Over 1 million scientists and patients, awarded winners of Gilead calls

“The impossible is only a goal yet to be achieved, a horizon that becomes possible”. 85% of Italians think so, especially when it comes to medicine. Among the impossible challenges made possible, compatriots cite: organ transplantation (51.8%), mass vaccination of the 1950s (51.1%) and antibiotics (48.1%). Followed by: DNA mapping (37.1%) and the drug to prevent the spread of HIV (28.6%). Among the goals that today seem unattainable and that Italians believe can be achieved are: the cure for all cancers, even those still orphaned of therapies, for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and the availability of personalized therapies based on individual characteristics. Goals achievable thanks to scientific research, which for about 90% of Italians is a determining factor for the state of health and well-being. This is what emerges from the research ‘Creating possible’, carried out by AstraRicerche on the occasion of the award ceremony of the tenth edition of the Calls promoted by Gilead Sciences in Italy, Fellowship and Community Award Program. ‘Making the impossible possible’ was in fact the theme at the center of the event held today in Milan: a moment to celebrate the 58 winners of the two Calls – researchers, researchers and patient associations – to which a total of over one million euros will be awarded to carry out their projects within the next 12 months. Aimed at the medical research sector (the Fellowship) and the patient communities (the Community), the Calls – informs a note – aim to select and finance the best projects of a scientific or socio-health nature aimed at improving the quality of life of patients, the outcomes of the disease or to favor the achievement of public health objectives in the area of ​​infectious or oncohematological diseases. Now in their tenth edition this year, the two initiatives, thanks to a total contribution of over 11 million euros, have made it possible to carry out almost 500 projects of a scientific or social-welfare nature. ne, promoting innovation in the scientific and social fields. “Awards, such as those promoted by Gilead, have significance for the scientific community and for our young people beyond the merit of the award itself. Scientific research has received limited attention, and researchers have often felt themselves to be ‘children of a lesser god’. The awards convey the message of a social appreciation of high-quality research and its role for the present and future of medicine “, said Alberto Mantovani, Scientific Director of the Humanitas Institute, professor emeritus of Humanitas University, who spoke at the ceremony with a open Lecture precisely on the theme of impossible challenges in medicine. On the research front, the Fellowship Program – the note reports – has made it possible to advance the knowledge of infectious diseases, in particular Hiv and Hcv, and oncohematological ones, especially lymphomas, contributing to better manage them and opening the way to possible new therapeutic approaches. The results of the Fellowship have given rise to almost 100 publications and presentations at conferences. The Community has given the possibility to the country’s associations, small and large, to give assistance and support to patients and caregivers, to contribute to the fight against infectious diseases ragg leaching populations often on the margins and lacking adequate assistance, such as prisoners, drug addicts, migrants and the homeless. To date, almost 5 thousand patients are assisted in accessing health services and in disease pathways, 120 thousand information / educational materials produced and distributed. Finally, over 10 thousand HIV / Hcv tests carried out. “In these ten years we have worked to build a fair, transparent, innovative and supportive system to try to concretely help the Italian research and associations that, like us, strive every day to improve the health and quality of life of patients with serious pathologies “, underlined Cristina Le Grazie, Medical Director of Gilead Sciences Italy.