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Columbia, MD (February 27, 2012) – The Foundation Fighting Blindness, a national nonprofit dedicated to sight-saving research for retinal degenerative diseases, announces a $50,000 grant from the Providence-based Rhode Island Foundation to help fund macular degeneration research.
The grant fuels Foundation Fighting Blindness support for research into the causes of, and potential treatments for forms of macular degeneration, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and Stargardt disease. With more than 10 million Americans affected with AMD, it’s the leading cause of blindness in people over 50. An estimated 35,000 in the U.S. are living with Stargardt disease, a juvenile form of macular degeneration that’s inherited due to a defective gene.
“We’re very grateful for generous contributions from community-oriented organizations like the Rhode Island Foundation,” says William T. Schmidt, chief executive officer, Foundation Fighting Blindness. “They truly see the potential of saving and restoring vision in people coping with blinding retinal diseases like macular degeneration, and their support will help fulfill our mission of finding preventions, treatments and cures.”
Thanks to Foundation Fighting Blindness-funded macular degeneration research, vision-saving wet AMD treatments like Lucentis® and Eylea™ are now available, and landmark clinical trials of gene therapy and stem cell treatments have been launched for dry AMD and Stargardt disease. The Foundation Fighting Blindness continues to fund research projects to better understand and target the root causes of AMD to eradicate the disease entirely.
“We see supporting the Foundation Fighting Blindness’ research into disease that causes vision loss for many Rhode Islanders, and millions more around the world, as an investment in a brighter future,” says Yvette Mendez, Rhode Island Foundation grant programs officer for health. “We’re pleased to contribute to the exciting push for treatments and cures.”
As the state’s only community foundation, the Rhode Island Foundation meets the needs of Rhode Islanders by collaborating with philanthropic individuals and families, as well as awarding grants to nonprofit organizations in line with its mission. Since 2009, the organization has contributed $150,000 to the Foundation Fighting Blindness’ efforts to eradicate blindness due to vision-robbing retinal degenerative diseases.
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