SOLVE FSHD Announces Recent Grant Awards to Accelerate Treatments for Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SOLVE FSHD, a venture philanthropy organization dedicated to accelerating treatments for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), today announced grant funding awarded following its 2025 Request for Proposals.

SOLVE FSHD will provide funding to leading clinician scientists validating biomarker assays and clinical outcome frameworks in FSHD, with the intent to share the results with the wider FSHD community and for use in clinical research within the next few years. This is aligned with the goal of building an FSHD toolkit for use in clinical trials by academic and industry partners and for supporting regulatory-aligned endpoint development.

Approximately USD$571,000 was awarded across two projects, selected from a highly competitive pool of international applications after review by external experts:

• ‘PERSPECTIVE - Longitudinal validation of blood-derived biomarkers in FSHD’, led by Prof. Nicol Voermans, Radboud University Medical Center

• ‘Validation of a New Clinical Outcome Measure for Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy: The North Star Assessment for FSHD’, led by Prof. Dr. Giorgio Tasca and Dr. Robert Muni Lofra, Newcastle University.

“SOLVE FSHD is pleased to continue funding leaders in clinically-focused research that fits with our goal of validating robust biomarkers and sensitive outcome measures as an FSHD toolkit for use in clinical trials within the next few years,” stated Eva Chin, Executive Director of SOLVE FSHD. “As in previous years, we received a large number of high-quality applications for funding from across the FSHD research community. In line with our goals, we made the decision to prioritize research addressing the urgent need for reliable biomarkers and clinical outcome assessments.”

These investments reflect SOLVE FSHD’s continued commitment to de-risking therapeutic development and accelerating the path to effective treatments for patients.

About SOLVE FSHD

SOLVE FSHD is a venture philanthropic organization established to catalyze innovation and accelerate research toward a cure for FSHD. It was established by renowned Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist, Chip Wilson, founder and part owner of various technical apparel companies including lululemon and Amer Sports, which holds brands such as Arc’teryx, Salomon and Wilson Sports. The Wilson family has committed $100 million to support projects that advance the organizations’ mission to solve FSHD by 2027. SOLVE FSHD aims to find a solution that can slow down or stop muscle degeneration, increase muscle regeneration and strength, and improve the quality of life for those living with FSHD. https://www.solvefshd.com.