BioPontis Alliance LLC For Rare Diseases Expands Circle Of Patrons With Gift From GlaxoSmithKline

BRUSSELS & RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BioPontis Alliance for Rare Diseases is today announcing the expansion of its Circle of Patrons with the announcement of a philanthropic gift from GSK, one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies with a strategic interest in the discovery and development of treatments for rare diseases. With this gift GSK becomes part of BioPontis’ growing community of philanthropic donors which include companies, foundations and individuals. They all recognize the urgent need to expand and accelerate the development of disease-modifying therapies for the millions of patients looking for a treatment for their rare disease.

“We believe the approach that BioPontis Alliance is taking will help progress important advances in how the early translation of academic research can more effectively be turned into potential treatments for rare disease patients. .”

Rare diseases taken together represent one of the largest underserved patient populations worldwide, more than all the HIV/AIDS patients and cancer patients combined. The genetic cause of 4000 of the 7-8000 rare diseases are known, but the required capabilities to translate that knowledge into medicines remain disorganized and vastly underfunded by the commercial investment sector. BioPontis is an international nonprofit philanthropic alliance, bringing patients, academia and industry into a new paradigm. It bridges the scientific advancement and funding that is blocking the advancement of science into product candidates that can enter into human clinical trials. It thus speeds up the development of treatments that may become commercially available for patients in desperate need.

“Rare diseases affect so many people around the world, and yet, though incentives to develop treatments has had a positive effect, still 95% of the 7000 diseases have no treatment at all”, says Marlene Haffner M.D. M.P.H., Vice Chair of the BioPontis Alliance board and past Director of the US FDA Orphan Products Development. “We are quickly learning that our nonprofit organization is desperately needed, to overcome the barriers that patients face in seeking treatment. We must and can do better. This gift from GSK will support BioPontis Alliance’s new philanthropic and private sector partnership, that has the power to break down these barriers”.

“Rare diseases is one of our six core areas of scientific research and development at GSK.We are working hard to discover and develop much needed treatments for rare disease patients and endorse the need for new solutions to improve the early development of effective treatments” said Martin Andrews, SVP Rare Diseases at GSK. “We believe the approach that BioPontis Alliance is taking will help progress important advances in how the early translation of academic research can more effectively be turned into potential treatments for rare disease patients. .”

BioPontis Alliance for Rare Diseases is reaching out to all stakeholders in the biopharmaceutical industry, to institutions and private foundations, and to individuals who want to directly impact the healthcare outcomes for rare disease patients who live with no hope of treatment today.

About BioPontis Alliance for Rare Diseases

BioPontis Alliance for Rare Diseases is a 501c(3) public charity in the USA (North Carolina) and a foundation of public utility in Belgium (Brussels). Managed by an international Board and executive team, BioPontis partners with patients’ organizations and academic researchers to bridge the gap, from promising science to medicines that are ready for uptake by the biopharmaceutical industry. BioPontis Alliance for Rare Diseases is established as a global non-profit, inviting corporate, private and foundation philanthropic support. Contributions to support our programs and mission can be made at http://.biopontisalliance.org