Cure SMA is pleased to announce that Biogen will be the Presenting Sponsor for our 2016 Annual SMA Conference. This year’s conference is set to be a significant event for the SMA community, with over 1,400 families and researchers coming together in Disneyland, June 16-19.
“Without the generosity and support of Biogen, it would not be possible to bring the entire SMA community together on this scale,” said Kenneth Hobby, president of Cure SMA. “In nearly 30 years of hosting this conference, this will be one of our largest ever, which is fitting. We’ve broken new ground over the past several years, through our efforts in research, family support, and advocacy. We’re excited to continue expanding that, using this conference as a springboard to new initiatives that we have planned over the next several years.”
“The Cure SMA annual meeting provides a unique and vibrant opportunity for leading researchers, families and advocates to learn about advances in SMA research and care and share their experiences as a unified community,” said Paula Cobb, senior vice president, Biogen Rare Disease Group. “We’re proud that our sponsorship will contribute to bringing families to this special conference, and are looking forward to meeting with and learning from everyone in Anaheim.”
About the Annual SMA Conference
The Annual SMA Conference is the largest SMA conference in the world. The conference is really two events—one for families and one for researchers—that run in parallel, so that families, researchers, and clinicians can interact with and learn from one another. Through the conference, we bring together these groups to network, learn, and collaborate. The family conference includes a variety of workshops and keynote sessions—plus fun events like our Meet and Greet, evening in Disneyland Park, teen and adult socials, and more.
The SMA Researcher Meeting brings together researchers from industry and academia to create open communication of early, unpublished scientific data, accelerating the pace of research. The meeting also furthers research by building productive collaborations—including cross-disciplinary dialogue, partnerships, integration of new researchers and drug companies, and educational opportunities for junior researchers.
We also plan several events for researchers and families to interact directly, including the Researcher Relay Race, Family Friendly Poster Session, and two panel discussions—one on the NDA process and one on SMA drugs in development—that will give families the opportunity to hear from leading researchers.