About Cures Not Treatments
Our Story
Cures Not Treatments was born from a profound personal experience and a resolute belief in a better future for healthcare. Inspired by the arduous journey of my beloved wife, Lisa, who lived her entire life with diabetes and endured its devastating complications, this organization is driven by a deep commitment to changing the paradigm of pharmaceutical innovation. Witnessing her suffering underscored the urgent need to prioritize cures over mere treatments, not just for diabetes, but for all debilitating diseases.
Our Mission
Our mission at Cures Not Treatments is to advocate for and facilitate a fundamental shift in the pharmaceutical industry's focus, incentivizing the development of cures for diseases rather than just managing their symptoms. We aim to achieve this through legislative reform that recognizes and rewards the immense value of curative therapies for patients, the healthcare system, and society as a whole.
Our Vision and Purpose
We envision a world where scientific breakthroughs are rapidly translated into lasting cures, where individuals are freed from the burden of lifelong illness, and where the healthcare system invests in eradicating disease at its root. Cures Not Treatments strives for a future where pharmaceutical innovation is driven by the ultimate goal of healing, leading to healthier, longer, and more fulfilling lives for everyone.
Lisa's Story
For over thirty-five years, I witnessed firsthand the relentless progression of diabetes in Lisa. In the end, her battle involved constant wound care, requiring two to three visits weekly to medical facilities, supplemented by my own efforts on other days.
Before that, the insidious nature of diabetic wounds led to multiple amputations in both her feet, eventually robbing her of her ability to walk independently. Her vision, too, was severely impacted, necessitating regular and ultimately ineffective injections directly into her eyes. Tragically, her sight deteriorated until only a fraction of her peripheral vision remained – a fate far too common for those living with this disease.
In her final weeks, Lisa lost a devastating 85 pounds as excess fluids were vacuumed from her legs, her body visibly weakening with each passing day. When her kidneys failed, we knew her time with us was coming to a close.
Yet, amidst this struggle, there was a glimpse of what could be. In 2010, Lisa suffered a massive heart attack. Offered an experimental adult *cardiac stem cell therapy, she experienced a remarkable recovery. Her cardiologist, noting that 40% of her heart had been damaged, was astonished to find, after the therapy, that her heart function resembled that of a healthy 30-year-old, despite Lisa being 45 at the time.
This therapy was a true cure for her heart condition, while ultimately unable to prevent the ongoing damage from congestive heart failure, a common complication for diabetics, illuminated the transformative power of curative therapies and further solidified the urgent need for their widespread development – the very reason Cures Not Treatments exists.
*Fifteen years have passed since that cardiac stem cell therapy trial. The therapy is still not approved by the FDA and impossible to obtain in the United States. Just more proof that cures are given a back seat in our healthcare system.
Our Values
- Patient-Centricity: The well-being and long-term health of patients are at the heart of everything we do.
- Innovation: We champion and encourage groundbreaking scientific research aimed at developing cures.
- Advocacy: We are committed to actively promoting legislative change to incentivize curative therapies.
- Transparency: We believe in open communication and accountability in our efforts.
- Collaboration: We seek to work with patients, researchers, policymakers, and yes, the pharmaceutical industry, to achieve our goals.