills and valleys" experienced by mcf in its efforts to save the lives of children with cancer. Jonathan agin, an attorney, joined the mcf team in 2015 as executive director. Jonathan has been a leading advocate for pediatric cancer causes since the death in january 2011 of his four year old daughter, alexis, to a rare form of childhood cancer. Jonathan's advocacy work has encompassed many facets of the fight against childhood cancer. His legislative advocacy has proven effective in the passage of several bills in a climate of congressional stagnation. Along the way, following alexis' death, jonathan began to write and speak on issues impacting the childhood cancer community. Jonathan frequently interacts with members of congress and their staff, the white house, as well as various regulatory agencies and other cancer foundations in an effort to improve the plight of children with cancer. A frequent contributor to the huffington post, editor for”