The GBT Foundation Opens 2022 ACCEL Grant Program to Provide Up to $500,000 in Support to Sickle Cell Disease Nonprofit Healthcare Organizations and Institutions

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The GBT Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization primarily funded by Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc. (GBT), today announced that it is accepting proposals for the fourth annual Access to Excellent Care for Sickle Cell Patients (ACCEL) Grant Program, which provides funding to U.S.-based nonprofit organizations and institutions that serve patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and their families and seek to improve their access to high-quality healthcare. The 2022 ACCEL Grant Program will accept proposals from U.S.-based nonprofit healthcare organizations and will award up to five grants worth up to $100,000 each, seeking to provide innovative and sustainable healthcare solutions that support SCD patients, caregivers and the overall SCD community, specifically SCD patient access to care, transition of care from pediatric to adult, and building of innovative SCD clinics.

As previously announced, The GBT Foundation has separated its funding for U.S.-based nonprofit organizations into two programs based on feedback from the SCD community: the ACCEL Grant Program and the new Access to Care Empowerment for Sickle Cell (ACE) Grant Program, which accepted applications earlier this year from community-based organizations (CBOs) in the U.S. and will award up to $250,000 in support to accelerate the development of sustainable access-to-care programs.

“The GBT Foundation is proud to be supporting nonprofit healthcare organizations and institutions in this fourth year of the ACCEL program, and to once again be increasing the available grant funding for these vital organizations,” said Jung E. Choi, board member of The GBT Foundation and chief business and strategy officer and head of patient advocacy and government affairs at GBT. “Previous ACCEL grantees have made great strides in expanding innovative solutions for the sickle cell community. We look forward to supporting efforts to address the urgent needs of sickle cell patients, including disparities in care that have persisted for far too long and challenges intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Since 2019, the ACCEL program has funded nearly $1 million in total to 19 organizations to accelerate the development of sustainable and innovative programs for SCD patients. Previous recipients used grant funding for activities including augmenting provider education, helping organizations transition their patients from pediatric to adult care, creating community health worker initiatives, educating on the impact of COVID-19 on SCD, and expanding healthcare options for SCD patients in rural areas.

The GBT Foundation is accepting proposals for the ACCEL program through Friday, July 29, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time. A panel of representatives from The GBT Foundation and external stakeholders with expertise in the issues affecting people with SCD will review proposal submissions. The panel will select grant recipients based on the proposal’s goals and objectives consistent with the mission of The GBT Foundation, potential impact on SCD patient care, evaluation and sustainability plans, and organizational capabilities. More information about the ACCEL program and how to submit a proposal can be found here.

About Sickle Cell Disease
Sickle cell disease (SCD) affects more than 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.³ It also affects people of Hispanic, South Asian, Southern European and Middle Eastern ancestry.⁴ 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.⁴ 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.^4,5,6 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 delivery throughout the body. The diminished oxygen delivery to tissues and organs can lead to life-threatening complications, including stroke and irreversible organ damage.^5,6,7,8 Complications of SCD begin in early childhood and can include neurocognitive impairment, acute chest syndrome, and silent and overt stroke, among other serious issues.⁹

About The GBT Foundation
Founded 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 Therapeutics
Global 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, starting with sickle cell disease (SCD). Founded in 2011, GBT is delivering on its goal to transform the treatment and care of SCD, a lifelong, devastating inherited blood disorder. The company has introduced the first FDA-approved medicine that directly inhibits sickle hemoglobin (HbS) polymerization, the root cause of red blood cell sickling in SCD. GBT is also advancing its pipeline program to address significant patient needs in SCD. To learn more, please visit www.gbt.com and follow the company on Twitter @GBT_news.

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Sickle Cell Disease Research. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hemoglobinopathies/scdc-understanding-sickle-cell-disease.html. Accessed February 23, 2022.
2. European Medicines Agency. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/orphan-designations/eu3182125 Accessed February 23, 2022.
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell/data.html. Accessed February 23, 2022.
4. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. Sickle Cell Disease. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/sickle-cell-disease. Accessed February 23, 2022.
5. Kato GJ, et al. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2018;4:18010.
6. Rees DC, et al. Lancet. 2010;376(9757):2018-2031.
7. Kato GJ, et al. J Clin Invest. 2017;127(3):750-760.
8. Caboot JB, et al. Paediatr Respir Rev. 2014;15(1):17-23.
9. Kanter J, et al. Blood Rev. 2013 Nov;27(6):279-87.

Contact:
Steven Immergut (media)
+1 650-410-3258
simmergut@gbt.com