Billionaire physician Patrick Soon-Shiong, MD, unveiled plans to build a world-class cancer center in Los Angeles, STAT reported.
Dr. Soon-Shiong has long been part of efforts to combat cancer. He made his fortune developing a cancer drug and operates companies that support research and development for cancer therapies in various ways. He was recently named to a federal commission that provides recommendations on health IT, and he's leading a cancer moonshot initiative whose goal is to cure cancer by 2020, according to the report.
The Los Angeles Business Journal reported May 24 that Dr. Soon-Shiong announced at the Business Journal's Icons event that he will open a cancer center in Los Angeles this summer. However, he will not own the clinic, nor will he have any financial interest in it, according to STAT. The cancer center will be set up by an unnamed group of physicians, while Dr. Soon-Shiong will be on staff in a standalone oncology clinic, where private practitioners will treat patients and conduct research.
The new cancer center won't be affiliated with any of his biotech companies, and it is undetermined if it will house clinical trials, Jen Hodson, Dr. Soon-Shiong's spokeswoman, told STAT.
Dr. Soon-Shiong's philanthropic and business efforts were recently the subjects of investigative reports from STAT and Politico, which questioned how much progress his cancer moonshot initiative has really made.