Meet Patricia Blanc

For a Future Free of Childhood Cancer

Since 2011, the nonprofit Imagine for Margo, founded by Patricia Blanc and her husband Olivier, has been working tirelessly to accelerate research into pediatric cancers and improve the daily lives of hospitalized children. Inspired by the story of their daughter Margo and driven by unwavering determination, the organization has successfully mobilized exceptional resources to transform the fight against this scourge. As a dedicated partner of Gustave Roussy, the organization has donated 11 million euros to 17 translational and clinical research programs led by Gustave Roussy’s physician-researchers.

Why is it necessary to raise funds for research into childhood and adolescent cancers?

Pediatric cancers remain the leading cause of disease-related death among children over one year of age in France and Europe. And yet, this cause was still largely overlooked a decade ago.

We created Imagine for Margo to change that. We raise funds to ensure that every child with cancer has access to the most effective treatments, particularly through precision medicine, which tailors treatments to the specific characteristics of each tumor. We have supported several innovative clinical trials and ambitious international programs, often led by Gustave Roussy. Behind this effort lies a twofold challenge: to fund research programs to open up new therapeutic avenues, but also to raise awareness among public and private institutions so that they will finally allocate the necessary resources to this cause.

Even today, too many diseases remain resistant to treatment, and too many children lose this battle. We must also address the significant long-term effects that affect most children who have been cured.

Seven children and adolescents are diagnosed every day in France. That’s seven stories waiting to be rewritten. There is still a long way to go.

Can you tell us about Imagine for Margo and share your greatest achievements? 

The story of Imagine for Margo is first and foremost that of Margo, a 13-year-old girl whose strength and generosity inspired a movement. During her battle with the disease, Margo launched a fundraiser that raised 100,000 euros. Through the words she wrote in her notebooks—“Go, fight, win!”—she left a message of life that guides us and that we carry forward through the organization.

Among our greatest achievements is the BIOMEDE program, dedicated to infiltrating brainstem gliomas—a highly aggressive tumor located in a vital area of the brain that was previously incurable. From the very beginning, Imagine for Margo has supported this program led by Dr. Jacques Grill at Gustave Roussy. It is the largest international clinical trial dedicated to infiltrating brainstem gliomas. The first phase demonstrated the importance of biopsies in diagnosing these tumors and paved the way for comprehensive genome sequencing, enabling more targeted treatments. Thanks to BIOMEDE, children have finally been able to access innovative treatments such as everolimus, combined with radiation therapy, which has now become a clinical standard.

With BIOMEDE 2.0, the second phase of this program, a promising new drug, ONC201, is now being compared to everolimus to offer children additional hope. We played an active role in securing access to this drug in France when it was only available in the United States.

Finally, the BIOMEDE IA program uses artificial intelligence to analyze the collected molecular data in order to identify new therapeutic targets. Today, thanks to Professor Vassal and Dr. Jacques Grill’s team, we have successfully cured the first children diagnosed with an infiltrating brainstem glioma.

Imagine for Margo has been partnering with Gustave Roussy for several years. What aspects of this partnership are most important to you? 

Since its inception, Imagine for Margo has shared a common vision with the physician-researchers at Gustave Roussy: to innovate in order to understand and better treat pediatric cancers.  We also share a commitment to accelerating access to precision medicine to achieve tangible results in the fight against cancers in children and adolescents. This is reflected in regular exchanges to address the needs of doctors and researchers, as well as in the various clinical trials that have been launched over the past 10 years.

But beyond medical progress, this partnership also reflects a commitment to the well-being of hospitalized children. Imagine for Margo has contributed to the renovation of the adolescents’ living spaces within the hospital and has funded cooking, dance, and improvisation workshops. For the past two years, we have been funding the art workshop in the pediatrics department. Recently, we supported the training of two individuals to assist young people in their return to school or work after illness. These are concrete actions that restore vitality and hope to these young patients.

Can you give us some examples of projects funded or supported by Imagine for Margo and explain their importance? 

In addition to BIOMEDE, Imagine for Margo has supported numerous research projects that have transformed the landscape of pediatric research and led to tangible advances for children and adolescents.

Since 2016, the MAPPYACTS program has enabled molecular analyses and immunological evaluations of nearly 800 children who have relapsed or for whom treatment has failed. These analyses identified several hundred abnormalities, 30% of which are therapeutically targetable, enabling several young patients to be referred to innovative clinical trials tailored to the specific characteristics of their tumors. MAPPYACTS 2, which began in 2023, aims to further advance precision medicine for children with high-risk tumors.

We also supported the AcSé-ESMART trial, led by Gustave Roussy under the direction of Dr. Birgit Geoerger. This trial was groundbreaking, as it was the first “basket” trial in pediatric cancers, testing different drugs across multiple treatment arms to ensure that as many patients as possible could benefit from the latest therapeutic advances. In total, 252 patients were enrolled in 16 treatment arms, enabling the targeting of 17 molecular targets. This has truly accelerated access to precision medicine.

Another example is the SACHA program, led by Dr. Pablo Berlanga, which aims to ensure access to innovative treatments for children who cannot be included in clinical trials. SACHA has contributed to the market launch of larotrectinib, an innovative drug that targets genetic abnormalities involved in certain pediatric cancers. Building on its success in France, SACHA is now expanding internationally. 

How do you see the future of pediatric cancer treatments? 

We are at a true turning point in the management of pediatric cancers. Yes, significant progress has been made, and that’s excellent news. However, it’s essential not to assume that everything has been accomplished. Since the field is brimming with innovations, we must ensure that children aren’t left behind in this momentum and that they can benefit from scientific advances just as adults do.  Today, we have an unprecedented amount of data—both molecular and clinical—thanks to advances in tumor profiling. This data must be utilized to its fullest potential, leveraging artificial intelligence. To achieve this, it is imperative to mobilize additional financial resources.

Charities have a major role to play, as our economic model has not yet prioritized the eradication of childhood cancers. We call for the pooling of knowledge and resources to think and act in a comprehensive manner. Imagine for Margo has therefore created, together with its European partners, the Fight Kids Cancer initiative, which brings together nonprofit organizations from France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, and the Netherlands. This year, together, we have allocated nearly 11 million euros to large-scale research projects targeting pediatric cancers. With Imagine for Margo, we are spreading a message of hope, both in France and internationally.