PARIS, April 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Partnering for Cure is
Bristol-Myers Squibb's flagship, Pan-European scientific initiative
supporting breakthrough research and facilitating greater
collaboration and knowledge-sharing with the virology
community
In advance of this year's International Liver
CongressTM 2014 in London,
England, Bristol-Myers Squibb invites European researchers
to submit innovative research ideas that aim to cure chronic
virological diseases. As part of Bristol-Myers Squibb's ongoing
commitment in virology, these projects provide an opportunity for
researchers, particularly junior faculty and young investigators,
to accelerate novel solutions that could lead to cures in HIV,
hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV).
This latest round of research applications will be accepted from
1 May to 15 July 2014 and aspiring
scientists are encouraged to submit their ideas at
http://www.bms.com/israpplications. Priority will be given to
research proposals in the area of translational science with a
clear relevance for the clinical development of a cure in viral
hepatitis or HIV infection.
Partnering for Cure is led by the Partnering for
CureFaculty, an expert panel of clinical and research experts
from across Europe and focuses on
three pillars - education, scientific exchange and scientific
research. The Faculty will award up to four recipients in a blinded
evaluation after applications close. The four research applicants
will share between them just over €300,000 in support from
Bristol-Myers Squibb.
"This year, we were proud to announce our first class of
Partnering for Cureresearch programme recipients in
January," said Professor Jürgen Rockstroh, Partnering for
Cure Faculty Chair. "Now we're looking for even more proposals
to expand our clinical network and continuing the fight against
chronic viral diseases through the 2014 Partnering for Cure
research programme."
Matthieu Perreau, Centre
Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) Service Immunologie et
Allergie, Switzerland, was one of
the four Partnering for Cure research programme recipients
last year, awarded for his research, Identification of the
memory CD4 T-cell population(s) harbouring replication competent
HIV-1 within lymphoid tissues.
"This grant has provided me with the opportunity to pursue my
passion and make an impact in the virology community," remarks
Perreau. "It is an honour to be part of this exciting initiative,
and I look forward to working with my research colleagues to find a
cure."
"Bristol-Myers Squibb has a longstanding vision of continuing to
transform the treatment of viral diseases and fulfilling serious
unmet medical needs of patients," said George Hanna, MD, vice president, HIV
Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb. "We look forward to this year's
applications and supporting the upcoming generation of researchers
and scientists who are dedicated to improving treatments and
delivering true advances in patient care."
The projects that will receive support from Bristol-Myers Squibb
will be announced on World AIDS Day - 1
December 2014.
About Partnering for Cure
Partnering for Cure is a European medical education
programme developed as part of Bristol-Myers Squibb's ongoing
commitment to virology research, education and transforming
clinical outcomes for patients with chronic viral diseases. The
programme focuses on recent and ongoing cure research in HIV, HBV
and HCV.
The objectives of the programme are to:
- Provide medical education to physicians interested in virology
cure research
- Provide support to researchers active in virology cure
research
- Provide a forum for physicians and researchers to discuss
advances in virology cure
The Partnering for Cure initiative reinforces
Bristol-Myers Squibb's commitment in virology, which is rooted in
the company's legacy in virology and ongoing research in HIV and
viral hepatitis. Chronic viral infections make a substantial
contribution to the burden of chronic diseases and premature
mortality worldwide. In December
2012, the Global Burden of Disease Study reported 1,465,000
deaths caused by HIV/AIDS and 1,445,000 deaths caused by viral
hepatitis in 2010.[i] Infections with hepatitis B and C
viruses also cause an estimated 57 percent of cases of liver
cirrhosis and 78 percent of cases of primary liver cancer
annually.[ii] Whilst important advances have been made
over the last decade significant unmet needs and the opportunity
for cure remains, particularly in HIV.
Bristol-Myers Squibb's
Commitment to Virology
For over 20 years, Bristol-Myers Squibb has worked
collaboratively with the virology community to help meet the needs
of patients living with HIV, HBV and HCV - by providing and
developing medicines such as Zerit®,
Videx®, Sustiva®,
Atripla[®*],
Reyataz®, Baraclude®,
supporting clinical research on new innovative compounds,
supporting disease education efforts, and improving access to
medicines in the developing world.
Bristol-Myers Squibb supports a
number of scientific and educational programs within the virology
community around the world that encompass disease education,
disease awareness and sharing of best practices. In addition to
Partnering for Cure these include
SHE®
(Strong, HIV
positive, Empowered
Women/Strong, HIV
positive Women Educational
Programme), a comprehensive and innovative programme for women
living with HIV and their healthcare providers, PATH
B® (Patients and
professionals acting together
for hepatitis B),
a joint initiative between hepatitis patient groups and
hepatologists to provide comprehensive information and support for
patients with chronic hepatitis B.
Additionally, Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation's philanthropic
and educational programmes, such as Secure the
Future® and Delivering Hope® aim
to support people living with HIV in Africa and with viral hepatitis in
Asia, through numerous
private-public partnerships and community based projects.
VIRUK14NP01991-01
Prepared April 2014
* Atripla® is a trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
i. Global and regional mortality from 235 causes of death for 20
age groups in 1990 and 2010: a systematic analysis for the Global
Burden of Disease Study 2010, The Lancet, Volume 380, No9859,
Dec 15, 2012 pp2095-2128
ii. WHO and WHA, Global Policy Report on the Prevention and
Control of Viral Hepatitis,
2013, http://global-report.worldhepatitisalliance.org/en/home.html