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Alliance for Lupus Research
We're Making a Difference! Find out how
John Harley, MD, PhDJennifer Anolik, MD, PhDAnne Davidson, MD

Research with results:
SLEGEN

The ALR Research Model

What happens when a venture-capitalist approach is used to fund new medical discoveries and medical treatments?

Results.

ALR's chairman, Robert Wood Johnson, IV, along with a group of business leaders and lupus researchers, created a unique research model to bridge the gap between the results-oriented focus of private industry and the disciplined approach of basic scientific research.

Planting the Seeds

First, the group recruited an elite Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) made up of medical specialists and charged them with building the research infrastructure. These volunteers developed a research plan and defined a rigorous peer review process to ensure the ALR would spend money effectively.

Funding was - and continues to be - provided by the ALR's Board of Directors, which covers all administrative and fundraising expenses. In return, shareholders expect a significant return in the form of scientific research that will improve the lives of people with lupus in the near future

Solid Support

Because of the entrepreneurial efficiency of the organization, the ALR built a strong funding foundation in a short period of time - $50 million to date. The aggressive and focused research model has helped to secure millions of additional dollars from government and private industry sources.

Even more important, the model is working. ALR-funded projects are leading to important new discoveries, helping to bring the research bench closer to the bedside.

“We believe that innovation and risk-taking lie at the heart of discovery, and we support that.”
-Dr. Joseph Craft, Chairman,
 Scientific Advisory Bord

The ALR Research Model

  • Funding combines entrepreneurial efficiency with a venture-capitalist approach.
  • The research model bridges the gap between private industry and scientific research.
  • Grants support research that will lead to results and relief for lupus patients.
  • Seed money provides funding researchers need to attract larger grants from government and private sources.
  • With $50 million in funding to date, the ALR is the world's largest private source of lupus research funds.
  • The three-year project resulted in landmark discoveries of genetic linkages to lupus.
  • The results will lead to the development of new strategies for prevention and treatment.

Lupus Research and Lupus Treatment

Systemic lupus erythematosus, also known as SLE or lupus, is an enigmatic chronic autoimmune disease that attacks healthy cells and tissues all over the body. Because lupus symptoms such as skin rashes, low-grade fevers, and extreme fatigue mirror the symptoms of many other diseases, lupus is difficult to diagnose and treat. At present, lupus treatment ranges from rest, a healthy diet, and avoidance of known triggers to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, immunosuppressants (or cytotoxic drugs), and other medications to control specific symptoms. However, like many an autoimmune disease, there is no cure for lupus--yet.

The Alliance for Lupus Research (ALR), a New York-based national voluntary health organization, is working to prevent, treat, and cure lupus through proactive fundraising and medical research. ALR initiatives include several research grant programs, the SLEGEN program which launched an accelerated search for the genes that put people at risk for developing lupus, advocacy for increased federal funding for lupus research, and a grassroots fundraising program called Walk with Us to Cure Lupus. To date, the ALR, now the world's largest source of private funding for lupus research, has allocated more than $55 million to programs studying lupus disease. The ALR's hope is that with continued research, lupus face rash, kidney problems, blood system disorders, and the other manifestations of this debilitating, poorly understood disease will become manageable, curable and even preventable.

This site provides further information about lupus, the ALR and its research programs, the Walk with Us to Cure Lupus event, and other events. If you would like to join the quest to cure lupus, you can also make a contribution online. Thank you for visiting the ALR!

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