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Mary LaskerMary Lasker
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in last December, Dr. DeVita decided that non-chemical drugs like biologicals, so-called, like interferon, should be explored, and they-re going to go into the exploration of biological substances that are non-toxic to the body, which God knows they should have done at least 20 years ago. They've been on the chemical side of it for 25 years. Sidney Farber and I went to Senator Hill in 1954 to ask for earmarked money for the screening of chemicals against cancer. It got done. They started with money, about 2 million. They've been using vast sums ever since, as it got bigger and bigger, and the idea of biologicals never occurred to them.

Q:

Now, monies for this PALA thing are coming from Columbia University, are they not?

Lasker:

They are.

Q:

We -- did you not say so?

Lasker:

I don't think so. That was financed by the National Cancer Institute.

Q:

Oh, I see. You made an interesting remark a little while back and I wanted to pick it up. You talked about your nephew James Fordyce and his interest in going on to the drug company to see if they would do something.

Lasker:

Yes.





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