PTC Therapeutics recently announced the winners of the company’s Global Strategies to Realize Innovation, Vision and Empowerment (STRIVE) Awards Program, supporting nonprofits serving the cystic fibrosis (CF) community. The celebration overlaps with National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month, with initiatives taking place throughout May.
“This global program recognizes the efforts of patient advocacy groups and aims to support them in the work they do to serve the needs of individuals and families affected by this rare disease,” said PTC Therapeutics’ CEO Stuart W. Peltz, Ph.D., in a press release. “Through STRIVE, we want to encourage groups across the world to submit novel and creative proposals that will address the unmet needs of the community.”
The 2016 STRIVE for CF award recipients are located in Ireland, Italy, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. They were given a combined total of $90,000 to help their projects that benefit the CF community:
- Ireland: Cystic Fibrosis Ireland is preparing an exercise plan to inspire and empower CF patients to get active and improve their health.
- Italy: The Lega Italiana Fibrosi Cistica Onlus is introducing a telemonitoring program for pre- and post-lung transplant patients in Lombardia.
- Sweden: The Swedish Cystic Fibrosis Association is creating the Swedish CF Olympics, where patients and families will gather for a day of fun, meant to strengthen the ties between the CF community.
- United Kingdom: The Cystic Fibrosis Trust’s Youth Empowerment Office is creating resources and services to support and encourage youngsters to live their lives spontaneously and fully with no compromises to their health.
PTC launched the STRIVE Awards Program to support innovative initiatives that will benefit the CF community by raising awareness, diagnosis, and education, as well as fostering the development of future CF patient advocates.
The entries were judged by an independent panel of external experts knowledgeable in rare diseases, patient advocacy, and funding initiatives. The criteria included feasibility, creativity, budget, impact, and sustainability.
“We have a tremendous amount of respect for the important services and programs provided by these organizations for the cystic fibrosis community,” said Mary Frances Harmon, global head of patient advocacy for PTC Therapeutics. “PTC shares the same commitment as each of these organizations with patients at the center of everything we do. We are delighted to have received such a positive response from the community, and look forward to seeing these initiatives make a real impact on the lives of people living with cystic fibrosis.”
CF is a rare, chronic hereditary disease that causes continued lung infections and progressively limits the patients’ ability to breathe. The disease causes a buildup of mucus, primarily in the lungs and pancreas, that inhibit the full function of the organs.