(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 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