Royalty Pharma (Nasdaq: RPRX) today announced a charitable contribution by Royalty Pharma in the amount of $1,000,000 to Mount Sinai Health System. The funds will be used to support:
- Mount Sinai's Center for Post-COVID Care (CPCC) and Post-COVID Registry: Royalty Pharma's charitable contribution will study the long-term consequences of Covid-19 infection and provide advanced, innovative care for the ever-growing number of COVID-19 "long-haulers".
- Mount Sinai prospective study of individuals who already have antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 through infection or vaccination and monitor these antibodies over time, led by Florian Krammer, PhD, Professor of Vaccinology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Viviana Simon, PhD, MD, Professor of Microbiology/Medicine and member of the Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Over the course of the pandemic, the CPCC has cared for more than 20,000 patients with COVID-19, providing an invaluable, first-hand look at the many ways this virus attacks and affects the body. With an estimated 30-35% of COVID-19 survivors suffering from a variety of chronic conditions, the CPCC has proven essential in helping patients address the unique symptoms caused by this virus. The awareness that some of these symptoms are lingering led to the inception of the CPCC, one of the first such entities in the nation. The CPCC is a translational program wherein clinicians provide immediate care to patients in need, while scientists conduct cutting-edge research into the underlying biology of COVID-19. The CPCC has quickly become Mount Sinai's centralized hub for a multitude of resources for patients who have recovered from acute infection of the virus.
Mount Sinai's virologists—led by Florian Krammer, PhD—have been at the forefront of the COVID-19 crisis since the disease emerged in China last winter. Dr. Krammer and his team were the first in the nation to screen for viral antibodies by creating a novel, quantitative assay to pinpoint antibody levels (titers) for SARS-CoV-2 which are vital for vaccine development as well as in order to evaluate individual susceptibility to disease and population immunity.
"Mount Sinai has boldly faced the unprecedented challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic with dynamic ideas and limitless clinical and scientific efforts that have moved as quickly as the virus has spread in our communities. This generous gift makes it possible to continue the important work ahead," said Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and President for Academic Affairs at Mount Sinai Health System. "We will not stop until this pandemic ends, until more lives are saved, until less people suffer from the debilitating effects of the disease caused by the virus and until we are equipped with the knowledge to prevent the next pandemic. This is our charge, and we will not rest until we have lessened the impact of this pandemic on our nation and the world."
"The Mount Sinai Center for Post-COVID Care and COVID-19 Registry was established to treat and study the long-term consequences of Covid-19 infection," said Juan Wisnivesky, MD, Professor of Medicine at Icahn School of Medicine and Co-Director of the CPCC. "Patients will be followed with yearly exams to assess the impact of Covid-19 on the cardiopulmonary system, renal function, immune function, neurological system, mental health and other organs. We are also creating a biorepository to perform analyses that can further unveil the biological impact of Covid-19 infection."
"We are conducting studies that follow individuals who already have antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 through infection or vaccination and monitor these antibodies over time," said Florian Krammer, PhD, "Based on this data and potential breakthrough infections (reinfections) we are determining the level of antibodies that is needed to provide protection (correlate of protection)."
"Royalty Pharma is proud to partner with Mount Sinai's Center for Post-COVID Care which provides important multi-specialty care and personalized treatment plans to patients still battling the aftereffects of this debilitating virus" said Pablo Legorreta, Founder & CEO of Royalty Pharma. "Dr. Kramer's research and ability to determine the number of antibodies of an individual, rather than just their presence is a crucial differentiating factor as we continue to investigate prolonged immunity to COVID-19 and test the efficacy of many of the leading vaccine candidates. As COVID continues to strain communities, Royalty Pharma is committed to supporting academic research centers and teaching hospitals who are on the frontlines of fighting this pandemic."
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