How does The Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation raise money?
The Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation obtains no state subsidies and its activities are completely dependent on donations from private individu-als and companies. The Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation raises money through campaigning. Common ways of donating are through monthly donating, memorial gifts and legacies. The Plusgiro number for donations to the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation is: 90 91 92-7.
How does the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation decide which medical research projects get funding?
Researchers apply for money and their projects are evaluated by a Re-search Council of professors. The final decision is made by the Heart -Lung Foundation's Board after recommendations from the Research Council. In 2010, the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation granted SEK 160m to research, but the Foundation had applications for more than SEK 1,100 million. There is a certain collaboration between the Foundation and medical research companies. The Foundation has received financial support from the pharmaceutical industry, especially when it comes to information. The Foundation has had support lately from Astra Zeneca when it comes to information about COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
How far has the Swedish medical research in the heart and lung area come in a global perspective? Is it in the front line?
Swedish medical research has for many years been at the forefront of cardiovascular research. Some of the researchers sponsored by the Foundation are world-leading scientists in the field of vaccines against atherosclerosis (clinical trials are ongoing in this field). Another field is strokes, where new ways of removing blood clots from the brain have been developed in Sweden.
Do Swedish medical research companies collaborate with British medical companies?
To start with, AstraZenca is a British-Swedish company and many small Swedish Biotech companies collaborate with them. Researchers in Sweden also have ongoing collaborations with British pharmaceutical companies.
What kind of collaboration does the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation have with the British Heart Foundation?
Both the British and the Swedish Heart Foundations are members of a European organisation called the European Heart Network (EHN), situated in Brussels. We are both board members of this organisation. The two Foundations also have an ongoing exchange of ideas on new ways of fundraising and information commercials.
The Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation has visited the British Heart Foundation several times. What kind of heart and lung diseases will the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation focus on in the future?
We will go on fighting heart attacks, heart failure, vascular spasms, genetic heart defects, strokes, COPD and other diseases that people die of and suffer severely from.
