(Bethesda, Md.) -- The Cystic
Fibrosis Foundation today announced the launch of a Cystic Fibrosis Patient
Assistance Foundation, a nonprofit subsidiary that will help patients pay for
certain high-cost medications they cannot afford.
All funds to support
patients will be provided exclusively by pharmaceutical manufacturers. No
dollars donated to the CF Foundation will be used for patient assistance. CF
Foundation donations will continue to support research for a cure.
“Treatment costs are escalating beyond many cystic fibrosis patients' ability
to pay,” said Robert J. Beall, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Foundation.
“Thanks to remarkable advances in research and care, people with CF are living
into their 40s, 50s and beyond. Our challenge now is to make sure people can
afford the advanced treatments we are working so hard to develop.”
The
Cystic Fibrosis Patient Assistance Foundation is a first-of-its kind service
dedicated solely for people with CF. It will help patients pay for essential,
FDA-approved therapies for the treatment of lung disease. For information,
call 888-315-4154.
While 99 percent of people with
cystic fibrosis have health insurance, increasingly patients are struggling to
afford treatments because their coverage is not adequate. In fact, one in four
CF patients report they skipped doses of medicine or purposefully took smaller
doses in the past year because of the cost. Nearly one in five have delayed
seeking care for the same reason.
The average annual cost for CF
treatment is about $43,000.
To receive financial assistance, CF patients
need to meet certain eligibility criteria. The criteria was established by a
separate board that oversees the Cystic Fibrosis Patient Assistance Foundation.
Operation of the organization is contingent on continued funding from
pharmaceutical manufacturers.
About the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
The Cystic
Fibrosis Foundation is the world's leader in the search for a cure for
cystic fibrosis. The CF Foundation funds more cystic fibrosis research than any
other organization, and nearly every CF drug available today was made possible
because of CF Foundation support. Based in Bethesda, Md., the CF Foundation also
supports and accredits a national care center network that has been recognized
by the National Institutes of Health as a model of care for a chronic disease.
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is a donor-supported nonprofit organization.
Media Contact
Laurie Fink, national director of media relations:
301-841-2602; lfink@cff.org