The battle against the spread of cancer is a full-time concern in Louisiana, where the state is ranked 47th nationwide in incidence rates per 100,000 according to the National Cancer Institute.
While some other states, like Texas, have utilized endowments to help fund not just research but continuing education for healthcare providers and oncologists looking for the latest treatments, Louisiana has been lacking in similar offerings. That is, until now.
Spearheaded by the Cancer Advocacy Group of Louisiana, Inc. (CAGLA), a grassroots coalition of survivors, physicians, and philanthropists, the Louisiana Cancer Endowment (LC3), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation founded in 2024, marks a massive evolution in the ability of local healthcare institutions to not only combat cancer in their communities but also be at the forefront of finding solutions to its root causes.
With AstraZeneca and Pfizer Inc. as founding partners, CAGLA is building a collaborative environment where advocates, legislators and providers can improve early detection, address disparities in access and care, and ultimately create a thriving culture of cancer survivors among those living and working in Louisiana.
“I had Hodgkin’s lymphoma at 20 and have been in remission ever since. Since then, I devoted myself to cancer philanthropy,” said Chad Landry, president and board chair of CAGLA. “I had always hoped to bring the various cancer foundations across the state together and, to that end, helped found CAGLA to advocate for legislation that helps cancer patients throughout the state.”
By inviting practicing physicians and oncologists to be a part of their efforts, CAGLA was able to create the CAGLA Scientific Advisory Board, which, in conjunction with their advocacy efforts, has grown to 40 physicians from across the state who are committed to taking their legislative proposals directly to Baton Rouge.
To date, CAGLA has presented 15 bills to the state legislature. Not one has failed, including mandates for patients in clinical trials to have their expenses covered and for biomarker testing, via genetic sequencing, to be covered by insurance companies in Louisiana.
“One of our first pieces of legislation was the ability to use targeted therapies, such as precision oncology drugs, on patients who they might not normally be used on, but for whom we have scientific evidence to lead us down that path of treatment,” explained Marc Matrana, M.D., director of the Scientific Advisory Board. “For example, a patient might have breast cancer that has a mutation more commonly seen in lung cancer. Now, in Louisiana, if the patient doesn’t have any other options, we can use a lung cancer drug that we know has a pretty good chance of working in that breast cancer patient because of our legislation.”
Along with their advocacy efforts to improve access to treatment and proper care, CAGLA also runs an educational wing through the NeauxCancer Conference, a yearly, 100% free continuing education conference for doctors, nurses, and nurse practitioners that provides expert panels and multi-disciplinary sessions on the latest advances in cancer care, most recently held this past March in New Orleans.
While their current efforts were proving effective, the CAGLA leadership knew that a stool standing on two legs alone is not nearly as sturdy as one on three legs. That third leg, as it turns out, evolved into the Louisiana Cancer Endowment (LCE), Louisiana’s first permanent statewide cancer endowment supporting cancer research and development efforts throughout the state.
“A lot of states have cancer endowments, a sum of money that sits and generates income to fund cancer research, but Louisiana really didn’t have this,” explained Matrana. “Texas, for example, has a $6 billion endowment. We felt like if we didn’t do something now, in 10 years we would be exactly where we are today, with zero money set aside. We are grateful to have buy-in from cancer doctors across the state, every major hospital system, and now also from two pharma partners, AstraZeneca and Pfizer Inc.”
AstraZeneca, one of the largest pharmaceutical businesses in the world, with $58.7 billion in yearly revenue, has committed to contributing $500,000 over the next five years for the LCE. Just the latest in a multiyear philanthropic campaign that includes a potential investment of up to $50 billion in American medicines and manufacturing by 2030, AstraZeneca’s efforts mean to kickstart rampant growth in cancer care services in the United States and foster research advancements whose benefits can be felt across Louisiana.
“Louisiana really faces severe cancer burdens, and AstraZeneca’s mission is to eliminate cancer as a cause of death,” said an AstraZeneca spokesperson. “The opportunity to be part of this first endowment was a no-brainer for us. And from a wider perspective, it’s important to note that the outcomes that would come from this endowment, in terms of the research funding and the fellowships, are going to be critical as the work continues to address cancer care in the state.”
State-level cancer research funding couldn’t come at a better time, as the Trump administration de-emphasizes cancer funding nationwide. Between Jan. 20 and Aug. 20, 2025, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) paid out $4.31 billion less in grants than it did the year before, with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) paying out $842 million less, according to Jonathan Mahler of The New York Times. In short order, civil liberty organizations like the ACLU, the APHA, and the AAU fought back in court, retaining billions in science and research funding, while in February 2026, Congress passed a funding package that gave a modest increase to NIH research, counteracting President Trump’s request to slash its funding by more than 40%, according to NBC News.
To offset these concerns, Landry and the CAGLA team knew they had to start at the ground floor and work their way up, soft-launching the LCE at the 2025 CAGLA Conference and then summarily beginning a door-knocking project that spanned dozens of pharmaceutical companies. By leveraging their reputation and providing a hopeful vision for the future, CAGLA was able to go from zero dollars to $1 million pledged to the endowment in only a year, with a goal of as much as $10 million within 10 years.
“I believe that momentum will continue, especially considering federal funding is being cut back,” said Landry. “I recently read that this is the first time that China is doing more cancer drug trials than the United States. Louisiana is ground zero for cancer in the U.S., so if your goal is to save lives, if you want to touch different ethnic groups and make a difference, this is it. It’s Southeast Louisiana. We’re drawing a line in the sand and saying this is what we’re doing. Hopefully, we will have similar success to what we have had with CAGLA in a short period of time.”
“We are the epicenter for cancer in Southeast Louisiana,” said Matrana. “Why shouldn’t we also be the epicenter for the solution?”
Jeremy Marshall was born and raised in Baton Rouge before moving to New Orleans with his wife, Kristin, in 2018. Beginning his career in the Film/TV industry, Jeremy worked steadily on over a dozen projects before transitioning to Renaissance Publishing as their Sponsored Content Coordinator. You can reach him at jeremy@myneworleans.com.
