Cures Within Reach Announces Honorees for the 2nd Annual Bioscience Awards Midwest (BAM) Event

CHICAGO - June 6, 2014 - PRLog -- The event at the Standard Club attracts stakeholders from bioscience organizations throughout the Midwest, as well as scientists and philanthropists, to support the drug and device repurposing research focus of Cures Within Reach and celebrate our communal commitment to positive patient impact.  http://www.cureswithinreach.org/BAM

The Golan & Christie Patient Impact Philanthropy Award will honor Judith Goldman, a 24-year survivor of multiple myeloma, and her late husband, George Goldman, who passed away in 2012. Their philanthropic commitment and entrepreneurial vision was the foundation of what would become Cures Within Reach. Mr. and Mrs. Goldman founded Goldman Philanthropic Partnerships (GPP) in 1998 as a private operating foundation with a gift of $5 million, to accelerate the discovery of new treatments and improve the quality of life for people with catastrophic diseases. In 2005, the GPP foundation transitioned to a public charity named Partnership for Cures.  In 2012, Partnership for Cures adopted the name Cures Within Reach to reflect its focus on drug and device repurposing through Rediscovery Research™.

The Janet Davison Rowley Patient Impact Research Award will recognize D. James Surmeier, PhD and Tanya Simuni, MD for their collaborative laboratory and clinical work at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Results from Dr. Surmeier’s lab and Dr. Simuni’s initial clinical research have led to the NIH funding a multicenter Phase III clinical trial directed by Dr. Simuni to determine if isradipine can slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease, a neurologic disorder that affects more than one million Americans who are battling the disease, which currently has no cure.

Dr. Norbert Riedel (http://www.cureswithinreach.org/2014-bam) will be honored with the Patient Impact Legacy Award for his lifetime contributions within science, academia and the pharmaceutical industry.  Highlights of his career include 15 years of service as corporate vice president and chief science and innovation officer at Baxter International. He was recently was appointed chief executive officer of Naurex, Inc.

“We are so pleased to shine the spotlight on the recipients of these awards,” said Cures Within Reach President and Chief Science Officer Dr. Bruce Bloom. “The work they have done and continue to do is critical to addressing the unmet needs of the worldwide patient community, and demonstrates the variety of ways in which we all can make a difference.”

Chairs for BAM 2014 are Nancy Searle, civic leader and advocate for the growth of the bioscience industry in Chicago, and Nancy Joseph-Ridge, head of global development and general manager for the Pharmaceutical Development Division at Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is honorary event chair and invited guest; and nominating event chair is Michael Rosen, recipient of the BAM 2013 Patient Impact Legacy Award and senior vice president of the Forest City Science + Technology Group.

About Cures Within Reach

Cures Within Reach (http://www.cureswithinreach.org/) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization working to improve patient quality of life and length of life through Rediscovery Research. Pilot clinical trials facilitated by Cures Within Reach test repurposed treatments designed to be immediately incorporated into clinical practice. By creating and managing stakeholder collaboration around this powerful path to patient impact, Cures Within Reach has been instrumental in the development of 10 treatments in clinical use and is currently stewarding 18 medical research projects through its partner institutions across the country and around the world.

Media Contacts:

Angela Salerno-Robin

Senior Media Supervisor  |  Edelman  |  200 East Randolph Drive |  Suite 6300  |  Chicago, IL  |  60601

P: 312.233.1243  |  C: 312.545.9331|  E:  angela.salerno@edelman.com | Twitter: @AngelaMSalerno

Amy Conn

Director of Advancement  |  Cures Within Reach  |  Illinois Science+Technology Park

8025 Lamon Avenue, Suite 010  |  Skokie, IL 60077

P: 847.745.1246  |  E: amy@cureswithinreach.org