curejm

What curejm does

Cure JM Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit patient advocacy and research-funding organization founded in 2003 and headquartered in Leesburg, Virginia. Its mission is to find better treatments and a cure for juvenile myositis (JM), a rare autoimmune disease affecting children, while supporting the families it impacts. The foundation operates as a platform of interconnected programs rather than a single product, with core offerings including a Clinical Care Network of 60+ specialist partnerships across 33 U.S. hospital locations, a Family Support Network with 20+ regional chapters and peer mentorship, the signature Walk Strong to Cure JM event series, the "Myositis and You" comprehensive patient guide, monthly virtual Town Halls, the Grandparent Alliance, and a Clinical Trials Information Portal covering CAR-T and other emerging therapies. To date, Cure JM has invested more than $30 million across 219 funded research studies and currently supports over $5 million in active research projects alongside up to 10 clinical trials in development, including partnerships with Cabaletta Bio, Cartesian Therapeutics, Fate Therapeutics, ReveraGen BioPharma, and a consortium funded by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

The foundation's technology footprint is non-commercial: Cure JM does not develop or sell technology products. Its proprietary assets are research-driven — including funded biosample infrastructure, biomarker discovery programs (anti-CCAR1, anti-Sp4, mitochondrial dysfunction in calcinosis), and large-scale genetic analyses comparing thousands of myositis patients to healthy controls. Underlying "platform" architecture consists of a multi-channel community distribution system: a website (curejm.org), email newsletter, social presence across Facebook/Instagram/YouTube/LinkedIn/Twitter/X, virtual Town Halls, regional chapter events, the annual national family conference, and Walk Strong events across U.S. cities.

Cure JM's business model is a donation- and grant-driven nonprofit model. All membership is free; revenue streams include individual and family donations, Walk Strong event fundraising (cumulative $4.5M+), corporate and foundation grants (e.g., the $2M Chan Zuckerberg Initiative grant, NIH partnership support), and DIY community fundraising campaigns. Customer segments are segmented into families of children with JM (parents, caregivers, grandparents, teens, young adults), pediatric rheumatologists and clinicians, and JM researchers and scientists. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: the foundation reaches families through free membership, peer networks, regional chapters, Walk Strong events, national conferences, and Town Halls, while research funding and clinical-care network partnerships drive mission advancement.

Name

curejm

Legal name

Cure JM Foundation

Website

https://curejm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cure JM Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2003 that funds juvenile myositis research and operates a Clinical Care Network of 60+ specialists. It serves 3,000+ affected families across 40 countries through research grants, community programs, and educational resources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Patient Advocacy and Rare Disease Research Foundation

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

Keywords

• Juvenile myositis research
• Patient advocacy services
• Rare disease foundation
• Family support network
• Clinical care network

Headquarters

HQ city

Leesburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual and Family Donations: Charitable donations from families, individuals, and community supporters. Membership is free. The Holiday Challenge end-of-year fundraising campaign is a flagship annual initiative.
2. Walk Strong Events: Walk Strong to Cure JM is the signature fundraising program with events across the U.S. Has raised over $4.5 million for JM research through community walks.
3. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Research grants from foundations and institutional funders such as the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative ($2 million grant awarded). Also receives NIH partnership support.
4. DIY Fundraising: Community members organize self-directed fundraising campaigns. The organization offers DIY fundraising support and matching opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels14 records

Core offering

Cure JM Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit patient advocacy and research funding organization dedicated to juvenile myositis (JM), a rare autoimmune disease. The foundation provides free educational resources, peer support programs, and a Clinical Care Network connecting families with 60+ pediatric rheumatology specialists across 33 hospital locations, while funding scientific research into JM causes, treatments, and potential cures including CAR-T cell therapy.

