Update (March 2014):
Merck has just announced that they're granting access to the PD-1 drug for compassionate use. While we're heartbroken that this announcement did not come early enough for Nick to benefit from it, we’re relieved that other families struggling with late stage melanoma will now have access to a treatment that may save the life of their loved ones. Thank you all again for your efforts. Everyone who signed the petition can take some solace in knowing that other lives will be saved as a result.
Update (November 2013):
With saddened hearts, we must convey to Nick’s hundreds and thousands of supporters that Nick Auden passed away Friday morning (November 22nd) with Amy by his side.
Nick and his family, aided by friends and supporters, fought an extraordinary battle with Melanoma. This is a time to pause: to remember our dear Nick (who became half a million people's dear Nick) and to support Amy, Lachlan, Hayley, and little Evan.
The Auden family would like to extend deep gratitude to all those who fought with us for the opportunity to extend this worthy man the opportunity to continue his inspiring life. We are especially grateful to “Team Nick,” Dr. Rene Gonzalez and University of Colorado Hospital, Dr. Nicholas Papadopoulos and MD Anderson Cancer Center, Colorado’s Congressman Gardner, Senator Bennet and Senator Udall, Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and the FDA, Change.org, Hawthorn Football Club, Ricky Gervais, Sarah Silverman, Andrea Sloan and her Andi's Army, Change.org, the Australian and American press, and the half-million individuals online supporters who lent their names to Nick's cause.
Nick’s life, his determination and drive, his work ethic, and his friendship touched many of our lives, and we will continue to be inspired by his example.
If you would like to send a message of support to Amy and the kids, you can write them at RememberingLockysDad@gmail.com.
Merck has just announced that they're granting access to the PD-1 drug for compassionate use. While we're heartbroken that this announcement did not come early enough for Nick to benefit from it, we’re relieved that other families struggling with late stage melanoma will now have access to a treatment that may save the life of their loved ones. Thank you all again for your efforts. Everyone who signed the petition can take some solace in knowing that other lives will be saved as a result.
Update (November 2013):
With saddened hearts, we must convey to Nick’s hundreds and thousands of supporters that Nick Auden passed away Friday morning (November 22nd) with Amy by his side.
Nick and his family, aided by friends and supporters, fought an extraordinary battle with Melanoma. This is a time to pause: to remember our dear Nick (who became half a million people's dear Nick) and to support Amy, Lachlan, Hayley, and little Evan.
The Auden family would like to extend deep gratitude to all those who fought with us for the opportunity to extend this worthy man the opportunity to continue his inspiring life. We are especially grateful to “Team Nick,” Dr. Rene Gonzalez and University of Colorado Hospital, Dr. Nicholas Papadopoulos and MD Anderson Cancer Center, Colorado’s Congressman Gardner, Senator Bennet and Senator Udall, Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and the FDA, Change.org, Hawthorn Football Club, Ricky Gervais, Sarah Silverman, Andrea Sloan and her Andi's Army, Change.org, the Australian and American press, and the half-million individuals online supporters who lent their names to Nick's cause.
Nick’s life, his determination and drive, his work ethic, and his friendship touched many of our lives, and we will continue to be inspired by his example.
If you would like to send a message of support to Amy and the kids, you can write them at RememberingLockysDad@gmail.com.
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Join us in asking Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb to give Nick access to the new breakthrough PD-1 drug for melanoma.
A new anti-PD-1 ("PD-1") wonderdrug is showing remarkable results for patients with Stage 4 melanoma. Up until now, Stage 4 melanoma has largely been incurable. The people of Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb are working hard to get their PD-1 drugs approved, but they may not achieve PD-1 commercial availability for another 12-18 months. Nick cannot wait that long. He needs the PD-1 drug now. Nick qualified for a Merck PD-1 trial in July, but a medical complication arose and excluded him from the trial. His best chance now is PD-1 access on a compassionate basis. Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb have the power to give Nick PD-1 on a compassionate basis. Help us tell Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb to give Nick the PD-1 drug. Nick is strong. Nick can win this. Nick can be a case study of survival for late stage melanoma fighters like him. What can YOU do? Please join us in asking Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb to provide Nick compassionate access to PD-1 – access to a chance to fight for a full life with Amy, Locky, Hayley, and Evan. How? 1. Sign Nick's petition to Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb: 2. Twitter: Ask @merck and @bmsnews to give Nick compassionate access to PD-1 3. Facebook: Like our page on Facebook with the message “@Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb, please #SaveLockysDad.” And send this page to others. 4. Spread the word via email, blogging, talking to friends, and anything else you can think of!
