Founders
Scientific Founders
Dr. Alberto Auricchio
Institutional Founders
Dr. Alberto Auricchio
Alberto Auricchio, PhD is Coordinator of the Molecular Therapy Program at TIGEM and Professor of Medical Genetics at University “Federico II” in Naples, Italy
He is co-author of over 140 peer-reviewed publications and inventor of several patents related to the use of viral vectors for gene therapy.
Dr Auricchio is Executive Board Member of the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy and acts as Scientific Advisory Board member of several gene therapy companies (Odylia, Gyroscope, Alia Therapeutics, Innovavector).
Prior of AAVantgarde he has contributed to the development of Luxturna, the first approved gene therapy for an ocular disease and has developed AAV-based gene therapy for a rare lysosomal storage disease from discovery up to first-in-human (first in vivo gene therapy clinical trial in Italy).
Fondazione Telethon
Fondazione Telethon is a non-profit organisation created in 1990 as a response to the appeals of a patient association group of stakeholders, who saw scientific research as the only real opportunity to effectively fight genetic diseases. Thanks to the funds raised through the television marathon, along with other initiatives and a network of partners and volunteers, Telethon finances the best scientific research on rare genetic diseases, evaluated and selected by independent internationally renowned experts, with the ultimate objective of making the treatments developed available to everyone who needs them. Fondazione Telethon has made a significant contribution to the worldwide advancement of knowledge regarding rare genetic diseases and of academic research and drug development with a view to developing treatments.
Website: www.telethon.it