WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS/pharmacy has launched its annual in-store Advancing Medical Research fundraising campaign for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
The drug chain said Monday that campaign will support medical research and help improve the quality of life for those living with ALS, a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive degeneration of motor nerves in the brain and spinal cord, typically leading to paralysis and death within four to six years.
Supporters of the 2013 campaign can donate $1 or $3 at the register in CVS/pharmacy stores nationwide and online at cvs.com/als through June 29. Funds raised via the campaign will benefit the ALS Therapy Alliance, a national nonprofit organization for advancing ALS research.
There is no known cause or cure for ALS, which affects about 30,000 Americans, with 5,600 new cases diagnosed nationwide each year. However, CVS/pharmacy said that a new research grant it’s funding is exploring gene silencing therapies that aim to end the progression of ALS in patients and provide new leads for solving other degenerative disorders.
"CVS/pharmacy and its Advancing Medical Research campaign have helped us realize critical advancements in ALS research, including our new research project on gene silencing therapies," Dr. Robert Brown Jr., president of ALS Therapy Alliance, said in a statement.
"Many of the ALS cases that we understand at the molecular level arise because a ‘sick’ gene makes a toxic protein that kills a cell, but if we can turn off the gene, then the toxicity is ameliorated," Brown explained. "We hope that this important research will yield results in the near term and move us toward therapies for human use."
CVS/pharmacy said it has raised more than $30 million in support of ALS research over the past 11 years.
"CVS Caremark supports organizations and medical research that address important health care issues," stated Jon Roberts, executive vice president for CVS Caremark Corp. and honorary chair of the Advancing Medical Research campaign. "For the past 11 years, we’ve been able to make a significant impact in advancing ALS research with support from our colleagues and customers. Through the Advancing Medical Research campaign, we continue to make a difference in the lives of those who are living with ALS and support groundbreaking developments to help bring us one step closer to ending this devastating disease."
