ITOG’s origins can be traced to the tireless efforts of our four founding members, Dr. Robert Gagel, Dr. Samuel Wells Jr., Dr. Barry Nelkin, and Mr. Dwight Vicks. In 2003, Dr. Gagel, Dr. Gilbert Cote, and Dr. Steven Sherman met with Mr. Vicks to discuss the obstacles preventing the discovery of new therapies for thyroid cancer patients. For years, thyroid cancer had been incorrectly perceived as always curable, when in fact many patients experience significant morbidity and mortality from their disease.
This perception resulted in minimal efforts from federal funding agencies and pharmaceutical companies to conduct clinical research necessary to identify new and effective drugs.
Finally, there was a shortage of endocrinologists and oncologists with a career focus on thyroid cancers. These issues prompted the formation of ITOG, which held its first organizational meeting in Atlanta, Georgia in 2006. At this meeting, Dr. Gagel was elected founding President, Dr. Wells, was elected as founding Executive Director, and Mr. Vicks was elected as founding Secretary and Treasurer. A Board of Directors was established and the core mission of ITOG was codified:
Since its inception ITOG has seen tremendous growth. Not-for-profit status has been formalized, the organization adopted a set of bylaws for its governance, and an elected Board of Directors who serve three year terms was installed. In 2012 ITOG established a relationship with ACCRU, a clinical trials group organized by Mayo Clinic, to conduct clinical trials. In late 2012 the first ITOG sponsored clinical trial was approved, a major milestone for the organization.
Early organizational meeting of ITOG (2007): From left to right: Dwight Vicks, Brian McKiver, Robert Gagel, Steven Sherman, Sam Wells, Gilbert Daniels, James Fagin, Robert Smallridge, James Brierly and Orlo Clark.
