Pfizer has announced the first-ever recipients of the Advancing Science through Pfizer Investigator Research Exchange (ASPIRE) Breast Cancer Research Awards.

Five grants totaling more than $4 million in funding were awarded to support clinical research projects investigating IBRANCE (palbociclib), an oral, first-in-class inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) four and six, in advanced breast cancer for 2015. Simultaneously, the company announced it will award up to $4 million in new grants through the ASPIRE Breast Cancer Research Awards Program in 2016.

“We are excited to support these five investigator-led studies, which we believe will contribute important new information to our body of knowledge about the role IBRANCE plays in the treatment and clinical management of advanced breast cancer,” said Dr. Julia Perkins Smith, senior medical director and U.S. breast cancer lead at Pfizer Oncology. “At the same time, we are looking forward to continuing the program in 2016 and further supporting investigators’ efforts in this disease area, where there is a substantial need for research that may lead to new options and improved care for metastatic breast cancer patients. Supporting the scientific and clinical exploration of our medicines both within and outside our walls is critical to our ability to make a meaningful impact on patients’ lives.”

The ASPIRE Breast Cancer Research Awards Program is an extension of ASPIRE, Pfizer’s competitive grants program. Recipients were selected through a competitive application process overseen by an independent review panel of breast cancer experts.

For the new 2016 grants, investigators are encouraged to submit for consideration proposals for innovative research in several areas. Some areas of research interest include: improving the medical knowledge of palbociclib in the treatment of advanced breast cancer through exploring the safety and efficacy of novel combinations; optimizing clinical management during palbociclib treatment that addresses or improves patient compliance and convenience and/or patient reported outcomes; and exploring biomarkers relevant to palbociclib in breast cancer.

The proposal submission period ends March 31, 2016.