– Vertex grant to JDRF supports efforts
to improve clinical trial diversity in type 1 diabetes –
– The Vertex Foundation grant supports the Mass
General Comprehensive Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Center –
– Additional Vertex Foundation grant to Year Up
to support health care workforce training –
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today
announced that Vertex and the Vertex Foundation, a nonprofit
charitable foundation, have committed $50 million over five years
to clinical trial diversity, access to quality care, and education
of our health care workforce. The donations are an extension of
Vertex’s long-standing commitment to inclusion, diversity and
equity and the existing work of the Vertex Foundation to promote
these values through education, innovation and various health
programs.
“We’re delighted to be working with Year Up, JDRF and the
Massachusetts General Hospital, along with a number of other
extraordinary organizations to advance our collective goal of
having a more equitable society as a whole and a more equitable
health care system in particular,” said Reshma Kewalramani, M.D.,
Chief Executive Officer and President at Vertex. “In conjunction
with our announcement today of the expansion of our cell and
genetic therapies footprint, this $50 million commitment reflects
our ongoing commitment to close the gaps in health care research,
access, quality and patient outcomes for underrepresented
communities.”
Clinical trial diversity
JDRF, the leading global type 1 diabetes (T1D) research
and advocacy organization, is broadening the understanding and
awareness of T1D and getting more people involved in clinical
trials, screening, monitoring and research. Vertex is supporting
JDRF’s efforts to improve clinical trial diversity which will help
champion advanced care through clinical trial education, awareness
and recruitment efforts, including diverse representation.
“JDRF is dedicated to supporting every individual diagnosed with
type 1 diabetes. Vertex's support will allow us to expand our
efforts to ensure understanding of the disease and knowledge of the
most up-to-date treatment options to alleviate daily burdens,” said
Aaron Kowalski, Ph.D., JDRF International CEO. “As we continue to
drive towards cures, we understand the importance of expansive and
diverse clinical trials as part of the research process. JDRF is
thankful to Vertex for their commitment to increase education and
enrollment in clinical trials which will accelerate research
progress and ultimately drive better outcomes for more people with
diabetes.”
Access to quality care
Approximately 98 percent of patients with sickle cell disease
(SCD) are Black or African American, and rates of SCD are also
higher among Latinx and other ethnicities than among White
populations. The lack of access to quality health care for the
disease coupled with issues associated with poverty — lack of
nutritional food, stable housing and steady employment — leads to
poor health outcomes. The Vertex Foundation is supporting the
Mass General Comprehensive Sickle Cell Disease Treatment
Center, which provides integrated, multidisciplinary care for
this patient population that has not received the focused attention
it deserves. In order to help the Center provide the best care for
this disease, the funding will advance the Center’s ability to
provide holistic support to improve patient care through the
expansion of social workers, patient coordinators and nurse
navigators. In addition, support will expand programmatic efforts
such as athletic training and survivorship programs.
“Massachusetts General Hospital has long been dedicated to
identifying and addressing racial and ethnic disparities and
achieving equity in our quality of care,” said Joseph Betancourt,
M.D., M.P.H., Senior Vice President of Equity and Community Health.
“The Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center represents a long overdue
step forward in the care and treatment of a serious disorder
impacting primarily African Americans and communities of
color.”
“I want patients to feel there is somebody in their corner
because this disease affects every facet of their lives,” said
Sharl Azar, M.D., Medical Director for the Mass General
Comprehensive Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Center. “We want to
provide a welcoming place where our patients feel safe, trusted,
understood, heard, connected and well cared for — a true medical
home.”
Education of our health care workforce
In order to address a health care workforce and talent shortage
across the state, the Vertex Foundation will partner with Year
Up, a Boston-headquartered workforce development nonprofit,
with funding to support a curriculum to prepare young adults for
future careers in community health, paid internship opportunities
and a source of skilled and trained professionals who reflect the
populations they serve.
“Access to quality health care and the financial sustainability
that comes with good jobs go hand in hand in building an equitable
and just society,” said Gerald Chertavian, Founder and CEO of Year
Up. “We are proud to partner with the Vertex Foundation to develop
career pathways in health care services for underrepresented
communities in Massachusetts.”
About the Vertex Foundation
The Vertex Foundation is a nonprofit charitable foundation. It
seeks to improve the lives of people with serious diseases and in
its communities through education, innovation and health programs.
Established in 2017, the Foundation is a long-term source of
charitable giving and is part of Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ corporate
giving commitment. To learn more about the Vertex Foundation, visit
https://www.vrtx.com/responsibility/vertex-foundation.
About Vertex
Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in
scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people
with serious diseases. The company has multiple approved medicines
that treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis (CF) — a rare,
life-threatening genetic disease — and has several ongoing clinical
and research programs in CF. Beyond CF, Vertex has a robust
pipeline of investigational small molecule, cell and genetic
therapies in other serious diseases where it has deep insight into
causal human biology, including sickle cell disease, beta
thalassemia, APOL1-mediated kidney disease, pain, type 1 diabetes,
alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Founded in 1989 in Cambridge, Mass., Vertex's global
headquarters is now located in Boston's Innovation District and its
international headquarters is in London. Additionally, the company
has research and development sites and commercial offices in North
America, Europe, Australia and Latin America. Vertex is
consistently recognized as one of the industry's top places to
work, including 12 consecutive years on Science magazine's Top
Employers list and one of the 2021 Seramount (formerly Working
Mother Media) 100 Best Companies. For company updates and to learn
more about Vertex's history of innovation, visit www.vrtx.com or
follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and
Instagram.
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