A Cure Changes Everything

“This shouldn’t happen! Especially not to children.”

But you made the remarkable decision to something to help.

You can see how your donation is helping cure Sanfilippo Syndrome.

Check out the IMPACT REPORT.

Get a deeper look at what your generosity has already fueled. See the faces you are helping and the future you are creating. 

Adam Shaywitz, MD, PhD, has joined the board for Cure Sanfilippo Foundation, bringing additional scientific and treatment development expertise to the organization.

“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Adam to the board and are grateful for his support of the Sanfilippo community over the years,” said Cure Sanfilippo Board member Valerie Byers, PhD. “His extensive experience in the drug development process for devastating rare pediatric conditions will provide the Foundation with unique and invaluable guidance as we aim to accelerate our impact in the space for children with Sanfilippo Syndrome.”

Adam received his degrees from Harvard Medical School and trained in adult medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. He subsequently pursued a fellowship in endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism jointly at the Beth Israel-Deaconess Medical Center and Joslin Diabetes Center where he concurrently pursued postdoctoral studies in molecular physiology.

Adam is Chief Medical Officer (CMO)-in-Residence at BridgeBio Pharma, where he currently serves as CMO for three subsidiary companies: CoA Therapeutics, Aspa Therapeutics, and Adrenas Therapeutics. 

Prior to BridgeBio, he spent five years at BioMarin Pharmaceutical as an Executive Director in the Clinical Sciences group. While at BioMarin, Adam developed, designed and led natural history and clinical studies for Sanfilippo Syndrome. Additionally, he played a key role in developing a number of programs aimed at treating a broad range of diseases, including other lysosomal storage disorders. During his tenure at BioMarin, Adam also worked closely with the research and business development teams to develop and broaden the pre-clinical and clinical pipeline.

“I am honored and excited to continue working with the Sanfilippo community in their mission to identify therapies that could make a meaningful impact to patients and families suffering from this devastating disease,” said Adam Shaywitz. “In addition to the urgency and drive that Cure Sanfilippo Foundation brings to their mission, they also possess a sophisticated understanding of what it takes to deliver novel therapies to patients and a willingness to dive in and participate in this process. I am looking forward to being a part of this dynamic and passionate team.”

Last year, Spencer’s Sprinters raised just over $20,000 for Cure Sanfilippo Foundation by running the Genesis Battlegreen Run in Lexington, MA. This year, Spencer’s Sprinters are crushing last year’s fundraising and are on their way to raising $30,000 in advance of the Nov. 3 race day.

LexFUN! and Lexington Neighbors and Newcomers’ Club organize the annual Spencer’s Sprinters effort on behalf of the Smiths, a local family whose son Spencer has Sanfilippo Syndrome. 

Like all toddlers, Spencer loves to splash in the pool with his daddy, dance in the yard with his mommy, and pet every puppy dog he can get my hands on. But unlike most boys and girls, he’s battling MPS-III, commonly known as Sanfilippo Syndrome. 

Sanfilippo Syndrome is a genetic neurological disorder that can most-easily be understood as “childhood Alzheimer’s.” Both are a death sentence, but where Alzheimer’s strikes people toward the end of their lives, Sanfilippo attacks kids just as they have begun to learn to walk and talk.

There are several teams of researchers around the world who are studying ways to treat Sanfilippo kids like Spencer who lack an enzyme that breaks down natural cellular waste. 

The funds raised by Spencer’s Sprinters helps Cure Sanfilippo Foundation architect and fund more research to treat and/or cure this terrible disease, as well as increases awareness of Sanfilippo. 

“It is absolutely amazing to see the local community continue to rally around Spencer and his family,” said Glenn O’Neill, President of Cure Sanfilippo Foundation. “Their generous outpouring of love and support for this family means the crucial research for a cure will continue. It also gives hope to every parent of a child with Sanfilippo. We thank Spencer’s Sprinters for their tireless work and wish them a great run on Sunday.”

Visit the official Spencer’s Sprinters fundraising site and see the impressive number of people helping raise funds to help Spencer and other children with Sanfilippo.

Learn more about Spencer and hear his parents’ thoughts about life with Sanfilippo Syndrome.

*** UPDATE – Nov. 4, 2019 ***

Spencer’s Sprinters sprinted past their 2019 goal and crossed the finish line raising $33,330 to benefit Cure Sanfilippo Foundation and research to cure Sanfilippo Syndrome with this year’s Genesis Battlegreen Run.