Gilead Sciences Awards $8 Million Grant to CDA Foundation for Hepatitis B and C Care in the US

LAFAYETTE, Colo., (VSNewsNetwork.com) - The Center for Disease Analysis Foundation (CDA Foundation) has announced the receipt of an $8 million grant from Gilead Sciences as part of its Relink grant program. The grant is aimed at re-establishing connections with diagnosed, but untreated patients suffering from hepatitis C virus (HCV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV) in the United States. The CDA Foundation will distribute these funds to eligible tax-exempt organizations, aiming to return these patients to care.

"Hepatitis B and C viruses are highly cancer-causing. The Gilead Relink grant is an important example of how public and private partnership can shape viral hepatitis elimination programs that will help the United States achieve WHO targets by 2030," stated Homie Razavi, Founder and Managing Director of the CDA Foundation. In the US, an estimated 2.4 million people are living with HCV and 850,000 with HBV, both diseases having substantial links to various health conditions including cancer, liver failure, and cardiovascular disorders.

Macky Natha, Vice President of Medical Affairs at Gilead Sciences, expressed excitement about the expansion of support to healthcare organizations through the Gilead Relink grant program. He emphasized the importance of addressing barriers to treatment by relinking those who have been lost in the process. Despite the availability of high cure rates for HCV and effective therapies for HBV, many patients do not seek follow-up care or delay treatment, impeding progress towards the World Health Organization's goal to eliminate viral hepatitis as a major public health threat by 2030.

For more information, visit cdafound.org/relink.

Source: Center for Disease Analysis Foundation via Business Wire