WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) called for renewed, bipartisan efforts to combat pulmonary fibrosis Thursday at a briefing marking National Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month. The briefing, titled “Fatal Fibrotic Diseases: The Challenges and the Path Forward to Finding Cures,” was sponsored by the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis and American Thoracic Society, and brought together patients, advocates, congressional staff, and health experts to examine efforts to better coordinate and expand research on the disease, which claims the lives of 40,000 Americans each year.
“For the thousands of Americans diagnosed each year with pulmonary fibrosis, there has never been a more urgent time to fight for a cure,” Senator Coons said. “While groundbreaking research and medical advances have improved the prognosis for so many diseases in recent years, funding for pulmonary fibrosis research remains scarce and the number of Americans diagnosed with this deadly disease has continued to rise. Pulmonary fibrosis deserves the nation’s dedicated attention and I’m committed to working with my colleagues to support vital research that brings us closer to a cure.”
Pulmonary fibrosis affects the lungs and limits a person’s ability to breathe. There is no known cause, it has no cure, and there are currently no FDA-approved treatments. Most patients with pulmonary fibrosis live only three to five years after diagnosis. In the United States alone, more than 200,000 people are living with pulmonary fibrosis, with 48,000 more diagnosed each year.
“The pulmonary fibrosis community is engaged, motivated, and making progress, and Congress must follow their lead,” Senator Coons said. “Pulmonary fibrosis doesn’t discriminate along party lines and neither should our efforts. That’s why I am working to develop a new, bipartisan bill that looks at fibrosis more broadly, provides the resources that are needed for the National Institutes of Health, comes up with a research gameplan, and engages the whole community. It is my real hope that the conversations we’re having today will continue to advance and refine that agenda so that we can continue making inroads against this devastating disease.”
Sponsored by the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis, National Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month includes a congressional briefing, patient advocate meetings on Capitol Hill, and a patient education day co-hosted with the American Thoracic Society and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, among other dedicated events.