Solve M.E. Selects Simmaron Research As Recipient of ME/CFS Catalyst Award to Accelerate Low-Dose Rapamycin Trial for ME/CFS, Long COVID, and IACCs

The Catalyst Award will expedite the hunt for a validated test-to-treat model for ME/CFS, a disease for which there is currently no FDA-approved treatment.

LOS ANGELES, June 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Solve M.E. is proud to announce the second recipient of its 2025 ME/CFS Catalyst Award: Simmaron Research. Simmaron will receive targeted funding to accelerate their study, "Low Dose Rapamycin in ME/CFS, Long-COVID, and Other Infection Associated Chronic Conditions (NCT06257420)." The study hypothesizes that mTOR inhibition through rapamycin may address observed findings of autophagy impairment and symptoms in a subset of patients with ME/CFS and other infection-associated chronic conditions and illnesses (IACCIs).

Solve M.E. is a national nonprofit dedicated to making ME/CFS, Long Covid, and associated conditions widely understood, diagnosable, and treatable. Solve invests in translational research essential to turning biological discoveries into real-world therapies. 

Simmaron is a non-profit research center dedicated to developing treatments for ME/CFS and Long Covid. Simmaron is focused on developing 1st-in-kind animal models, finding key treatable mechanisms, and defining subsets aimed at changing the lack of evidence-based treatments for patients. Leading its Catalyst Award-winning project will be Dr. C. Gunnar Gottschalk (Simmaron, PI and chief executive officer), Dr. David Kaufman (Center for Complex Diseases, founder), Dr. Stephanie Grach, MD (Mayo Clinic), and Dr. Avik Roy (Simmaron, chief scientific officer). 

The Solve ME/CFS Catalyst Awards are a focused initiative to ensure that promising research doesn't lose momentum—especially in the face of unpredictable federal funding cycles. These awards provide strategic support to help studies reach key milestones such as publication, translation to clinical application, or advancement to the next phase of investigation. 

Solve President and CEO Emily Taylor noted, "We are so proud to support this bold and rigorously designed study that not only builds on promising biological insights but also advances an already FDA-approved drug as a potential treatment. This is exactly the kind of patient-centered, translational science our community needs. Our Catalyst Award will enable Simmaron to enroll more participants and collect more samples from more time points, making real movement toward meaningful care."

In 2022, Solve awarded Dr. Avik Roy a Ramsay Research Grant to study how symptoms of ME/CFS relate to problems with autophagy. Autophagy is the cellular process of clearing unwanted debris (like unnecessary proteins or damaged mitochondria). With Dr. Roy's Ramsay Research Grant funds, follow-up funds from the NIH, and substantial investment by Simmaron's private donors, the Simmaron team showed that a subset of people with ME/CFS have problems with muscle-cell autophagy and that these problems increase post-exertional malaise. 

They established animal models for studying autophagy and post-exertional malaise (PEM) in the context of ME/CFS and started a multicenter clinical trial to test whether they could repurpose the drug rapamycin (an FDA-approved drug that reverses problems with autophagy) for reducing post-exertional malaise and cognitive dysfunction in the subset of people with autophagy-related symptoms. Before announcing the Catalyst Award funding, Solve supported this trial by helping recruit participants.

A key strength of the study is tracking autophagy biomarkers to determine if these markers will help predict patients most likely to respond to this treatment. Early results from almost 80 participants are highly encouraging—rapamycin treatment is significantly lowering fatigue, post-exertional malaise, orthostatic intolerance, and sleep issues for participants. Now, Solve is awarding the research team more funds to enroll more participants and to collect more samples from more time points.

"This funding from Solve M.E. will help us continue enrollment in our ongoing expanded phase in collaboration with AgelessRx and cover the cost of study drug and safety labs in this decentralized study," noted Simmaron CEO Dr. C. Gunnar Gottschalk. "Our goal is to develop a predictive test to identify which patients are more likely to benefit from rapamycin or other mTOR-targeted therapies."

Solve has a long history of funding innovative research projects in pursuit of treatments and cures for ME/CFS and associated conditions. Through its Ramsay Research Grant Program, Solve M.E. has supported nearly 100 early-career investigators with seed funding—yielding a 34x return on investment in follow-on grants and external funding. Now, with its Catalyst Award program, Solve is helping existing studies reach completion faster.

The 2025 Catalyst Awards reflect Solve M.E.'s continued dedication to accelerating scientific breakthroughs, bridging research between ME/CFS and Long Covid, and delivering hope and impact to millions worldwide.

Learn more about the Catalyst Award to Simmaron here.

Solve will host Simmaron CEO Dr. C. Gunnar Gottschalk and Dr. Avik Roy (Simmaron, chief scientific officer) for a free webinar about their Catalyst Award-winning rapamycin study on Thursday, September 4^th at 3 pm PT /6 pm ET. Register here.

About Solve M.E.:
The Solve ME/CFS Initiative (Solve M.E.) is a non-profit organization that serves as a catalyst for critical research into diagnostics, treatments, and cures for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), Long Covid, and other infection-associated chronic conditions and illnesses (IACCIs). Our work with the scientific, medical, and pharmaceutical communities, advocacy with government agencies, and alliances with patient groups around the world are laying the foundation for breakthroughs that can improve the lives of millions who suffer from various "long haul" diseases. For more information, visit SolveME.org.

About Simmaron Research:
Simmaron Research is a 501c3 non-profit organization based in Incline Village, Nevada, with laboratory facilities at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. The foundation unites patients, doctors, and scientists in a quest for breakthroughs in ME/CFS, Long-Covid & neuroimmune disease. Simmaron drives treatment-focused research, identifying key treatable mechanisms and building groundbreaking animal models, all in a strategic effort to spur discovery and attract pharmaceutical investment in treatments. For more information, visit https://www.simmaronresearch.com/. 

SOURCE Solve M.E.