WINSTON SALEM, N.C., Aug. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Greater Gift of Winston Salem, a non-profit that celebrates participation in clinical trials today announced a partnership with Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation (Nasdaq: AGTC), a biotechnology company developing genetic therapies for the treatment of rare inherited retinal diseases (IRDs), and mobile vision provider 2020 On-site, a company involved in IRD clinical research and provides complimentary eye exams and facilitates the delivery of eyeglasses to students in need.

The pandemic has shone a bright light on the need for clinical trial participation as never before in history, said Lilly Skok Bunch, Executive Director of Greater Gift. Greater Gift has been celebrating and acknowledging clinical trial participants for more than 10 years; this is the first time that a program will recognize trial participants in a way that also yields benefits for students with vision challenges.

Greater Gifts programs celebrate clinical trial participants by making donations on behalf of those individuals to reinforce the impact of their contribution on the advancement of clinical research. Celebrations of clinical trial participants have provided an additional benefit of 130,000 vaccines and meals to children in need through prior programs.

AGTC is thrilled to partner with Greater Gift to honor clinical trial participants and their families for their contribution to the clinical research community, said Halley Losekamp, Director of Patient Enrollment at AGTC. "Through this partnership, our goal is to enhance awareness within the community about the value of clinical trial participation in advancing the science and understanding of gene therapies in IRDs while underscoring AGTCs commitment to support the underserved communities that have limited access to vision care services.

Greater Gift partnered with 2020 On-site because of the organizations commitment to the underserved through their relationship with the Boston Public School System. This donation will allow 2020 On-site to continue the longstanding eye exam program and to double the impact of the gift, as they conduct their annual exam program and delivery of eyeglasses to public school students in need in Boston.

We are honored to be part of this partnership with AGTC and Greater Gift. Both companies align with our mission to make eye care more accessible and to increase trust in and awareness of clinical trials. Now, because of this relationship, we will be able to support even more Boston area school children to help them succeed in the coming school year and beyond, said Jessica Mays, Senior Director of Life Sciences for 2020 On-site, which uses their fleet of Mobile Vision Clinics to provide eye care both routinely and as part of ongoing clinical trials.

About Greater Gift (www.greatergift.org):Greater Gift is a non-profit organization, founded in 2010, with a mission to increase awareness of clinical research, especially among underrepresented communities, to improve global health. Greater Gift builds bridges with underrepresented communities to engage them in research, ensure equal representation in clinical research and to increase access to research as an option for medical care. Since its founding, Greater Gift has honored 130,000 clinical trial volunteers by making donations of vaccines and meals to children in need in their honor.

About AGTC: AGTC is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing genetic therapies for people with rare and debilitating ophthalmic, otologic and central nervous system (CNS) diseases. AGTC is a leader in designing and constructing all critical gene therapy elements and bringing them together to develop customized therapies that address real patient needs. AGTCs most advanced clinical programs leverage its best-in-class technology platform to potentially improve vision for patients with an inherited retinal disease. AGTC has active clinical trials in X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP) and achromatopsia (ACHM B3 and ACHM A3). Its preclinical programs build on the Companys industry leading AAV manufacturing technology and scientific expertise. AGTC is advancing multiple important pipeline candidates to address substantial unmet clinical need in optogenetics, otology and CNS disorders. In recent years AGTC has entered into strategic partnerships with companies including Otonomy, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of innovative therapeutics for neurotology, and Bionic Sight, LLC, an innovator in the emerging field of optogenetics and retinal coding.

About: 2020 On-site: 2020 On-site has been revolutionizing how vision care benefits are being delivered to companies and patients for 7 years. Its state-of-the-art mobile vision clinics serve over 450 companies in the greater Boston area. The company has also expanded its services to support BioPharma companies, CROs, and clinical sites to develop programs to assess their patients close to home, or even right at their front door. To learn more about how 2020 On-site is supporting clinical research, visit their website.

Contact: David Harrison david@harrisoncommunications.net 410-804-1728

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Greater Gift, AGTC, and 2020 On-site Partner To Honor & Celebrate Clinical Trial Participants and - GlobeNewswire