Every year, the 28th of February is Rare Disease Day, abbreviated as RDD. To mark RDD in 2018, the King Baudouin Foundation launched a new prize destined to further encourage researchers working in the field of rare illnesses: the Generet Award. 

The Generet Fund joined over 80 other funds devoted to medical research and managed by the Kind Baudouin Foundation, and is making substantial means available specifically for research into rare diseases in Belgium through the new award. 

We must remember that rare diseases affect less than one in every 2,000 people, and 75% of those affected are children or young people. There are over 7,000 known rare diseases, and it is important to to notice that the Generet Fund has not specified which pathology the research awarded must investigate: all rare diseases are valid. 

The Generet Award is very considerable, allocating an annual prize of 500,000 euros to be awarded to a leading scientist to fund their research. This amount may even be doubled following a positive intermediate progress report on the research.  

This is good news for all patients of rare diseases, including of course all members of Vascapa. Learn more about the Generet Award and other activities carried over by the King Baudouin Foundation by checking their website: https://www.kbs-frb.be/