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Discover Cure Through Innovation 2026, the reference brochure presenting at a glance the core missions, commitments, and achievements of AFM-Téléthon. An essential document to grasp the diversity of its actions and the emergence of an innovative medicine born from 66 years of fighting.

AFM-Telethon has long struggled to defend the rights of patients, of people living with disabilities, and to obtain recognition for rare diseases. As a driver of research and innovation, it defends an ambitious national policy.  

Committed to scientific research as well as to the support of patients and their families, AFM-Telethon acts independently, guided only by the urgency of the progressive disease, for the benefit of patients.  

Transparent and meticulous management: in 2025, AFM-Telethon committed €106.5 M to its social missions, in addition to €42.6 M in advances and investment for the Cure mission.  

The AFM-Telethon has chosen to implement a strategy of public interest to benefit as many people as possible.  

While the first gene therapy drugs are obtaining marketing authorization and being made available to patients, the challenge of industrializing their production is a crucial one.

Created in 1987 at the initiative of Bernard Barataud and Pierre Birambeau, both fathers of sons suffering grom Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the Telethon combines, since its first edition, a TV program and dozen of thousands of events throughout France. Discover the birth of this unique fundraising event.  

Peeling an apple. Lifting your arms. Walking. Smiling. Breathing. These routine actions use muscles and we accomplish them without thinking. But with neuromuscular diseases, the muscles are attacked and movement is prevented. In order to better treat them, AFM-Telethon wants to make myology a separate discipline. 

At each Telethon, thousands of volunteers and partners join forces to organize fundraising initiatives all over France and abroad. This participation is unique by its sheer scale.

Participation in the Telethon or support for our therapeutic and social innovation projects, your company can get involved in various ways. Find out how to become a partner/sponsor of AFM-Telethon.

Gene, cellular and pharmacogenetic therapy: AFM-Telethon uses donations to develop new therapies for the most frequent rare diseases.   

Thanks to your donations, research is moving forwards, the first treatments have arrived and care and support for people affected by rare diseases has improved. Your donations drive the victories of AFM-Telethon!  

To accelerate the development of innovative treatments for rare diseases, the AFM-Telethon has created its own laboratories. Devoted to gene therapy of rare diseases (Genethon), to stem cells (I-Stem) and to myology (Institute of myology), they are now international leaders in their field. Located within the Institute for rare disease biotherapies, the Association’s three laboratories play a major role in the medical revolution.   

The impossible becomes possible! Thanks to the momentum of the Telethon and the work of researchers, a true scientific and medical revolution has begun and the first victories against rare diseases - previously incurable - have been won.  

We are pleased to announce that our 9th international congress dedicated to muscle biology and neuromuscular diseases, MYOLOGY 2027, will take place in STRASBOURG, France, on May 10-13, 2027. Don't miss the chance to be part of this major global gathering of myology experts!