Urge Officials to Support Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs

Congress is currently considering funding for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (H.R.2810). The National Defense Authorization Act for FY2018 was signed into law in December 2017. It is now critical for Congress to appropriate the funds for this act so that the CDMRP receives the necessary funding.

The CDMRP is an important driver of high-impact research benefiting Service Members, Veterans, and the American public that has funded crucial pulmonary fibrosis-related research. Pulmonary fibrosis was formally added as an eligible disease in Fiscal Year 2015 under the CDMRP “Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP)” category. Through the CDMRP’s PRMRP, Service Members, Veterans, and the PF community have benefited from over $38 million in PF research funding. Continued funding of the CDMRP will help researchers to receive the support that they need to continue studying these diseases for which there is no cure.

Please join the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation in advocating for funding for the CDMRP by reaching out to your members of Congress today.

Take action: Ask your members of Congress to support funding for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs.

Subject:

Please support funding for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs

Dear Official,

As your constituent, as a voter and as a member of the pulmonary fibrosis (PF) community, I ask you to confirm your support for the appropriation of funds for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2018 (H.R.2810). The NDAA for fiscal year (FY) 2018 was signed into law in December 2017. It is crucial that funds be appropriated for the NDAA because the CDMRP is an important driver of high-impact research benefiting Service members, Veterans, and the American public. The CDMRP has funded crucial pulmonary fibrosis-related research.

The CDMRP was created by Congress in 1992 with the vision of transforming healthcare for Service Members and the American public through innovative and impactful research. Pulmonary fibrosis was formally added as an eligible disease in FY2015 under the CDMRP “Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP)” category. Through the CDMRP’s PRMRP, Service Members, Veterans, and the PF community have benefited from over $38 million in PF research funding.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a devastating group of lung diseases affecting over 200,000 Americans and resulting in over 40,000 deaths annually, yet most people have never heard of it. There is evidence of a correlation between deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan and increased respiratory symptoms.* Doctors find it challenging to accurately diagnose pulmonary fibrosis, and there is no known cure. Fifty-thousand new cases of PF are diagnosed each year. Continued funding for research is critically needed to identify cures for all forms of pulmonary fibrosis.

Congress has appropriated over $1.37 billion to the PRMRP, funding 840 awards in more than 120 topics areas. Through FY2016, 23 of those grants awards (totaling more than $38 million) were for research into pulmonary fibrosis. Each PRMRP award mechanism has a focus on being relevant to the healthcare needs of Service Members, Veterans, and their family members. The awards fill unmet needs and do not duplicate research supported by other funding agencies.

The CDRMP-PRMRP funds research that provides transformative healthcare benefits to Service Members, Veterans, and the American public, including the pulmonary fibrosis community. I urge you to support the appropriation of funds for the NDAA in FY2018 – and beyond - to continue this vitally important program. 
 
* Defense Health Board, Final Defense Board Recommendation on Deployment Pulmonary Health, file:///U:/Government Affairs/url.html.
* Mary Jo Pugh, C. Jaramillo, K. Leung, P. Faverio, N. Fleming, E. Mortensen, M. Amuan, C-P Wang, B. Eapen, M. Restrepo, M. J. Morris, “Increasing Prevalence of Chronic Lung Disease in Veterans of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Military Medicine, 181, 5(2016): 476–481, https://doi.org/10.7205/MILMED-D-15-00035.
* Besa Smith, C. A. Wong, T. C. Smith, E. J. Boyko, G. D. Gackstetter, M. A. K. Ryan, “Newly Reported Respiratory Symptoms and Conditions Among Military Personnel Deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan: A Prospective, Population-based Study,” American Journal of Epidemiology, 170, 11(2009): 1433–1442, https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwp287.

Regards, Your Name

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