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SOUTH PLAINFIELD, N.J., Sept. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: PTCT) today announced the three recipients who will receive funding through the company's STRIVE Awards program. The global STRIVE Awards program provides grants to non-profit organizations serving the Duchenne muscular dystrophy community. 

"I am continually impressed with the passion and commitment of those working in and supporting the Duchenne community. Their determination, motivation, and adaptability shined through more than ever in this year's applications," said Mary Frances Harmon, Senior Vice President, Corporate Relations, PTC Therapeutics. "The STRIVE Awards continue to provide organizations across the world with opportunities to improve outcomes for people living with Duchenne. Our new category, 'Transition to Adulthood', celebrates initiatives that support a key stage in life for those living with Duchenne and allows them to look forward to independent, fulfilling and rewarding lives."

2021 marks the seventh year of the STRIVE Awards program, and the highest number of applications in the program's history with 58 applications from organizations around the world. This year's grant funding will support initiatives to establish a Duchenne-specific residential model aimed to support independent living, to structure a clinic with needed equipment and furniture for the provision of care, and to develop a suite of resources to support people with Duchenne to transition to adulthood.

The 2021 STRIVE Awards recipients are:

• The Associação Gaúcha de Distrofia Muscular (AGADIM), based in Brazil, will develop a residential model that provides appropriate accommodation and support for people living with Duchenne. The 'Duchenne Community' will provide opportunities to transition to adult life and live independently, with autonomy and freedom, whilst ensuring that those with severe limitations are cared for by certified and licensed professionals.
• The Associação Sul Catarinense de Amigos e Familiares de Portadores de Distrofias Musculares Progressivas (ASCADIM), based in Brazil, will provide the only free physiotherapy clinic for people with progressive muscular dystrophies in South Brazil with the equipment and furniture required to deliver much needed care for people living with Duchenne. With their renovated and appropriately equipped headquarters, they will be able to increase the number of patients they are able to help.
• The Pathfinders Neuromuscular Alliance, based in the U.K., will launch "Living Full Lives - Achieving Your Aims in Transition to Adulthood." The project aims to produce resources that provide tips and guidance on the important questions teenagers and young people may have around their transition to adulthood. The resources created by people with Duchenne for people with Duchenne will cover vital important physical, mental, and social messages, along with the vital role of healthcare professionals.

"I am honored to have been part of the STRIVE Awards program since 2016, and it's wonderful to see how the projects have evolved," said Antoine Daher, founder of Casa Hunter and one of the program's judges. "After all these years, I continue to be humbled at how the projects support children living with Duchenne to access the care and resources they need to transition to adulthood and get the most from life."

About the STRIVE Awards Program
PTC began the Strategies to Realize Innovation, Vision, and Empowerment (STRIVE) Awards program in 2015 to support initiatives that benefit the Duchenne community by increasing awareness, diagnosis, and education, and fostering the development of future patient advocates. Each year, an independent panel of external experts with knowledge in rare diseases, patient advocacy and funding initiatives, judge the entries for innovation, vision, and empowerment. A total of 35 projects have been awarded funding since the program's inception in 2015.

For further information about the program and each award recipient, please visit the STRIVE Awards page of the PTC website at: www.ptcstriveawards.com.

About Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Primarily affecting males, Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Duchenne) is a rare and fatal genetic disorder that results in progressive muscle weakness from early childhood and leads to premature death in the mid-twenties due to heart and respiratory failure. It is a progressive muscle disorder caused by the lack of functional dystrophin protein. Dystrophin is critical to the structural stability of all muscles, including skeletal, diaphragm, and heart muscles. Patients with Duchenne can lose the ability to walk (loss of ambulation) as early as age ten, followed by loss of the use of their arms. Duchenne patients subsequently experience life-threatening lung complications, requiring the need for ventilation support, and heart complications in their late teens and twenties.

More information regarding Duchenne is available through the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy. Additionally, information and resources are available at www.duchenneandyou.com.

About PTC Therapeutics, Inc.
PTC is a science-driven, global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of clinically differentiated medicines that provide benefits to patients with rare disorders. PTC's ability to globally commercialize products is the foundation that drives investment in a robust and diversified pipeline of transformative medicines and our mission to provide access to best-in-class treatments for patients who have an unmet medical need. The Company's strategy is to leverage its strong scientific expertise and global commercial infrastructure to maximize value for its patients and other stakeholders. To learn more about PTC, please visit us at www.ptcbio.com and follow us on Facebook, on Twitter at @PTCBio, and on LinkedIn.

For More Information:
Investors:
Kylie O'Keefe
+1 (908) 300-0691
kokeefe@ptcbio.com

Media:
Jane Baj
+1 (908) 912-9167
jbaj@ptcbio.com

Patient Organizations:
Mary Frances Harmon
+1 (908) 912-9205 or (866) 282-5873
mharmon@ptcbio.com 

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SOURCE PTC Therapeutics, Inc.