Page 11 - Mecklenburg_Medicine_November-December-2019

At the Hospitals
n Atrium Health Joins Forces to
Advance Ground-Breaking Muscular
Dystrophy Treatment
Scientists at Atrium Health’s McColl
Lockwood Laboratory for Muscular
Dystrophy Research have made a discovery.
BBP-418 could offer hope to thousands of
children and young adults diagnosed with
Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy Type 2i
(LGMD2i). LGMD2i, one of the rarest forms
of the disease, causes muscle weakness that
leads to loss of mobility and ultimately cardiac
and respiratory failure. Currently, there are no
approved treatments and no cure.
“For years, our dedicated team of researchers
and scientists have worked day in and day out,
making steady progress toward unlocking some
of the keys to muscular dystrophy treatment,” says health systems for their efforts to reduce healthcare ethnicity, gender and location. Also mentioned
Qi Long Lu, MD, PhD, director of the McColl
Lockwood Laboratory for Muscular Dystrophy
Research at Atrium Health. “With this new
development, we’ve taken a giant leap forward.”
LGMD2i is caused by a mutation in the
FKRP gene. This mutation prevents a natural
process where sugar molecules combine with
a specific protein in cell membranes to protect
muscles. Without the sugar molecule, muscles
are left unprotected from mechanical damage
and degeneration. When introduced, BBP-418
transforms and compensates for the missing
sugar component. Based on the science,
researchers anticipate that BBP-418 treatment
could reduce LGMD2i symptoms by at least
50 percent, dramatically changing the quality of
life for those living with the disease. improve health and advance healing — for
ML Bio Solutions, a new startup company
headquartered in Charlotte, has been established
to further advance this discovery and prepare for
clinical trials and, ultimately, FDA approval. The
collaboration between Atrium Health’s McColl
Lockwood Laboratory for Muscular Dystrophy
Research and BridgeBio Pharma expects to
begin a natural history study by year’s end.
“This is a perfect example of how innovation,
coupled with a commitment to saving and
enhancing lives, can change the course of
history,” says Rasu Shrestha, MD, MBA, chief
strategy officer at Atrium Health. “Our goal at
Atrium Health is being nimble enough to extend to be recognized by the American Hospital
our mission in new and unexpected ways in
order to have the most impact possible. This Association for the second consecutive year
includes new ways of finding novel cures and
treatments for disease.” as an Equity of Care Award honoree,” says
The start of this particular journey began Alisahah Cole, MD, chief community impact
when Jane B. Lockwood was diagnosed with
LGMD2i as a child. Her parents, Luther and Jane officer for Atrium Health. “We are committed
McColl Lockwood, began the search for the best
medical treatment they could find. As a result, to addressing socioeconomic factors and health
Jane’s grandfather, Charlotte businessman Hugh
L. McColl Jr., collaborated with Atrium Health behaviors in our
to start the McColl-Lockwood Laboratory for
Muscular Dystrophy Research. communities that
Luther Lockwood, chairman of ML Bio greatly impact a
Solutions and Jane’s dad, says, “By combining
the scientific leadership of the McColl- patient’s health.”
Lockwood Laboratory with the rare disease
development expertise at BridgeBio, we believe Atrium Health
we can accelerate the path to making a safe and
effective disease-modifying treatment available was noted for its
to LGMD2i patients as soon as possible.”
“Demographic
n Atrium Health Earns Health
Data Wall,” an
Equity Honor
analytics platform
The American Hospital Association (AHA)
recently named Atrium Health an honoree for that identifies KinneilColtman Alisahah Cole,MD
the 2019 Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care inequities by race,
Award. The tribute recognizes hospitals and
inequities and advance diversity and inclusion.
was its formal community health strategy that
“It is a tremendous honor for Atrium Health
includes community leaders across Atrium
Health’s multi-sector service regions, focused
on pediatric and adult obesity, mental health
prevention and treatment, tobacco prevention
and cessation, access to care and social and
economic impact.
“Atrium Health’s mission is to elevate hope,
all,” says Kinneil Coltman, vice president and
chief diversity officer of Atrium Health. “We
work hard to eliminate health disparities for our
patients and communities and integrate diversity
and inclusion into all aspects of our operations.”
n Atrium Health Recognized as the 2019 Community Champion
by Charlotte Business Journal
Atrium Health was recognized at the Charlotte Business Journal’s Inaugural Best in HR
Awards as the 2019 Community Champion for its commitment to improving economic mobility
and health in the Charlotte community.
In 2014, researchers from Harvard University, University of California-Berkeley and the
Treasury Department, published a study on the country’s 50 largest metro areas for upward
mobility. Charlotte ranked last, showing poverty is a critical issue in the Queen City.
“As the largest employer in Charlotte, Atrium Health has an opportunity to make a huge impact
on economic mobility, which also can improve the health of our community,” says Jim Dunn,
PhD, executive vice president and chief human resources officer at Atrium Health. “In response,
Atrium Health teamed up
with several community
partners to advance workforce
development programs that
address economic mobility.”
L to R:Brandi Newman,Savannah Simmons,
Luann Bailey,Joe Forquer,Sebastien Girard,
David Atkinson,Scott Laws,Lucy Dean,
Ashley Foster and Melanie Davis.
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