Kelly’s Heroes’ Kerry Kelly was in Berkeley, Calif., Oct. 28 to meet with Aduro Biotech CEO Stephen Issacs and his team of scientists who developed CRS-207, one of the immunotherapy drugs used in the clinical trial Steve participated in.

Kerry was invited to share Steve’s experiences as a clinical trial hero – part of the company’s commitment to never lose sight of the reason for its research. Steve spent eight months on Aduro’s ECLIPSE trial. The clinical trial has since been suspended following mixed results in Phase 2, but for Steve, the trial allowed him to resume his normal quality of life — running, working, attending his daughters’ school events and even traveling to Costa Rica — as he lived with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

“Steve always said, ‘I’m not afraid of dying, but the thought of not living frightens the hell out of me,'” recalled Kerry Kelly. “Steve’s treatment goal was longevity, balanced with quality of life. The immunotherapy trial allowed Steve to truly live the kind of life he wanted.”

Issacs, Aduro’s founder, presented Kelly’s Heroes with a $2,500 donation. Another highlight of the trip was touring the Aduro labs and meeting scientists like Meredith Leong and Dirk Brockstedt who have worked for years on CRS-207. They are part of a team of brilliant people very committed to this work.

Kerry urged the Aduro researchers to continue their quest for improved treatments for pancreatic cancer, carrying on Steve’s legacy as a clinical trial participant waging hope for other cancer patients.