At first glance, the Kentucky Derby celebration held on May 3^rd of 2025 at the Country Club of Troy in Troy, NY, looked like any other Kentucky Derby party. There was a bounty of food and signature drinks, colorful outfits and festive hats, and all the horse race watching, cheering, and dancing one would expect.  

For its hosts, however, the party transcended entertainment. This was the Butler Foundation’s annual fundraiser to support a cause that resonates deeply with its namesake family: finding a cure for mesothelioma, a rare but deadly lung cancer that took the lives of two Butler brothers. Kevin J. Butler lost his battle with the disease in 2006, at the age of 49. Three years later, Kevin’s older brother John E. "Jay" Butler succumbed to mesothelioma at the age of 60.  

The family’s devastating double loss prompted them to launch a foundation in memory of Kevin and John. Helmed by their brother, Michael (Mike) Butler of Boston, the Butler Foundation takes a clear-eyed approach to fighting mesothelioma: fund the science that finds a cure. 

In 2020, the foundation bet on a winning horse, partnering with the Cunniff Lab at the University of Vermont (UVM) Cancer Center. Led by Brian Cunniff, PhD, and born from a legacy of mesothelioma research at the Cancer Center, the lab has pioneered discoveries that target the cellular pathways enabling this cancer’s aggressive growth.  

In 2017, that research leapt from bench to bedside through a partnership with biotech company RS Oncology, which developed a first-in-class small molecule therapy for mesothelioma, called “RSO-021”, and launched a Phase 1 clinical trial of the drug. In June 2024, RS Oncology announced positive data from the trial at the American Society for Clinical Oncology annual meeting. RS Oncology is now in the middle of a Phase 2 trial of RSO-021; to date, more than 50 patients have been enrolled in the MITOPE clinical trial to receive this novel treatment. 

It's remarkable progress for treatment of a cancer that's been largely ignored by big drug companies, due to the small number of cases per year. Philanthropy has fueled this momentum. Through signature events like the annual Kentucky Derby Party, the Butler Foundation has raised upwards of $120,000 for the University of Vermont Cancer Center since 2020, with $35,000 donated in 2025 alone. “We have been blessed to fund Dr. Cunniff and his team who are making a huge difference in new targeted therapies for this terrible disease,” says Mike Butler.   

For Dr. Cunniff, the partnership itself is a gift to his lab's research. “These generous donations, and the family story behind them, motivate our team and impact the trajectory of our research and the possibility of new options for patients,” says Dr. Cunniff. “We are grateful to Mike, Patricia, and the entire Butler family for their generous support as we seek to defeat this devastating disease.”    

If you know anyone who might be eligible for these clinical trials, they can learn more about the MITOPE trial here.