Washington, D.C. (July 18, 2007) – The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF) announced today important legislation that recognizes the need for research into the cause of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a deadly lung disease with no known cause, no FDA-approved treatment, or cure. House Concurrent Resolution 182 (H. Con. Res. 182) raises the importance of the urgent need to identify viable treatments and an eventual cure for IPF, a disease that is becoming alarmingly more prevalent in the United States.

“Congress passing this legislation will be a tremendous benchmark for the IPF community,” said Mark Shreve, chief executive officer of the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis. “Central to the CPF’s mission is to advocate on behalf of all Americans fighting IPF and forge partnerships in Congress to advance legislation important to the IPF community. This resolution is particularly gratifying because it reaffirms that our advocates around the country are being heard in Congress.”

The concurrent resolution was introduced by U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal (R-GA) further affirming Congress’ support for the goals and ideals of National IPF Awareness Week, sponsored by the CPF and scheduled to take place Sept. 22-29, 2007 in Washington, D.C. The resolution already has the support of six House co-sponsors. The Senate version authored by Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) is expected to be introduced in the coming weeks.

The legislation represents an important step for the IPF cause for several reasons:

• It advocates for patients who suffer from IPF. In the past five years, IPF prevalence and incidence has increased 156 percent; yet there remains no FDA approved treatment to combat this deadly disease, and research funding remains unacceptably low
• It creates the foundation on which all future legislation involving IPF may be based
• It defines the challenges facing the IPF community in the Congressional Record
• It becomes a permanent vehicle for educating Members of Congress
• It will lead to greater public awareness of IPF
• It will initiate a dialog in Congress to increase attention and funding given to the deadly disease that kills 40,000 Americans each year, as many as claimed by breast cancer

The late Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-GA) was a proponent of increased awareness of IPF following his own struggle with the disease. He championed the cause on behalf of the 128,000 Americans who suffer from IPF until his untimely death in February 2007. Rep. Norwood received a lung transplant in 2004 and subsequently introduced House Concurrent Resolution 178 for the first time in the 109th Congress. Rep. Deal committed to introduce the legislation again this year, in an effort to bring attention to the disease while also honoring Congressman Norwood’s work.

"Pulmonary fibrosis is an often overlooked degenerative and debilitating disease," said original co-sponsor, U.S. Rep. Brian Baird. "My own father died of this disease, and my good friend and colleague Charlie Norwood died just a few months ago. It is my hope that with passage of this resolution we can increase awareness about this disease. We must aggressively pursue research opportunities into the causes of the disease, a treatment, and eventual cure."

“It is important that our patients, their families, and IPF advocates voice their support for this important legislation. We urge them to show their support for the resolution by making phone calls to their members of Congress, by writing letters and emails, and by making personal visits to their Members’ district offices before the planned August 3 Congressional recess,” said Shreve.

To view the resolutions, including current co-sponsors, go to www.thomas.loc.gov and enter “H. CON. RES. 182”. If you would like to send a letter to your representative to encourage them to co-sponsor the legislation, visit the CPF Web site at www.coalitionforpf.org for a sample letter.

What is a Concurrent Resolution?
Concurrent Resolutions are used for expressing facts, principles, opinions, and purposes of the two Houses of Congress – the House of Representatives and the Senate. On approval by both Houses, they are signed by the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate and transmitted to the Archivist of the United States for publication in a special part of the Statutes at Large volume covering that session of Congress.

About Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)
IPF is a lung disorder characterized by a progressive scarring – known as fibrosis – and deterioration of the lungs, which slowly robs its victims of their ability to breathe. Approximately 128,000 Americans suffer from IPF, and there is currently no known cause or cure. An estimated 48,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. IPF is difficult to diagnose and an estimated two-thirds of patients die within five years of diagnosis.