Cure SMA Funds $2 Million in New Research in 2015-2016

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. - June 18, 2016 - PRLog -- Over the past few months, Cure SMA has announced a total of just over $2 million in new research funding.

Cure SMA's model is designed to fund both a breadth and a depth of projects, in order to continuing building up both a breadth and depth of programs in the drug pipeline. This includes funding for:

● Basic research, to investigate the biology and cause of SMA, in order to identify the most effective strategies for drug discovery; and to develop tools that facilitate SMA research.

● Drug discovery, to convert basic research ideas into practical new drug candidates.

● Clinical and regulatory research, to facilitate clinical trials for all types and stages of SMA, and to guide safe and effective drug candidates toward regulatory approval.

● Clinical care, to understanding issues like breathing and nutrition that impact current quality of life for those affected by SMA.

● 20th Annual SMA Researcher Meeting, to bring together the leading SMA scientists, clinicians, and drug developers together to develop SMA research strategies.

Each of the funding announcements includes a profile of the researcher who is receiving the grant, and explains more about their projects and how they might benefit the SMA community.

Basic Research

● $140,000 Grant to Christine Beattie, PhD, The Ohio State University

● $140,000 Grant to Arthur Burghes, PhD, The Ohio State University

● $90,000 Grant to Antoine Cléry, PhD, ETH Zurich

● $30,000 Grant to Jocelyn Cote, PhD, University of Ottawa

● $70,000 Grant to Christine DiDonato (http://www.curesma.org/news/grant-christine-didonato.html), PhD, Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

● $140,000 Grant to Megerditch Kiledjian (http://www.curesma.org/news/grant-megerditch-kiledjian.html), PhD, Rutgers

● $140,000 Grant to Rashmi Kothary (http://www.curesma.org/news/grant-rashmi-kothary.html), MD, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

● $140,000 Grant to Charlotte Sumner (http://www.curesma.org/news/grant-charlotte-sumner.html), MD, Johns Hopkins University

Drug Discovery

● $304,000 Grant to Livio Pellizzoni (http://www.curesma.org/news/cure-sma-awards-304000-drug.html), PhD, at Columbia University

● $300,000 Grant to Imago Pharmaceuticals/Charlotte Sumner (http://www.curesma.org/news/cure-sma-awards-300000-drug.html), MD

*Two additional drug discovery grants totaling $100,000 will be announced later this month.

Clinical and Regulatory Research

● $100,000 to help fund the launch of a collaborative industry consortium working on clinical trials, regulatory issues, and education

Clinical Care

● $50,000 Grant to Melissa Alderfer (http://www.curesma.org/news/grant-melissa-alderfer.html), PhD, Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children

● $50,000 Grant to Tariq Rahman (http://www.curesma.org/news/grant-tariq-rahman.html), PhD, Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children

SMA Researcher Meeting

● $250,000 to bring the leading SMA researchers together (http://www.curesma.org/news/sma-researcher-meeting-june.html) from around the world

Cure SMA thanks the following families and foundations for their generous contributions toward these grants: The Jacob Isaac Rappoport Foundation toward Dr. Burghes, the Bugenske Family and Leo's Pride toward Imago Pharmaceuticals/Dr. Sumner, and The Miller McNeil Woodruff Foundation toward Drs. Sumner and Alderfer. The grants to Drs. Cote and Kothary were funded by Families of SMA Canada.