As the largest private funder of polycystic kidney disease (PKD) research in the U.S., the PKD Foundation supports education, advocacy and awareness of PKD, a chronic, genetic condition that often leads to renal failure.

Over the last six years, CURA has worked with the PKD Foundation to implement a comprehensive advocacy strategy that connects and engages key stakeholders to promote a clear set of legislative priorities in Washington, D.C.

Despite growing awareness of the opioid crisis, addiction and recovery remain highly stigmatized—

impacting those in recovery along with their support networks. Mobilize Recovery sought CURA’s support in launching a first-of-its-kind national service campaign that would break down stigma, build connections and showcase the power of the recovery community as changemakers through acts of volunteerism.

More than half of Rockford, Illinois’ population live in areas with the highest social vulnerability scores—

primarily Black and Latinx communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. With support from the Mayor’s office, the City of Rockford partnered with CURA and the University of Illinois Chicago to secure a $3.6 million HHS Office of Minority Health grant to improve local health literacy, vaccine uptake and community trust in health care providers.

New scientific advances and regulatory flexibility sparked a wave of innovation in rare kidney disease, which had seen no new treatments in 80 years. Travere Therapeutics engaged CURA for several projects over the last five years to educate public and private policymakers and influencers. Through stakeholder roundtables, consensus reports, Hill events and issue briefs, CURA has helped champion the New Era of Preventing End-Stage Kidney Disease Act.

With one in five Americans living with mental illness, the Kennedy Forum believed it was critical that mental health reform took prominence in policy discussions during the 2020 election season. The Kennedy Forum sought CURA’s support in building a movement that would bring mental health and addiction reform to the forefront of national policy talks.

At the height of the opioid epidemic, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) was an undervalued tool, misunderstood by policymakers in Congress and at HHS. CURA Strategies designed and operationalized Advocates for Opioid Recovery (AOR) to help break down legislative, insurance, legal and regulatory barriers to evidence-based recovery from opioid use disorder.

An estimated 35,000 patients in the United States are born with a single ventricle — one of the most complex heart defects. Currently, there are no FDA-approved therapies available for this patient population. Mezzion is conducting a Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate whether its treatment can preserve and extend cardiac function. CURA has partnered with Mezzion to elevate their presence in the congenital heart disease community to strengthen their credibility and accelerate trial recruitment.

Nearly one in four patients admitted to U.S. hospitals experience preventable harm. The Leapfrog Group (LFG), a national nonprofit organization driving a public health and policy movement in patient safety, engaged CURA Strategies to become their agency of record with the ultimate goal of increasing the public’s awareness of patient safety and the importance of hospital transparency to improve outcomes.

Nearly 50% of Americans are unaware that radiation therapy (RT) can cure cancer, and the media isn’t helping. Sensationalized coverage continues to fuel fear around viable treatment options.

In partnership with the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), CURA built a branded awareness campaign to change negative perception of radiation therapy. Centered around honest, balanced perspectives of cancer survivors and radiation oncologists, the campaign challenged misconceptions and raised awareness of the curative potential of radiation therapy.

Kyverna Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on CAR T-cell therapy for autoimmune conditions, sought a partner to support their stakeholder engagement and clinical trial recruitment efforts. 

CURA partnered with Kyverna to engage leading patient influencers in the autoimmune space to increase awareness of CAR T-cell therapy and Kyverna’s work. This resulted in lasting partnerships and increased engagement among high-value patient communities.