Product overview

Cure JM Foundation is a nonprofit patient advocacy organization operating as a platform of interconnected programs rather than a singular product. The core offerings include: the Clinical Care Network (60+ specialist partnerships), the Family Support Network with regional chapters, the Walk Strong fundraising event series, the Grandparent Alliance, and comprehensive educational resources including the 'Myositis and You' book and Town Hall webinar series. Research support is provided through grant funding, clinical trials information, and consensus-based treatment plan resources. All programs are interconnected through the foundation's mission to improve lives and advance treatments for juvenile myositis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clinical Care Network A referral network of 60+ experienced pediatric rheumatology specialist partnerships across 33 hospital locations in the U.S., connecting JM families with expert clinicians and Centers of Excellence for coordinated specialized care.
• Family Support Network A peer support network connecting families, JM patients, grandparents, teens, and young adults who understand the JM journey, offering 20+ local chapters and online support groups at no cost.
• Walk Strong to Cure JM Cure JM's signature fundraising event series featuring community walks across the U.S., having raised over $4.5 million to advance JM research.
• Myositis and You A comprehensive 450+ page guide with contributions from over 80 medical experts, providing information on juvenile myositis, symptoms, diagnosis, and family coping strategies. Available as a free digital copy to members.
• Cure JM Mentor Program Program connecting newly diagnosed families with experienced JM patients and family members who have navigated similar JM journeys to provide peer guidance.
• Grandparent Alliance A community platform for grandparents of children with juvenile myositis to connect, share experiences, learn about JM, and support their families and the broader JM community.
• Town Hall Educational Series Virtual Town Hall educational events featuring JM researchers and clinicians covering treatments, research updates, social and emotional health topics, and Q&A sessions with experts.
• Mental Health Resources and Support Comprehensive mental and emotional health resources including support groups, counselor referrals, telemedicine options, crisis hotlines, and resilience-building programs for JM families.
• Clinical Trials Information Portal
• Treatment Plans and Consensus Guidelines Standardized treatment plan resources based on consensus from the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA), providing evidence-based treatment protocols for different JM presentations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced diagnosis time from 12 months to under 3 months (75% reduction)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Duke UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDuke University hosts a Cure JM Center of Excellence and is home to the Duke Children's Myositis Center. The partnership includes medical symposiums, research collaboration, clinical trials (CABA-201), and seed funding for innovative research including lab-grown muscle development.
• Seattle Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCure JM Center of Excellence at Seattle Children's Hospital, led by Dr. Christian Lood, conducts breakthrough research on mitochondria and JDM, calcinosis, and misbehaving mitochondria linked to the disease.
• Nucleic Acid Therapy Accelerator (NATA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-based NATA partnership creates 'tiny medicines' that press the 'quiet' button on the immune system's mistaken alarm causing myositis inflammation. Cure JM provides funding for this innovative research.
• Cabaletta BiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCure JM partner Cabaletta Bio presented promising early results for CAR-T cell therapy CABA-201 at EULAR 2024. The RESET-Myositis trial uses engineered T cells to 'reset' the immune system for potential lasting remission without ongoing immune-suppressing drugs. Multiple pediatric sites across the U.S. are enrolling patients.
• ReveraGen BioPharmamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ReveraGen to advance vamorolone, a steroid replacement drug with all benefits of steroid treatment without devastating side effects. Vamorolone is currently in clinical trials.
• University of BathmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCure JM-funded researcher Fionnuala McMorrow at University of Bath analyzed UK blood samples investigating two specific biomarkers (anti-CCAR1 and anti-Sp4) identified in U.S. JDM patients.
• Baylor College of MedicinemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed by Dr. Younghun Han, researchers compared DNA of more than 3,000 myositis patients to nearly 12,000 healthy volunteers, finding that major forms of myositis share much of the same genetic wiring, pointing toward faster treatments.
• National Institutes of Health (NIH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIH partnership includes Dr. Lisa G. Rider at National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, funding for FAST for DM clinical trial, Rare Disease Day sessions, and calcinosis research at the NIH. Multiple NIH-funded studies advancing JM care.
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAR-T clinical trial site for RESET-Myositis trial (CABA-201). CHOP is approved as CAR-T site for eligible JM patients under leadership of Dr. Kathryn Torok.
• Cartesian TherapeuticsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHELIOS trial evaluating Descartes-08, an mRNA-based CAR-T therapy for childhood-onset SLE, ANCA-associated vasculitis, juvenile myasthenia gravis, and JDM. Sites include Washington University, Children's National Hospital, and Cincinnati Children's.
• George Washington UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCure JM Center of Excellence and site of abatacept clinical trial which concluded with favorable results in JM treatment, showing lower disease activity and clinically significant responses in most patients.
• Fate TherapeuticsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhase 1 study of FT819, an off-the-shelf CAR-T cell therapy for B-cell mediated autoimmune diseases including JDM. Available on demand without need for leukapheresis.
• UCSFmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPediatric rheumatology department with Cure JM Clinical Care Network membership, educational content contributor, and clinical trial site for JDM research.
• Northwestern UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome to Dr. Lauren M. Pachman, Professor of Pediatrics and Cure JM Medical Advisory Board member, with long-standing research collaboration in JM.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Myositis Association: The Myositis Association is a disease-specific patient advocacy organization for people with myositis, including juvenile forms, that provides education, support, and research funding. It is the closest peer to Cure JM because both concentrate resources within the myositis patient, caregiver, and research ecosystem.
• Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy: Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy is a disease-specific nonprofit that funds Duchenne research, advocates for patients, and provides family education and clinical-trial resources. Its patient-family-led research and support model closely parallels Cure JM's.
• Cure SMA: Cure SMA is a patient-led nonprofit that funds spinal muscular atrophy research, supports affected families, and connects patients with clinical trials. It is comparable to Cure JM in combining rare-disease research funding, family services, and community-led fundraising.
• Lupus Foundation of America: The Lupus Foundation of America is a disease-specific autoimmune nonprofit providing patient support, education, advocacy, and research funding. Lupus and juvenile myositis share an autoimmune patient and caregiver constituency, making its operating model a strong category comparison.
• Scleroderma Foundation: The Scleroderma Foundation is a disease-specific autoimmune nonprofit providing patient support, education, advocacy, and research funding. It is comparable to Cure JM's patient-centered autoimmune research and support model while serving a different rare disease.
• JDRF: JDRF is a large, established type 1 diabetes nonprofit focused on research funding, advocacy, education, and community support. It is a relevant scale peer for Cure JM's integrated research-and-family-support model, although its disease and funding footprint are broader.

Broad incumbents

• Arthritis Foundation: The Arthritis Foundation is a broad rheumatic-disease nonprofit that funds research, educates patients and clinicians, and supports people with juvenile and adult autoimmune conditions. It overlaps with Cure JM's education and research mission but serves a much wider disease set.
• Muscular Dystrophy Association: The Muscular Dystrophy Association supports people with neuromuscular diseases through research, care networks, education, and advocacy. It is comparable in building a patient-to-research ecosystem, though its disease scope and institutional scale are broader.

Others

• Global Genes: Global Genes is a rare-disease advocacy organization that provides education, resources, and connections among patients, researchers, and industry. It is an ecosystem peer rather than a direct competitor, with similar community-building and partner-development goals.
• National Organization for Rare Disorders: NORD is a broad rare-disease nonprofit focused on advocacy, patient resources, research policy, and stakeholder collaboration. It is comparable as an ecosystem and advocacy peer, although it does not operate a single disease-specific care network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CureJMFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/curejm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cure-jm-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/curejm
• Xx.com/curejm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about curejm