5. If you live in Colorado, contact your congressional representatives.
Step 1. Determine who your representatives are: Senators. All Colorado residents are represented by the same two Senators—Senator Michael Bennet and Senator Mark Udall. House Representatives. Your House Representative is determined by your district. Click here to learn who your elected Representative is. Step 2. Fill out the Letter. · Download and open this letter template. · Fill in the grey-shaded boxes by simply clicking them – if you choose not to fill out a box, please delete it. You can use this template for any of the three contact options in Step 3 below. Step 3. Contact Senators Bennet and Udall and your Representative by signed letter, email, or telephone. · Although some Congress Member websites note limited office function during shutdown, please go ahead and send your message—it will get read. Mail or fax your letter. Print out the Word document after you have finished filling it out, and send to the mailing address indicated in the table below. Email your letter. To email Congress Members, you must use their online “webforms.” The links to their webforms are in the table below. Click the link, and fill out the name/address/etc boxes on the form. Then Copy the Word document after you have filled out the grey boxes, and Paste it into the “message” or “comment” box on the webform. Send! Call. If you prefer to call your elected representatives on behalf of Nick, please find their phone numbers in the table below.
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A Letter from Locky's Mom, Amy
Denver, Colorado
Shortly after Nick and I moved our family to Denver in 2011, two pieces of news changed our lives in a matter of 2 months: we had a third child on the way and Nick was diagnosed with Stage 4 Melanoma.
Nick is determined to beat this melanoma, so our children—Locky (7), Hayley (5), and Evan (1)—can grow up with Dad beside them. He’s asked for and tolerated dosage extremes, and he continues to awe his doctors, family, and friends with his positive attitude and drive. Amazingly, he has kept exercising throughout it all—recently, awaiting complex surgery, he climbed 11 flights of hospital stairs twice a day to stay fit!
Most of all, Nick shows incredible dedication to our kids every single day. A few weeks ago, he even slipped home from the hospital to make sure he got to watch the big game at home with Locky before surgery, and he doesn't miss a chance to take Hayley bike-riding or to teach little Evan a new word.
Nick takes on each new battle with melanoma with audacity—determined to win and constantly assuring others that he will jump the next hurdle. And he always does.
We've hit a critical time in Nick's fight to win this—he needs to get access to PD-1 to give him a real chance for a big win. We are now searching high and low for an opportunity to work with Merck or Bristol-Myers Squibb to get Nick access to PD-1 on a compassionate basis at this critical time in his battle.
I believe Nick can be a remarkable case study for advanced melanoma sufferers.
I believe Nick can jump this last hurdle if Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb give him that chance.
Please join Locky, Hayley, Evan, and me in asking Merck or Bristol-Myers Squibb to provide PD-1 to Nick, so he can win against melanoma. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers, and we really appreciate you spreading the word about Nick's story. Locky's story. Our family's story.
Thank you so much for your compassion,
Amy Auden
August 2013
Denver, Colorado
Shortly after Nick and I moved our family to Denver in 2011, two pieces of news changed our lives in a matter of 2 months: we had a third child on the way and Nick was diagnosed with Stage 4 Melanoma.
Nick is determined to beat this melanoma, so our children—Locky (7), Hayley (5), and Evan (1)—can grow up with Dad beside them. He’s asked for and tolerated dosage extremes, and he continues to awe his doctors, family, and friends with his positive attitude and drive. Amazingly, he has kept exercising throughout it all—recently, awaiting complex surgery, he climbed 11 flights of hospital stairs twice a day to stay fit!
Most of all, Nick shows incredible dedication to our kids every single day. A few weeks ago, he even slipped home from the hospital to make sure he got to watch the big game at home with Locky before surgery, and he doesn't miss a chance to take Hayley bike-riding or to teach little Evan a new word.
Nick takes on each new battle with melanoma with audacity—determined to win and constantly assuring others that he will jump the next hurdle. And he always does.
We've hit a critical time in Nick's fight to win this—he needs to get access to PD-1 to give him a real chance for a big win. We are now searching high and low for an opportunity to work with Merck or Bristol-Myers Squibb to get Nick access to PD-1 on a compassionate basis at this critical time in his battle.
I believe Nick can be a remarkable case study for advanced melanoma sufferers.
I believe Nick can jump this last hurdle if Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb give him that chance.
Please join Locky, Hayley, Evan, and me in asking Merck or Bristol-Myers Squibb to provide PD-1 to Nick, so he can win against melanoma. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers, and we really appreciate you spreading the word about Nick's story. Locky's story. Our family's story.
