For the second time, comedian Alex Agnew has donated €100,000 to the VUB Yamina Krossa Fund for cancer research. This contribution extends his VUB chair and brings the total funds raised to one million euros. The money will directly support the research of VUB professor Damya Laoui into a potential vaccine against cancer recurrence and metastasis. Alex Agnew announced his renewed support in conjunction with his new show, "No More Heroes," taking place on October 8, 9, and 10 at the AFAS Dome.
Yamina Krossa expressed her deep emotion at this historic milestone: "I feel immense gratitude, pride, and emotion for the many donations we have received since the establishment of my fund in 2018. That we are now crossing the one million euro mark thanks to this tremendous boost from Alex Agnew fills me with hope for the clinical study that Prof. Dr. Damya Laoui and her team will be able to initiate. Onwards to 1.2 million euros, we are almost there!"
The donated funds are essential for Professor Damya Laoui's research team. Her team discovered that specific dendritic cells from the immune system can recognize cancer cells and activate other immune cells to fight the tumor. Previous funds from the Alex Agnew Chair partially financed a high-tech device costing €400,000, which is necessary to sort these cells from tumors for administration to patients.
The research is currently in a crucial phase, close to a potential breakthrough. The ambition is to submit a dossier to the Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAMHP) by mid-2027. Following approval and the implementation of new legislation on cell products in August 2027, the team plans to launch a first clinical study in lung cancer patients to test the safety and feasibility of the vaccine. Alex Agnew's new donation will also allow the team to investigate how this treatment method can be sustainably applied to patients with breast and ovarian cancer.
Despite the significant milestone of one million euros, the urgency for additional research funding remains high. The preparation and execution of upcoming clinical studies require substantial resources. Yamina Krossa, Damya Laoui, and Alex Agnew hope that this donation will also inspire the general public to make further voluntary donations to continue supporting this life-saving research.
