The GBT Foundation Opens 2022 ACE Grant Program, Providing up to $250,000 in Support to Sickle Cell Disease Community-Based Organizations
March 03 2022 - 8:00AM
The GBT Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization primarily funded by
Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc. (GBT), today announced it is
accepting proposals for the Access to Care Empowerment for Sickle
Cell (ACE) Grant Program, which provides funding for
community-based organizations (CBOs) to accelerate the development
of sustainable access-to-care programs for people living with
sickle cell disease (SCD). The 2022 ACE Grant Program will award
five grants worth up to $50,000 each. The GBT Foundation will
accept proposals from U.S.-based nonprofit CBOs dedicated to SCD to
fund programs supporting SCD patient care, including patient
empowerment, peer-to-peer education, healthcare navigation for
patients and caregivers, and organizational capacity building.
The ACE Grant Program is a new extension of the ongoing Access
to Excellent Care for Sickle Cell Patients (ACCEL) Grant Program,
which will now be led by The GBT Foundation and has provided
funding since 2019 to U.S.-based nonprofit organizations and
institutions that serve patients with SCD and their families and
seeks to improve their access to high-quality healthcare. Based on
feedback from the SCD community, The GBT Foundation is separating
its funding for U.S.-based nonprofit organizations into two
programs: the ACE Grant Program, to which U.S.-based CBOs are
invited to apply now; and the fourth annual ACCEL Grant Program,
which will begin accepting proposals in mid-2022 from nonprofit
healthcare organizations and institutions.
“Community-based organizations are uniquely equipped to improve
access to high-quality care for people with sickle cell disease,
who have suffered for far too long from disparities in care and
inequitable investment in their communities,” said Jung E. Choi,
board member of The GBT Foundation and chief business and strategy
officer and head of patient advocacy and government affairs at GBT.
“We are immensely proud of the accomplishments of past grantees and
eagerly await new proposals that align with The GBT Foundation’s
mission to improve the health and well-being of underserved patient
communities. We look forward to once again supporting these
nonprofit partners in their essential work to create meaningful and
sustainable change.”
Over its first three years, the ACCEL program funded nearly $1
million in total to 19 organizations to accelerate the development
of sustainable and innovative programs for SCD patients. Previous
recipients used grant funding for activities including augmenting
provider education, helping organizations transition their patients
from pediatric to adult care, creating community health worker
initiatives, educating on the impact of COVID-19 on SCD, and
expanding healthcare options for SCD patients in rural areas.
The GBT Foundation is accepting proposals for the ACE program
through Friday, April 22, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time. A panel
of representatives from The GBT Foundation and external
stakeholders with expertise in the issues affecting people with SCD
will review proposal submissions. The panel will select grant
recipients based on the proposal’s goals and objectives consistent
with the mission of The GBT Foundation, potential impact on SCD
patient care, evaluation plan, organizational capabilities, and
sustainability plan. More information about the ACE program and how
to submit a proposal can be found here.
About Sickle Cell DiseaseSickle cell disease
(SCD) affects more than 100,000 people in the United
States,1 an estimated 52,000 people in Europe,2 and
millions of people throughout the world, particularly among those
whose ancestors are from sub-Saharan Africa.3 It also affects
people of Hispanic, South Asian, Southern European and Middle
Eastern ancestry.4 SCD is a lifelong inherited rare blood
disorder that impacts hemoglobin, a protein carried by red blood
cells that delivers oxygen to tissues and organs throughout the
body.4 Due to a genetic mutation, individuals with SCD form
abnormal hemoglobin known as sickle hemoglobin. Through a process
called hemoglobin polymerization, red blood cells become sickled –
deoxygenated, crescent-shaped and rigid.4,5,6 The sickling
process causes hemolytic anemia (low hemoglobin due to red blood
cell destruction) and blockages in capillaries and small blood
vessels, which impede the flow of blood and oxygen delivery
throughout the body. The diminished oxygen delivery to tissues and
organs can lead to life-threatening complications, including stroke
and irreversible organ damage.5,6,7,8 Complications of SCD begin in
early childhood and can include neurocognitive impairment, acute
chest syndrome, and silent and overt stroke, among other serious
issues.9
About The GBT FoundationFounded in 2021, The
GBT Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, primarily
funded by Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc. (GBT). Building on GBT’s
corporate giving commitment, The GBT Foundation is a
community-focused, charitable entity that is committed to improving
health equity worldwide, particularly for people living with SCD.
The GBT Foundation is a separate legal entity from GBT. To learn
more, please visit www.gbt.com/gbtfoundation.
About Global Blood TherapeuticsGlobal
Blood Therapeutics (GBT) is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated
to the discovery, development and delivery of life-changing
treatments that provide hope to underserved patient communities.
Founded in 2011, GBT is delivering on its goal to transform the
treatment and care of sickle cell disease (SCD), a lifelong,
devastating inherited blood disorder. The company has introduced
the first FDA-approved medicine that directly inhibits sickle
hemoglobin (HbS) polymerization, the root cause of red blood cell
sickling in SCD. GBT is also advancing its pipeline program to
address significant patient needs in SCD. To learn more, please
visit www.gbt.com and follow the company on Twitter @GBT_news.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Sickle Cell
Disease Research.
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hemoglobinopathies/scdc-understanding-sickle-cell-disease.html.
Accessed February 23, 2022.
- European Medicines Agency.
https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/orphan-designations/eu3182125
Accessed February 23, 2022.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Sickle Cell
Disease (SCD). https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell/data.html.
Accessed February 23, 2022.
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. Sickle Cell
Disease.
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/sickle-cell-disease.
Accessed February 23, 2022.
- Kato GJ, et al. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2018;4:18010.
- Rees DC, et al. Lancet. 2010;376(9757):2018-2031.
- Kato GJ, et al. J Clin Invest. 2017;127(3):750-760.
- Caboot JB, et al. Paediatr Respir Rev. 2014;15(1):17-23.
- Kanter J, et al. Blood Rev. 2013 Nov;27(6):279-87.
Contact:Steven Immergut (media)+1
650-410-3258simmergut@gbt.com
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