July, 29 2021 • Articles

To Get New Treatments Across the Finish Line, a Funder Fighting Blindness Turns to Investing

To Get New Treatments Across the Finish Line, a Funder Fighting Blindness Turns to Investing 

July 29th, 2021 - Source: Inside Philanthropy

Since its establishment in 1971 by a group of families affected by retinal disease, the Foundation Fighting Blindness has funded research into several of the most serious and common of these conditions, like macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. The foundation grew to become the leading private funder of basic research into conditions that cause blindness and vision loss for more than 10 million Americans and millions more worldwide. In its 50 years in operation, the foundation has raised over $816 million to support research—including the identification of key genes linked to retinal diseases—that has enabled the launch of dozens of clinical trials to test possible treatments. All in all, a solid track record.

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