GRAMMY® Award-winning Artist Rob Thomas Headlines Evening Honoring Partners iHeart Media and Genentech

The Lupus Research Alliance, the largest private funder of lupus research, hosted its annual Breaking Through Gala – raising over $2.8 million to help free the world of lupus.

The event was co-hosted by CBS News New York’s Award-Winning Journalist Natalie Duddridge and Meteorologist Tony Sadiku, and Maxwell, the iHeartMedia, Inc. Afternoon Host on 103-5 KTU, “The Beat of New York.” Honoring those living with lupus and those supporting their journey, guests also enjoyed a dynamic performance by internationally renowned, multi-GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Rob Thomas.

“It’s an honor to stand with the Lupus Research Alliance — music brings us together, and so does hope,” said Mr. Thomas.  “I am proud to lend my voice tonight to support the researchers, clinicians, and advocates working toward better treatments and, one day, a cure.”

The event celebrated the tremendous progress people with lupus have seen since their lupus journey first began – new treatments where there were once none, new support from joining the Lupus Research Alliance community, new empowerment in ways to get involved, and new optimism for a future living the long and healthy life all people with lupus deserve.

The hope that research brings along with the urgent need to continue the drug development momentum was powerfully illustrated by touring artist and lupus warrior Shanelle Gabriel, who performed her poem “Living While Living With Lupus” about how lupus has shaped her life’s dreams and how research progress is helping her fight back.

“Since first collaborating with the Lupus Research Alliance over a decade ago, I have witnessed the strength that comes from advocacy, the support that comes from community, and the hope that comes from scientific progress.,” said Ms. Gabriel, who is a lupus advocate and Lupus Voices Council member. “The work and passionate dedication of so many in this room and beyond helps me and millions like me around the world believe in a future free from lupus.”

This year’s Gala celebrated many organizations and individuals who have made a real difference in lupus research. The night recognized:

• Renowned singers Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, and Halsey as well as philanthropist Michael R. Bloomberg as Gala Honorary Co-Chairs. Additional event co-chairs included:  Ira Akselrad, President of The Johnson Company and Lupus Research Alliance Board Chair; Nadeem Meghji, Global Head of Real Estate Blackstone; and Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, Inc.

• Genentech as Industry Partner Honoree. Dr. Jay Garg, Vice President, Product Development and Global Head of Nephrology and Rheumatology, accepted the award, sharing the company’s strong partnership with the Lupus Research Alliance funding innovative research and ensuring that the voices of people living with lupus are incorporated into the development of new therapies. He pointed to the recent U.S. FDA approval of the company’s treatment Gazyva® (obinutuzumab) for adults with active lupus nephritis who are receiving standard therapy as a milestone resulting from years of research and collaboration.
• iHeartMedia, Inc. as Corporate Media Honoree. The organization has helped raise awareness for lupus and the Lupus Research Alliance amongst millions of people across its platforms. President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer Rich Bressler expressed the company’s enduring and continued commitment to the cause.

As the evening lit up with hope and strength, the Empire State Building lit up the New York City skyline in red and purple to raise awareness of lupus and the shining brilliance of scientific exploration.

“Our Gala is aptly dedicated to the Heart of Innovation because passion and compassion is what propels our organization to keep pushing forward,” said Albert T. Roy, President & CEO of the Lupus Research Alliance. “It is the hearts of everyone – our talented scientists and researchers, devoted donors, and the resilient people with lupus whom we serve – that fuel breakthroughs.”

About Lupus
Lupus is a chronic, complex autoimmune disease that affects millions of people worldwide. In lupus, the immune system, meant to defend against infections, produces autoantibodies that mistake the body’s own cells as foreign, causing other immune cells to attack organs such as the kidneys, brain, heart, lungs and skin, as well as blood and joints. Ninety percent of people with lupus are women, most often diagnosed between the ages of 15-45. Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian and Pacific Islander people are disproportionately affected by lupus.

About the Lupus Research Alliance
The Lupus Research Alliance is the largest non-governmental, non-profit funder of lupus research worldwide. The organization aims to transform treatment by funding the most innovative lupus research, fostering scientific talent, and driving discovery toward better diagnostics, improved treatments and, ultimately, a cure for lupus. Because the Lupus Research Alliance’s Board of Directors funds all administrative and fundraising costs, 100% of all donations goes to support lupus research programs.

For more information or to donate to lupus research, visit the LRA at LupusResearch.org and on social media at: X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

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Media Contact:
Rebekah Barnes
RBarnes@lupusresearch.org