Acorda Therapeutics
OVERVIEW: Acorda Therapeutics makes grants for research and education that are of strategic interest to the company. It also sponsors nonprofits that work toward greater awareness of and care for people with neurological disorders.
IP TAKE: This corporate funder mainly supports research and medical education that relates to its corporate interests. A few sponsorships go to nonprofits that work with patients with neurological disorders including MS, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and spinal cord injuries. Acorda accepts applications for funding at any time via its online application portal.
PROFILE: Acorda Therapeutics is a biotechnology company dedicated to “the development and commercialization of novel therapies to improve, repair and restore neurological function in people with a range of nervous system disorders.” It currently produces and develops therapeutic drugs for afflictions such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, migraines and shingles. It does not have a philanthropic arm per se, but instead operates a grant program that funds public awareness, clinical studies, and third-party partnerships. It is important to note that much of Acorda’s grantmaking concerns medications, devices and therapies that are of strategic importance to the corporation.
Acorda’s Investigator Initiated Studies program aims to “advance the knowledge and understanding of Acorda’s approved products and therrapeutic areas of interest through investigator-initiated proposals for clinical and health outcomes research.” The company’s support may take the form of either monetary funding or drug supplies for testing.
Acorda’s Medical Scientific Operations grant program supports “education for providers and patients, research, and healthcare quality improvement initiatives that can contribute to the health, well being and safety of patients associated with our corporate mission.” Grant types include medical education grants for certified and non-certified programs that “foster increased understanding of scientific, clinical, or health care issues that contribute to the improvement of patient care,” and Continuing Medical Education or Certified Education Grants, which “enhance the ability of the healthcare professional to care for patients.”
Finally Acorda’s Sponsorships provide support to nonprofit organizations involved in “education, awareness and patient support,” especially those that offer “benefit to patients currently living with neurological disorders such as MS, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, or spinal cord injury.”
Acorda is not transparent about how much money it awards for the above programs, nor does it provide a searchable grants database. It does accept unsolicited proposals on a rolling basis throughout the year. Applications, consisting of a detailed proposal and budget, must be submitted through the company’s online portal. Submissions made in any another manner than the online application portal will not be accepted.
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