GBT Establishes The GBT Foundation to Improve the Health and Well-being of Underserved Patient Communities Around the World
September 14 2021 - 11:00AM
Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc. (GBT) (NASDAQ: GBT) announced
the launch of The GBT Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization and
source of charitable giving that will work to improve the health
and well-being of underserved patient communities around the world.
As GBT recognizes its 10th anniversary this year, the company has
established The GBT Foundation to fund programs that will support
people within the sickle cell disease (SCD) community and beyond
through education, empowerment, improved healthcare access and
enhanced health equity.
“Giving back to the community has been woven into GBT as a
company since our founding a decade ago – guided by a belief in
every person having an equal chance to reach their full health
potential,” said Ted W. Love, M.D., president and CEO of GBT. “As
an extension of our mission and corporate giving, The GBT
Foundation will provide more opportunities to make a difference by
helping to address the needs of patient populations who have been
disenfranchised and left behind, like people living with sickle
cell disease.”
The GBT Foundation will fund programs from nonprofit
organizations around the world that have the potential to create
meaningful and sustainable change, and is currently accepting grant
proposals in four core areas of focus:
- Increasing SCD education and
awareness for communities impacted by SCD to build
knowledge of the devastating physical, social, mental and societal
effects of this genetic blood disorder.
- Empowering people with
SCD, caregivers and others in the SCD community to help
improve the lives and care of the community.
- Improving access
to healthcare in SCD to help those living with SCD
receive the high-quality health services they need and
deserve.
- Enhancing health
equity through innovative and sustainable solutions that
help vulnerable communities have the chance to reach their full
health potential without social obstacles.
Grant applications are accepted on a rolling basis. For more
information about The GBT Foundation and to learn about the areas
of focus and eligibility requirements, visit
www.gbt.com/gbtfoundation.
About Sickle Cell DiseaseSickle cell disease
(SCD) affects an estimated 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.1 It also affects
people of Hispanic, South Asian, Southern European and Middle
Eastern ancestry.1 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.3 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.3-5 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 throughout the
body. The diminished oxygen delivery to tissues and organs can lead
to life-threatening complications, including stroke and
irreversible organ damage.4-7
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 Oxbryta® (voxelotor) tablets, the first
FDA-approved treatment that directly inhibits sickle hemoglobin
polymerization, the root cause of red blood cell sickling in SCD.
GBT is also advancing its pipeline program in SCD with inclacumab,
a P-selectin inhibitor in development to address pain crises
associated with the disease, and GBT021601 (GBT601), the company’s
next-generation hemoglobin S polymerization inhibitor. In addition,
GBT’s drug discovery teams are working on new targets to develop
the next wave of treatments for 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
(SCD). https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell/data.html.
Accessed June 3, 2019.
- European Medicines Agency.
https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/orphan-designations/eu3182125.
Accessed June 12, 2020.
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website.
Sickle Cell
Disease. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/sickle-cell-disease.
Accessed August 5, 2019.
- Rees DC, et al. Lancet. 2010;376(9757):2018-2031.
- Kato GJ, et al. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2018;4:18010.
- Kato GJ, et al. J Clin Invest.
2017;127(3):750-760.
- Caboot JB, et al. Paediatr Respir Rev.
2014;15(1):17-23.
Contact: Steven Immergut (media)
+1.650.410.3258 simmergut@gbt.com
Courtney Roberts (investors) +1.650.351.7881
croberts@gbt.com
Global Blood Therapeutics (NASDAQ:GBT)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
Global Blood Therapeutics (NASDAQ:GBT)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024