NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.  May 12, 2014 – CureDuchenne is pleased to announce that Debra Miller, founder and CEO of CureDuchenne, is a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2014 Award in Orange County. The awards program recognizes entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. Miller was selected as a finalist from nearly 80 applications by a panel of independent judges. Award winners will be announced at a special gala event on June 4, 2014 at The St. Regis Resort in Dana Point. 

Miller was named a finalist in the non-profit/social responsibility category. CureDuchenne is a nonprofit that raises awareness and funds research to find a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Duchenne is a progressive muscle-wasting disease that impacts 1 in 3,500 boys. Boys with Duchenne are usually diagnosed by 5, in a wheelchair by 12 and most don’t survive their mid-20s. Currently, there is no approved treatment for Duchenne.

Miller founded CureDuchenne because no other organization was focused exclusively on funding research to find a cure for Duchenne. During the past 10 years, CureDuchenne created a successful venture philanthropy model that has enabled the nonprofit to leverage $100 million from biotech and pharmaceutical companies to fund promising Duchenne research. To date, CureDuchenne has funded seven research projects that have advanced to human clinical trials. This is a unique accomplishment as few health-related nonprofits have been as successful in being a catalyst for human clinical trials with limited resources and in such a short amount of time. 

“I’m honored to be a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2014 Award in Orange County,” said Miller. “We have taken an entrepreneurial approach to CureDuchenne since we founded the organization 10 years ago. We identify and fund the most promising novel and innovative therapies that treat specific components of the disease with the goal of translating them to clinical trials in patients as quickly as possible. Our venture philanthropy model allows us fund research that can help accelerate the drug discovery and development process. Our goal is to save this generation of those impacted with Duchenne.”

Now in its 28th year, the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries throughout the world. 

Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year national program. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 15, 2014. The awards are the culminating event of the EY Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.

Sponsors

Founded and produced by EY, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored by SAP America and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

In Orange County, regional sponsors include Marsh Insurance, Union Bank, Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, Cresa, Merrill DataSite, Scherzer Investigations, Smart Business magazine, and HKA MarCom.

Follow CureDuchenne on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

About CureDuchenne
CureDuchenne is a national nonprofit organization located in Newport Beach, Calif., dedicated to finding a cure for Duchenne, the most common and most lethal form of muscular dystrophy. As the leading genetic killer of young boys, Duchenne affects more than 300,000 boys worldwide. CureDuchenne has garnered international attention for its efforts to raise funds and awareness for Duchenne through venture philanthropy. With the help of CureDuchenne’s distinguished international panel of Scientific Advisors, funds raised by CureDuchenne support the most promising research aimed at treating and curing Duchenne. To date, seven CureDuchenne research projects have made their way into human clinical trials – a unique accomplishment as few health-related nonprofits have been as successful in being a catalyst for human clinical trials.

About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries.

About EY

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

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