The Foundation Fighting Blindness, a national nonprofit dedicated to advancing sight-saving research, today announced that they have received a significant contribution from Louis and Amie Kreisberg of New York City and Palm Beach, Florida. Mr. Kreisberg is founder and CEO of Madison Strategic Partners, a boutique advisory firm in New York City specializing exclusively on the life insurance marketplace. The donation of $200,000 over five years will support the Foundation Fighting Blindness’ research efforts toward treatments and cures for retinal degenerative diseases including retinitis pigmentosa (RP), macular degeneration, and Usher syndrome, among other rare related conditions.
“The Kreisbergs’ significant pledge will help us fund the most promising studies to move cutting-edge treatments forward, from the lab to the clinic and out to patients who are counting on a brighter future,” said William T. Schmidt, CEO, Foundation Fighting Blindness. “Thanks to generous contributions such as this one, progress in areas like gene and cell-based therapies, as well as pharmaceuticals, gives hope to the more than 10 million Americans affected with blinding retinal diseases.”
“We are proud to be supporting Foundation Fighting Blindness, one of the foremost organizations in the U.S. fighting blindness,” said Louis Kreisberg. “With recent advances in gene-based therapies, we believe that one day there will be a cure for retinal degenerative diseases which affect millions of Americans.”
Louis and Amie Kreisberg became involved with the Foundation Fighting Blindness after his son Jeremy, now a student at Harvard Law School, was diagnosed with RP, a genetic condition characterized by night blindness and a progressive loss of peripheral vision. Foundation-funded human studies using gene therapy have successfully restored some vision in children and young adults previously blind from a rare form of RP, and additional clinical trials—as well as investigations into better understanding the genetics of RP—are underway.
A leading figure in the insurance industry since 1984, Mr. Kreisberg has led production at numerous life insurance companies, including Guardian, John Hancock, American General, US Life and New York Life, where he was Chairman of the advisory board. As an acknowledged expert in estate planning, he has counted among his clients many Forbes 400 families. Mr. Kreisberg has been a Top of the Table member of the Million Dollar Round Table, a member of the International Forum and a member of the American Society of Pension Actuaries. He is also the Former Chairman of the Insurance Committee for Trusts and Estates magazine.
About the Foundation Fighting Blindness
The Foundation Fighting Blindness is a national nonprofit driving blindness research that will lead to preventions, treatments and cures for retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, Usher syndrome and the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases that affect more than 10 million Americans. In its 40-year history, the Foundation has raised more than $425 million as the leading non-governmental funder of retinal research. Breakthrough Foundation-funded studies using gene therapy have restored significant vision in children and young adults who were previously blind, paving the way for using this method to treat a wide variety of retinal degenerative diseases, and proving a cure is in sight. With a network of 50 chapters, the Foundation also provides disease information and low vision resources to affected individuals and their families.
