Milken Institute, Ann Theodore Foundation Launch New Grant to Support Clinical Trial for Potential Sarcoidosis Treatment

February 20, 2026 (Washington, DC)—The Milken Institute Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC), in partnership with the Ann Theodore Foundation (ATF), has launched a new funding program to support a future clinical trial in cutaneous sarcoidosis. The program, ATF Sarcoidosis Inhibitor of mTOR (SIM), will award one two-year grant of up to US$575,000 to one or more independent biomedical researchers. The funding will support the awardee(s) in designing and conducting a Phase 2 investigator-initiated clinical trial that will assess whether a class of therapeutic called a mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor is effective in addressing cutaneous sarcoidosis.  

ATF-SIM is the third sarcoidosis-related funding program that the Milken Institute and ATF have launched to support biomedical research focused on the condition. One of the partnership’s major aims is to reverse a historical precedent of sparse funding for sarcoidosis research. A debilitating and sometimes fatal inflammatory condition, sarcoidosis is marked by abnormal clusters of immune cells in various organs. The skin is the second-most affected organ after the lungs and is involved in approximately one-quarter of sarcoidosis cases. Sarcoidosis of the skin, or cutaneous sarcoidosis, may involve painful rashes, skin lesions, and subcutaneous growths. 

The purpose behind ATF-SIM’s dedicated focus on evaluating a specific class of drug in a clinical trial is to validate the therapeutic’s recent, preliminary promise in sarcoidosis, which lacks disease-modifying treatments. Currently, the only US Food and Drug Administration-approved pharmaceuticals that are commonly used to treat sarcoidosis are general anti-inflammatory medications that may mitigate symptoms but cannot address the disorder’s underlying causes. However, a small 2024 clinical trial indicates that mTOR inhibitors, which target a specific sarcoidosis-related molecular pathway, may have a meaningful effect. Seven of the trial’s 10 participants with cutaneous sarcoidosis experienced sustained symptom improvement after completing treatment with the mTOR inhibitor sirolimus, a medication already approved for use in other inflammatory conditions.  

“People living with sarcoidosis, which can be extremely painful and unpredictable, don’t currently have the treatment options they deserve,” said Melissa Stevens, executive vice president of strategic philanthropy at the Milken Institute. “In order to advance this potential treatment toward late-stage clinical trials and regulatory approval for use in cutaneous sarcoidosis, researchers must continue to show that an mTOR inhibitor has a significant effect in a new trial with more participants. We’re thrilled to work with ATF to ensure that the field accomplishes that next step as soon as possible.” 

Since 2020, the Milken Institute and ATF have launched two other funding programs, ATF-LOMAS (Learning Opportunities in Medicine and Sarcoidosis) and ATF-BSI (Breakthrough Sarcoidosis Initiative), the latter of which has committed over $11 million to sarcoidosis research to date. They have also published a Giving Smarter Guide that identifies strategic opportunities for philanthropic investment in sarcoidosis. 

“At ATF, we believe that we owe it to the sarcoidosis community to support promising research directions across all stages of development, including this timely opportunity to accelerate a potential treatment in the near term,” said Lisa Spalding, spokesperson for the Ann Theodore Foundation. “ATF-SIM augments—but does not supplant—our parallel efforts to support early-stage biomedical research and long-term scientific community-building through two other grant programs, which will reap benefits for decades to come. We must take every possible route to improving upon day-to-day symptom management in favor of long-term symptom relief.”  

The funding program is now accepting applications through Monday, April 20, 2026, at 11:59 pm Eastern Time, and grant awardee(s) will be selected in June 2026. For more information, visit: https://milkeninstitute.org/content-hub/rfps/request-proposals-ann-theodore-foundation-sarcoidosis-inhibitor-mtor-sim-trial. 

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About the Milken Institute 

The Milken Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank focused on accelerating measurable progress on the path to a meaningful life. With a focus on financial, physical, mental, and environmental health, we bring together the best ideas and innovative resourcing to develop blueprints for tackling some of our most critical global issues through the lens of what’s pressing now and what’s coming next. 

Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy tackles persistent societal challenges by guiding individuals and foundations with the insights and tools to develop strategies, implement giving programs, and foster collaboration to create a better, more equitable world. 

The Milken Institute’s Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) works to develop, launch, and lead initiatives that fund medical research and invest to accelerate the development of tools and treatments that will bring better health to millions of people. We partner with philanthropists, leading them through complex medical research and clinical systems.   

About the Ann Theodore Foundation   

The Ann Theodore Foundation is a grant-making private foundation that supports a broad range of initiatives, including opportunities for learning and enrichment for young people, food security, climate change mitigation, college access and success, and research towards a cure and improving care for people with sarcoidosis. The foundation's philanthropy is informed by the values of compassion, integrity, respect, and community.