The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International is the leader in setting the agenda for type 1 diabetes research worldwide, and is the world's largest charitable funder and advocate of type 1 diabetes research. The mission of JDRF is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. Type 1 diabetes is a disease which strikes children and adults suddenly, but lasts a lifetime. It requires multiple injections of insulin daily or a continuous infusion of insulin through a pump. Insulin, however, is not a cure for diabetes, nor does it prevent its eventual and devastating complications which may include kidney failure, blindness, heart disease, stroke, amputation, and pregnancy complications.

JDRF funding and leadership is associated with most major scientific breakthroughs in type 1 diabetes research to date. In fact, JDRF funds a major portion of all type 1 diabetes research worldwide, more than any other charity. JDRF provided more than $156 million to diabetes research in FY 2008, and is responsible for more than $1.3 billion in direct funding since it was founded. Our research review process not only includes leading research scientists from around the world, but lay reviewers who either have type 1 diabetes or have family members with type 1 diabetes. This process insures that JDRF funds research with the greatest impact throughout the world, leading to results as soon as possible.

JDRF is a leading catalyst for development science that delivers treatments and cures to improve the lives of people with diabetes in the near term. Working toward this goal, JDRF has taken the lead in translating basic research breakthroughs into cure therapies in such areas as restoring autoimmunity, preventing and reversing complications, islet replacement, beta cell regeneration, and achieving metabolic control. The Foundation creates multidisciplinary programs that bring together diabetes researchers from both academic institutions and industry to find a cure for diabetes and its complications.

JDRF is structured on a business-world model that efficiently and effectively directs resources to research aimed at finding a cure as soon as possible. More than 85 percent of JDRF's expenditures directly support research and research-related education. Because of its unwavering focus on its mission to find a cure, JDRF annually receives top rankings from independent sources that rate charitable giving. JDRF leverages its research impact by partnering with and stimulating increased research spending on the part of public and private medical organizations and other entities throughout the world.

JDRF was founded in 1970 by the parents of children with type 1 diabetes. As a result, JDRF volunteers have a personal connection to type 1 diabetes, which translates into an unrelenting commitment to finding a cure. These volunteers are the driving force behind more than 100 locations worldwide that raise money and advocate for government spending for type 1 diabetes research.

For more information, visit the JDRF Web site at http://www.jdrf.org/, or call 800-533-CURE.

NOVEMBER 2008