FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Miami, Fla. (May 6, 2020) – The Diabetes Research Institute Foundation (DRIF) today announced a donation of $3 million from North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), to support the clinical trial of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells to treat life-threatening lung inflammation in COVID-19. The generous gift will accelerate the research.
On April 9, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first-of-its-kind clinical trial proposed by an international team of scientists led by Dr. Camillo Ricordi, Director of the Diabetes Research Institute and Cell Transplant Program. The Miami-based trial began immediately to test safety and establish a scientific validation of success reported in over 100 patients worldwide given the treatment under compassionate use guidelines.
Phase I was sponsored by generous donors of The Cure Alliance, a group of scientists and innovators across the globe dedicated to sharing knowledge and accelerating treatments to end the suffering caused by the COVID-19. The international food company, Barilla, donated a major part of the funding.
With phase II planning underway, NABTU stepped forward with their generous $3 million donation ear-marked for the trial through the DRIF. “NABTU and its members are proud to stand behind the work of Dr. Ricordi, the Diabetes Research Institute team and their partners around the world as they work to find a cure for diabetes and protect the lives of people affected by COVID-19,” said NABTU President Sean McGarvey. “As COVID-19 cases show severe implications for high-risk individuals and essential workers, Dr. Ricordi’s DRI research is essential to treating patients who are facing this life-threatening virus. Our work doesn’t stop with this $3 million commitment; NABTU and our members have already begun organizing friends and supporters to raise the $30 million Dr. Ricordi says is required to effectively treat the millions of people who need it and will receive it at no cost to them or their families,” he added.
“As it has been for decades, whenever we need them, the building trades stand in the breach for their countries and communities,” Dr. Ricordi said. “This generous donation is another example of how this amazing organization leads by example and how leadership and action can make a difference on the path of cures.”
Shelley Ross is president of The Cure Alliance, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, founded in 2009 by Dr. Camillo Ricordi.