THE FOUNDATION FIGHTING BLINDNESS INC
THE FOUNDATION FIGHTING BLINDNESS INC
COLUMBIA, MD, US
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501(c)(3)
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EIN
23-7135845
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Regional Funder
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Parent Organization
THE FOUNDATION FIGHTING BLINDNESS INC
COLUMBIA, MD, US
•
501(c)(3)
•
EIN
23-7135845
•
•
Regional Funder
•
Parent Organization
Programs
Program 1 [2021]
RESEARCH: THE FOUNDATION FIGHTING BLINDNESS, INC. (THE FOUNDATION) FUNDED RESEARCHERS ARE ACHIEVING REMARKABLE SUCCESS IN DISCOVERING, TESTING AND DELIVERING TO PATIENTS A WIDE RANGE OF PROMISING THERAPIES TO PREVENT, STOP THE PROGRESSION OF, AND CURE BLINDNESS DUE TO RETINAL DEGENERATIVE DISEASES. THE FOUNDATION HAS ENCUMBRANCES OF $42 MILLION, NOT INCLUDED ON OUR JUNE 30 FINANCIAL REPORT, FOR ACTIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS THAT HAVE FUTURE RESEARCH MILESTONES. OUR RESEARCH OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE'S SPENDING PLAN INCLUDES SPENDING AT AN AVERAGE OF $21 MILLION ANNUALLY TO SUPPORT FUTURE RESEARCH.AS OF THE END OF OUR FISCAL YEAR 2021, THE FOUNDATION'S RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM IS FUNDING 82 GRANTS BEING CONDUCTED BY MORE THAN 90 INVESTIGATORS AT 67 INSTITUTIONS, EYE HOSPITALS AND UNIVERSITIES IN THE U.S. AND AROUND THE WORLD. A SAMPLING OF THE RESEARCH PROJECTS FUNDED ARE LISTED BELOW.DEVELOPMENT OF A DRY AMD GENE THERAPYBARBEL ROHRER, PHD, MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINATRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH ACCELERATION PROGRAMDR. ROHRER IS CONDUCTING AN ANIMAL STUDY OF A GENE THERAPY DESIGNED TO SELECTIVELY DELIVER A COMPONENT OF COMPLEMENT FACTOR H (CFH) TO TEMPER THE OVERACTIVE INNATE IMMUNE SYSTEM IN AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION. THE APPROACH IS DESIGNED TO MITIGATE RETINAL DEGENERATION CAUSED BY THE IMMUNE RESPONSE, TARGETING THE DAMAGE WHERE IT IS MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR.ADVANCING A PHARMACEUTICAL THERAPY FOR RETINITIS PIGMENTOSAPAUL YANG, MD, PHD, OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITYTRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH ACCELERATION PROGRAMDR. YANG IS EVALUATING THE DRUG MYCOPHENOLATE AS A THERAPY FOR MULTIPLE FORMS OF RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA AND RELATED CONDITIONS. ALREADY APPROVED BY THE FDA FOR INFLAMMATORY CONDITIONS, MYCOPHENOLATE HAS BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE THE ACCUMULATION OF A MOLECULE CALLED CYCLIC GUANOSINE MONOPHOSPHATE (CGMP). WHILE CGMP IS AN IMPORTANT MESSENGER MOLECULE FOR CONVERTING LIGHT INTO ELECTRICAL SIGNALS IN THE RETINA, TOO MUCH OF IT IS TOXIC AND CAUSES RETINAL DEGENERATION. DEVELOPMENT OF RNA THERAPIES FOR STARGARDT DISEASEROB COLLIN, PHD, RADBOUD UNIVERSITYTRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH ACCELERATION PROGRAM DR. COLLIN IS DEVELOPING ANTISENSE OLIGONUCLEOTIDES (AON) TINY PIECES OF DNA TO MASK SPLICING MUTATIONS IN ABCA4, THE AFFECTED GENE IN PEOPLE WITH STARGARDT DISEASE. THE AONS TARGET MUTATIONS IN RNA, THE GENETIC MESSAGES USED TO BUILD PROTEINS THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR A CELL'S HEALTH AND PROPER FUNCTIONING.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJul 1, 2020 – Jun 30, 2021Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$28.5MProgram 2 [2021]
PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION: DURING FISCAL YEAR 2021, THROUGH OUR CHATLOS FOUNDATION PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAM, THE FOUNDATION AIMED TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE EDUCATION AND SUPPORT TO PEOPLE AFFECTED BY RETINAL DEGENERATIVE DISEASES. THE FOUNDATION ALSO FIELDS A TEAM OF PROFESSIONALS FOCUSED ON EDUCATING OPHTHALMOLOGISTS AND OPTOMETRISTS ON THE LATEST ADVANCEMENTS WITH THE FOUNDATIONS RESOURCES AND RESEARCH ON THE INHERITED RETINAL DISEASE SPACE. TO KEEP OUR CONSTITUENTS AND PROFESSIONALS INFORMED, THE FOUNDATION PUBLISHES EXTENSIVE CONTENT VIA WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA/EMAIL CHANNELS; DISTRIBUTES A NEWSLETTER ONLINE AND IN PRINT; HOLDS QUARTERLY INSIGHTS FORUM CALLS TO INFORM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS. THE CONTENT PRODUCED INCLUDES THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN RESEARCH AND CLINICAL TRIALS, AND PERSONAL STORIES FROM MEMBERS OF THE FIGHTING BLINDNESS COMMUNITY. ADDITIONALLY, THE FOUNDATION HOLDS CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION COURSES TWICE A YEAR, FOCUSED ON PROVIDING TIMELY CONTENT TO EYECARE PROFESSIONALS. CHAPTERS BRING THE FOUNDATION'S MESSAGE AND MISSION TO LIFE. IN FY21 THE FOUNDATION SUPPORTED OVER 40 VOLUNTEER-LED CHAPTERS IN 22 STATES. THE CHAPTERS HELD 46 VIRTUAL SPEAKER PRESENTATIONS, SOCIALS, AND OTHER OUTREACH ACTIVITIES, AND CO-HOSTED SIX VIRTUAL VISION WEBINARS WITH THE FOUNDATION WITH OVER 650 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE FOR EACH WEBINAR.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJul 1, 2020 – Jun 30, 2021Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$1.7MProgram 3 [2021]
MY RETINA TRACKER: THE FOUNDATION MAINTAINS A RESEARCH DATABASE OF PEOPLE AND FAMILIES AFFECTED BY RARE INHERITED RETINAL DEGENERATIVE DISEASES. THE REGISTRY IS DESIGNED TO SHARE DE-IDENTIFIED INFORMATION WITHIN THE IRD RESEARCH AND CLINICAL COMMUNITIES ABOUT PEOPLE WITH AN INHERITED RETINAL DISEASE TO HELP ACCELERATE THE DISCOVERY OF TREATMENTS AND CURES. DURING FISCAL YEAR 2021 APPROXIMATELY 3,600 ADDITIONAL MEMBERS WERE ADDED TO THE REGISTRY, BRINGING TOTAL REGISTERED INDIVIDUALS UP TO 18,542.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJul 1, 2020 – Jun 30, 2021Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$2M
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