Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Commends U.S. Senate for Declaring May National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month

Foundation and Legislative Supporters Pushed for Bill

April 29, 2008

(Washington, D.C.)—The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation praised the U.S. Senate for officially recognizing May as National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month and encouraging public awareness and understanding of CF.

Introduced by Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), the legislation calls attention to cystic fibrosis, a fatal, genetic disease, and supports research to find a cure.

“We are thrilled to have the Senate’s support for our mission to find a cure for cystic fibrosis. We are making dramatic progress in the development of new therapies for the disease and in extending life expectancy,” said Robert J. Beall, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Foundation. “On behalf of all those affected by CF, we thank Senators Murray and Inhofe for their leadership and commitment to the cystic fibrosis community.”

Cystic fibrosis affects 30,000 children and adults in the United States and 70,000 people worldwide. When the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation was created in 1955, few children lived to attend elementary school. Today, as a result of dramatic improvements in research and care fueled by the Foundation, the median age of survival for a person with CF has risen to age 37—double what it was 25 years ago.

The Foundation has built a “pipeline of promise” with more than 30 therapies in development for cystic fibrosis. For the first time in the history of the disease, this pipeline has drugs under development that target the root cause of cystic fibrosis.  If successful, these therapies will add decades of life for people with CF.

Virtually every approved CF drug available today was made possible because of Foundation support. Since the 1980s, the Foundation has played an integral role in the development of Pulmozyme, TOBI, azithromycin and hypertonic saline for use as CF treatments.

About the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is the leading organization in the United States devoted to curing and controlling cystic fibrosis. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., the Foundation has more than 80 chapters and branch offices throughout the country and supports and accredits a nationwide network of more than 115 care centers. To advance the search for a cure, the Foundation has invested nearly $300 million in promising drug research in the biotech industry since 1998. For more information, visit www.cff.org

Media Contact

• Laurie Fink, Director of Media Relations: 301-841-2602; lfink@cff.org