Thank you so much for your compassion,
Amy Auden
August 2013
About Melanoma
What is Melanoma?
Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer and generally occurs where the skin is sun damaged at a young age. The damage to the skin cells leads to uncontrolled cell growth in the melanocytes, the cells that contain pigments that color our hair and skin. If detected very early melanoma can be completely removed by surgery which can provide a cure. The risk however is that melanoma quickly spreads throughout the body. Typically it will spread or metastasize to organs such as the lungs, liver, bones, and brain. Once it has metastasized to distant organs melanoma is almost always terminal. In recent years several new treatments have been developed however these treatments provide life extension measured only in months. The PD-1 drugs recently developed by Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb offer, for the first time, a real chance for patients with advanced melanoma.
For more information, see also http://www.melanoma.org/learn-more/melanoma-101/what-melanoma
Melanoma Resources
For more information about melanoma:
For more information about PD-1:
Article commenting on trial exclusions:
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, the following links may be of help:
Help finding trials:
Support from survivors:
What is Melanoma?
Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer and generally occurs where the skin is sun damaged at a young age. The damage to the skin cells leads to uncontrolled cell growth in the melanocytes, the cells that contain pigments that color our hair and skin. If detected very early melanoma can be completely removed by surgery which can provide a cure. The risk however is that melanoma quickly spreads throughout the body. Typically it will spread or metastasize to organs such as the lungs, liver, bones, and brain. Once it has metastasized to distant organs melanoma is almost always terminal. In recent years several new treatments have been developed however these treatments provide life extension measured only in months. The PD-1 drugs recently developed by Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb offer, for the first time, a real chance for patients with advanced melanoma.
For more information, see also http://www.melanoma.org/learn-more/melanoma-101/what-melanoma
Melanoma Resources
For more information about melanoma:
- American Melanoma Foundation
- American Cancer Society
- Melanoma Research Foundation
- Skin Cancer Foundation
- Melanoma Patients Australia
For more information about PD-1:
- NYTimes. Merck Has Solid Results in a Cancer Drug Trial (June 2, 2013)
"...experimental drug from Merck that unleashes the body’s immune system significantly shrank tumors in 38 percent of patients with advanced melanoma, putting the company squarely in the race to bring to market one of what many experts view as the most promising class of drugs in years." - Chicago Tribune. Merck melanoma drug shrinks tumors in 38 percent of patients. (June 2, 2013)
"...the U.S. Food and Drug Administration deemed the treatment a "breakthrough therapy,' a designation FDA cancer drugs chief Dr. Richard Pazdur described as 'knock-your-socks-off therapies.'" - CNBC. Bristol and Merck Shares Surge on Cancer Drug News. (June 3, 2013)
"New cancer drugs from Bristol-Myers Squibb and Merck wowed a major oncology meeting over the weekend..." - Merck press release. Merck announces presentation of interim data from study evaluating Lambrolizumab, and investigational anti-PD-1 antibody, in patients with advanced melanoma at ASCO 2013. (June 2, 2013)
- Brisol-Myers Squibb press release. Bristol-Myers Squibb Advances Leadership Position in Immuno-Oncology with Data to be Presented at 2013 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. (May 15, 2013)
Article commenting on trial exclusions:
- Research on trial exclusions: Melanoma Brain Metastases: Is it Time to Reassess the Bias? Current Problems in Cancer, Volume 35(4), July 2011
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, the following links may be of help:
Help finding trials:
- ClinicalTrials.gov
ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the National Institutes of Health, is a registry and results database of publicly and privately supported clinical studies of human participants conducted around the world. - NCI-designated Cancer Centers
NCI-designated cancer centers are at the forefront of NCI-supported efforts at universities and cancer research centers across the United States that are developing and translating scientific knowledge from promising laboratory discoveries into new treatments for cancer patients. Note that sometimes the trials at these Cancer Centers are not listed on ClinicalTrials.gov, so it is sometimes worth investigating their trials individually. A list and map of Cancer Centers can be found here. - EmergingMed
A company providing confidential Clinical Trial Matching and Referral Service free of charge to users.
Support from survivors:
- Imerman Angels
Imerman Angels carefully matches a person touched by cancer with someone who has fought and survived the same type of cancer (a Mentor Angel). Additionally, personalized matches are provided for cancer caregivers (family and friends of fighters) to benefit from other experienced caregivers.
