{"id":18619,"date":"2026-03-26T13:53:48","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T12:53:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fundacioncolumbus.org\/conocenos-2\/"},"modified":"2026-10-07T08:47:50","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T06:47:50","slug":"about-us","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/fundacioncolumbus.org\/en\/about-us\/","title":{"rendered":"About us"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Who We Are<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Fundaci\u00f3n Columbus was founded in 2017 to give children with ultra-rare diseases access to advanced therapies that can improve their life expectancy and quality of life. <\/strong> <\/p>

Through an ambitious mission, we bring together specialists, clinical and scientific teams, manufacturers, and regulatory experts to develop new therapies that otherwise wouldn’t exist, given how little commercial interest they attract. <\/p>

We use culture as a bridge to bring this reality closer to society and build broader support.<\/p>

As a nonprofit foundation, we are registered with Spain’s national Registry of Foundations under registration number 1930.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Our history<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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2017<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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2018<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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2019<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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2020<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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2021<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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2022<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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2023<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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2024<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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2025<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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2026<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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  • \u2022<\/span> Fundaci\u00f3n Columbus is founded in Valencia, Spain.<\/li>\n \t
  • \u2022<\/span> First benefit concert in Valencia.<\/li>\n \t
  • \u2022<\/span> Proton therapy program begins.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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    • \u2022<\/span>\nGene therapy program begins, with positive results treating AADC (infantile Parkinsonism). Treatment developed by Dr. Bankiewicz in Poland. <\/li>\n \t
    • \u2022<\/span>\nBenefit concerts in Barcelona (Casa Batll\u00f3, with Pau Don\u00e9s and Jarabe de Palo), Moscow, North Carolina, Washington DC, and Florida.<\/li>\n \t
    • \u2022<\/span>\n15 children with pediatric cancer referred for treatment in Germany and Switzerland.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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      • \u2022<\/span>\nIrai is born again (Parkinsonism treatment).<\/li>\n \t
      • \u2022<\/span>\nBenefit concerts at the Prado Museum in Madrid, Pamplona, San Sebasti\u00e1n, and Seville.<\/li>\n \t
      • \u2022<\/span>\n50 children with pediatric cancer referred for treatment in Germany, Italy, and Switzerland.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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        • \u2022<\/span>\nAgreement with Viralgen for access to AAV vector production for gene therapy.<\/li>\n \t
        • \u2022<\/span>\n42 children with pediatric cancer referred for treatment in Germany, Italy, France, and Switzerland.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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          • \u2022<\/span> Progress on the Niemann-Pick C and A, Duchenne, SPG50, and CTNNB1 programs.<\/li>\n \t
          • \u2022<\/span> Concerts at the cathedrals of Santiago de Compostela, Ourense, and Pontevedra, plus a concert with \u00c1lex Ubago. <\/li>\n \t
          • \u2022<\/span> The Goal 10 program launches.<\/li>\n \t
          • \u2022<\/span> New AADC treatment cases.<\/li>\n \t
          • \u2022<\/span> 55 children with pediatric cancer referred for treatment in Germany, Italy, France, and Switzerland.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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            • \u2022<\/span> Ukraine X2 campaign for children with rare diseases.<\/li>\n \t
            • \u2022<\/span> Concert at Fundaci\u00f3n Bancaja, Valencia.<\/li>\n \t
            • \u2022<\/span>\nThe RenHacer Festival is born, held at the Sanctuary of Arantzazu, Gipuzkoa.<\/li>\n \t
            • \u2022<\/span> First SPG50 patient treated: Michael, and hope grows.<\/li>\n \t
            • \u2022<\/span> Proton therapy program closes, having treated more than 160 Spanish children at European proton therapy centers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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              • \u2022<\/span> CMT4J program enters preclinical study.<\/li>\n \t
              • \u2022<\/span> Benefit match in San Sebasti\u00e1n: Real Sociedad vs. Bayer Leverkusen, “Score a goal for SPG50.” <\/li>\n \t
              • \u2022<\/span> Christmas concert at San Nicol\u00e1s Parish, Valencia.<\/li>\n \t
              • \u2022<\/span> Second RenHacer Festival. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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                • \u2022<\/span>\nEurope’s first SPG50 clinical trial begins, treating 2 Spanish children.<\/li>\n \t
                • \u2022<\/span>\nProgress on CMT4J treatment, in collaboration with Elpida Therapeutics.<\/li>\n \t
                • \u2022<\/span>\nPartnership with the CTNNB1 Foundation and Asociaci\u00f3n CTNNB1 Espa\u00f1a to help bring the program to the clinic.<\/li>\n \t
                • \u2022<\/span>\nBenefit gala dinner at Teatro Real, Madrid, with contributions from chefs Elena Arzak and Ram\u00f3n Freixa.<\/li>\n \t
                • \u2022<\/span>\nThird RenHacer Festival.<\/li>\n \t
                • \u2022<\/span>\nSpecial fundraising campaign for those affected by the Valencia floods (DANA).<\/li>\n \t
                • \u2022<\/span>\nPartnership with Farmamundi to support those affected by the Valencia floods (DANA).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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                  • \u2022<\/span>\nFirst child under age 2 treated with SPG50 gene therapy in Spain.<\/li>\n \t
                  • \u2022<\/span>\nBenefit concert at Valencia Cathedral for those affected by the Valencia floods (DANA).<\/li>\n \t
                  • \u2022<\/span>\nFourth RenHacer Festival.<\/li>\n \t
                  • \u2022<\/span>\nFirst treatment in the CTNNB1 clinical trial: Urban, naming the future.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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                    • \u2022<\/span>\nElpida and Fundaci\u00f3n Columbus begin a shared future, strengthening our presence in the United States.<\/li>\n \t
                    • \u2022<\/span>\nPartnership agreement with SJD.<\/li>\n \t
                    • \u2022<\/span>\nFifth RenHacer Festival.<\/li>\n \t
                    • \u2022<\/span>\nPhase III of the European SPG50 study.<\/li>\n \t
                    • \u2022<\/span>\nPhase I\/II of CTNNB1 and CLN7 at SJD.<\/li>\n \t
                    • \u2022<\/span>\nFirst child treated with CLN7.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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