Grifols presents its GATRA scholarship program to promote research on antithrombin therapy

Barcelona, October 14, 2014.- Grifols, the third company in the world in the production of plasma-derived biological medicines and a pioneer in the research and development of alternative therapies that contribute to scientific development and to society as a whole, has started a new scholarship program GATRA (Grifols Antithrombin Research Awards), conceived to support basic and clinical  research studies on the therapeutic uses of antithrombin (plasma protein), the development of new research concepts, the study of new mechanisms of action, the description of new applications and a better understanding of the clinical effects in the different indications.

The program includes two yearly scholarships, each of 50,000 euros for a 12-month period of research and was presented on October 13, to coincide with World Thrombosis Day, established this year on the initiative of the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) and which is sponsored by Grifols.  World Thrombosis Day aims to increase global awareness of the prevalence and risks of thrombosis, reduce the number of undiagnosed cases and encourage prevention.

Thrombosis is a blood clot that forms inside an artery or vein, and it is the one disorder that causes the main three cardiovascular killers: heart attack, stroke and venous thromboembolism (VTE).
An antithrombin deficiency is one of the risk factors for venous thromboembolism since antithrombin is a powerful natural anticoagulant that acts mainly by inhibiting thrombin (factor IIa) and factor Xa.

Link to
World Thrombosis Day
GATRA program

About the GATRA scholarship program

GATRA offers two yearly scholarships each of 50,000 euros for a twelve-month research period. An independent panel of judges will evaluate the studies presented based on scientific merit, the originality of the project and the clinical repercussion.

Grifols Scientific Awards

GATRA forms part of Grifols Scientific Awards, an initiative that encourages and recognizes research related to the treatment of medical conditions with plasma-derived medicinal products. Knowledge of these illnesses is fundamental in order to make progress in treating them with plasma-derived therapies. For this reason, apart from GATRA, the company also promotes research through the following prizes: Martin Villar Haemostasis Awards for clinical research into hemostasis; SPIN (Scientific Progress Immunoglobulins in Neurology), which incentivizes research into new therapeutic approaches of immunoglobulins in the field of neurology; ALTA (Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Laurell's Training Award), which promotes further knowledge of this protein (alpha1-antitrypsin); y Albus (Albumin Awards Program), which recognizes studies that extend our understanding of the role of albumin as a therapeutic product.