Auden Family Photo Gallery
Press
Memorializing Nick
Supporting Nick
Memorializing Nick
- The Today Show (Australia): "Nick Auden's legacy"
- Denver Post: "Nick Auden, who lobbied to use experimental skin cancer drug, has died"
- NBC 9 Colorado: "Colorado father loses cancer battle awaiting access to 'experimental' drug"
- CancerConnect: "Cancer Patient Nick Auden Dies While Fighting Drug Companies for Treatment"
- ABC Good Morning America: "Dad Pleading for Unapproved Cancer Drug Dies"
- The Today Show (Australia): "Dad dies after missing out on cancer drug"
- Sydney Morning Herald: "Melanoma sufferer Nick Auden, behind 'Save Locky's Dad' campaign, dies"
- The Herald Sun: "'Locky's dad' Nick Auden dies after being denied cancer drug"
- ABC News: "Dad Pleading for Unapproved Cancer Drug Dies"
Supporting Nick
- The Doctors: "Fighting for Treatment" and "Debating the Pros and Cons of Clinical Trials"
- CancerConnect: "Dying Father Pleads With Drug Companies to Give Him Access to Lifesaving Cancer Treatment"
- ABC News: "Dying Dad Pleads for Unapproved Cancer Drug"
- The Daily Mail: "Terminally ill father-of-three, 40, begs drug companies to give him unapproved cancer 'wonder medicine' to save his life"
- Good Morning America: "Dying Dad Pleads for Unapproved Cancer Drug"
- Salon: "Give patients unapproved drugs!"
- Denver Post: "Dedicated Denver father of three fights for access to cancer drug"
- Sydney Morning Herald (front page online) and The Age: "Stars back melanoma sufferer Nick Auden's plea for cancer drug"
- Sydney Morning Herald: "Abbott beseeched to help melanoma sufferer Nick Auden"
- Melbourne's The Age: "Dying father pleads to world for cancer drugs"
- Melbourne's The Age: "Hawks join fight to 'Save Locky's Dad'"
- The Today Show (Australia): "Save Locky's Dad", and "Save Locky's Dad (Update)"
- The Herald Sun: "Today news presenter Georgie Gardner chokes back tears on air while interviewing cancer sufferer Nick Auden"
- Huffington Post: "Destined to Die for Not Fitting In?"
- 3AW News Talk Radio Melbourne with Neil Mitchell: "Save Locky's Dad"
- Fox 31 Denver: "Save Locky's Dad"
- Colorado's CW 2: "Local dad’s brave fight against Stage 4 skin cancer"
About this site – and a thank you
This site was created by friends of Nick.
We built this website because we have seen Nick triumph over each challenge thrown his way, and we want to make sure he triumphs once more. It’s not easy to ask for help, and this was a difficult one for Nick, but he and Amy have given us the go-ahead to make their family’s plea to you via this site and video.
Nick and Amy send a sincere thanks to the many many good people, friends and strangers, who have gone out of their way to date to find Nick access to PD-1. They are constantly struck that the world is full of such good people.
They also ask us to give special thanks to Maribeth Romslo, who traveled from Minneapolis with her new baby, and David Laughlin, who traveled from Los Angeles, to help the Audens record their message on video.
And lastly, they also extend a special thank you to Dr. Karen Laughlin, Dr. Vaughan Clift, Mark Malinowski, Greg Laughlin, Alani Kalfayan, Eric Laughlin, Elizabeth Laughlin, Dan Laughlin, Patty and Tom Laughlin, John and Jan Bennett, and Melissa Rapp, who together with so many others form the most wonderful support team imaginable.
You can contact us savelockysdad@gmail.com.
This site was created by friends of Nick.
We built this website because we have seen Nick triumph over each challenge thrown his way, and we want to make sure he triumphs once more. It’s not easy to ask for help, and this was a difficult one for Nick, but he and Amy have given us the go-ahead to make their family’s plea to you via this site and video.
Nick and Amy send a sincere thanks to the many many good people, friends and strangers, who have gone out of their way to date to find Nick access to PD-1. They are constantly struck that the world is full of such good people.
They also ask us to give special thanks to Maribeth Romslo, who traveled from Minneapolis with her new baby, and David Laughlin, who traveled from Los Angeles, to help the Audens record their message on video.
And lastly, they also extend a special thank you to Dr. Karen Laughlin, Dr. Vaughan Clift, Mark Malinowski, Greg Laughlin, Alani Kalfayan, Eric Laughlin, Elizabeth Laughlin, Dan Laughlin, Patty and Tom Laughlin, John and Jan Bennett, and Melissa Rapp, who together with so many others form the most wonderful support team imaginable.
You can contact us savelockysdad@gmail.com.