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From apparel to clinical trials: Lululemon Founder Commits $100 Million to Find Cure for FSHD

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The world's most successful entrepreneurs are often willing to share how lessons learned and resilience have shaped their business sense, but few transcend their successes to optimistically forge a path to overcome one's biggest challenge "" their health.

Going public with his own story, Wilson, who was diagnosed with Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy type 2 (FSHD2) at age 32, announced he has committed $100 million and created a new venture, Solve FSHD, with the objective of finding a cure for FSHD by 2027, targeting the underlying genetic cause or improving muscle function and growth.

"Solve FSHD will accelerate the underfunded development of drugs and therapies to stop muscle degeneration, increase muscle strength and improve the quality of life for those living with this," said Wilson, who stopped playing squash 10 years ago because he could no longer lift a racquet over his head.

At 67, the serial entrepreneur and father of five boys says his upper body is "very wasted." His legs have lost significant muscle tissue and Wilson can see a time in the not–so–distant future when he will need the assistance of a wheelchair.

"I can still walk, but I must be very intentional and present, or I will trip and fall. I do see a day when I will be unable to walk on my own," said the Canadian entrepreneur and venture philanthropist. Currently, there is no cure for FSHD, a genetic disorder that has varying symptoms, severity, and progression. According to the Mayo Clinic, muscle weakness usually starts in the face, hip and shoulders. Onset usually occurs in the teenage years but can begin in childhood.

"It's one of the most prevalent adult muscular dystrophies. The investments of Solve FSHD now to help validate biomarkers and develop new therapies will pay dividends later for any company or researcher pursuing better therapies for FSHD. These investments form the foundation to support future clinical trials and serve as a seed for further funding and investment," adds Dr. Jeffrey Statland, Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Dr. Statland has conducted clinical and research training in neuromuscular diseases, with a primary interest in FSHD.

"Solve FSHD will support projects that normally wouldn't receive funding, including bottlenecks in the pipeline and thereby accelerating the development of clinical trials and novel therapies. We can move quickly and pursue multiple projects simultaneously," Wilson said.

Scientists, biotech and biopharma companies, muscular degeneration specialists and other researchers working in similar muscular dystrophy fields are all encouraged to contact Solve FSHD. Solve FSHD is seeking to fund or invest in potential research partners, companies, and clinicians interested in advancing related research and clinical trials.

Solve FSHD also wants to hear from those with FSHD or who suspect they may have it, who can help by volunteering to join a contact registry for clinical trials.

"FSHD is life–altering and I know my future will be challenging," said Wilson. "I prefer not to sit in the stands but go out on the courts with my time and money to help this important cause so very close to my heart. In this way, there is something to smile about for those touched by FSHD."

About Solve FSHD
Solve FSHD is funding innovative biotech and biopharma research and development activities that accelerate novel treatments of Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) treatment. It is fully funded and created by Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist Chip Wilson. The founder of yoga–inspired athletic apparel company Lululemon Athletica inc. has been living with FSHD for the last three decades of his life. He has committed $100 million of his own money to create Solve FSHD and kick–start funding into projects that fit the organization's mission: accelerate research into new therapies and find a cure for the disorder by 2027.

Future announcements for grant funding will be issued on Solve FSHD's website – https://solvefshd.com/

For early–stage companies, contact Solve FSHD at info@solvefshd.com.

If you have FSHD and want to find out about clinical trials or be included in the FSHD registry, please see Solve FSHD's website – https://solvefshd.com/

For media inquiries or to request a media interview, please contact:
Kamran Shaikh, Account Director
PR Associates
kshaikh@prassociates.com
778–846–5406


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Technology Leaders Launch SustainableIT.org to Address Climate Change

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., March 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, a think tank of global technology leaders and Delphix, the industry leader for DevOps test data management, announced the formation of SustainableIT.org, a nonprofit organization focused on advancing global sustainability through technology leadership.

"Sustainability is the megatrend of the century," said Jedidiah Yueh, Founding Director of SustainableIT.org and Delphix Founder and CEO. "For too long, sustainability has been a problem for someone else to solve. Today, we're joining forces with technology leaders from the world's largest organizations to make sustainability our collective problem to solve."

Over the next decade technology systems will dramatically increase energy consumption and related environmental and carbon impact. And digital transformation programs are increasingly putting consumer data privacy at risk, a major governance concern.

Yet most organizations independently define their approach to sustainability, with no standard metrics or reporting for the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, societal, and governance.

SustainableIT.org will unite IT leaders and experts from around the world to define best practices and standard metrics for all three pillars of sustainability in order to drive transparency and progress toward a sustainable future.

"IT leaders and teams want to have more of an impact on sustainability initiatives. Launching SustainableIT.org represents an important moment in time for empowering IT to fulfill its promise""not just innovating for the business and our customers but to help save the world," said Brian Kirkland, Choice Hotels CIO.

SustainableIT.org is a nonprofit governed by global technology leaders with the support of partners and the technical advisor, Delphix. The founding board of directors includes:

As part of its mandate, SustainableIT.org will define sustainable transformation programs by industry, author best practices and frameworks, set standards and certifications, provide education and training, and raise awareness for environmental and societal programs that make our organizations and the world sustainable for generations to come.

"At Delphix, sustainability is core to our business and value. Our DevOps Data Platform reduces the environmental impact of application environments by 10x, and we govern and protect consumer data privacy for many of the world's biggest brands," said Yueh. "But we can do more. SustainableIT.org is our chance to galvanize the world's largest organizations to take clear and transparent actions that lead to a sustainable world."

About SustainableIT.org

SustainableIT.org is a nonprofit organization focused on advancing global sustainability through technology leadership. Our mission is to define sustainable transformation programs by industry, author best practices and frameworks, set standards and certifications, provide education and training, and raise awareness for environmental and societal programs that make our organizations and the world sustainable for generations to come. Follow us on LinkedIn.

About Delphix

Delphix is the industry leader for DevOps test data management.

Businesses need to transform application delivery but struggle to balance speed with data security and compliance. Our DevOps Data Platform automates data security, while rapidly deploying test data to accelerate application releases. With Delphix, customers modernize applications, adopt multi–cloud, achieve CI/CD, and recover from downtime events such as ransomware up to 2x faster.

Leading companies, including Choice Hotels, Banco Carrefour, and Fannie Mae, use Delphix to accelerate digital transformation and enable zero trust data management. Visit us at www.delphix.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

Contact:

Orlando de Bruce
VP of Corporate Marketing & Brand
Orlando.Debruce@delphix.com


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