Co-Sponsorship of Pulmonary Fibrosis Research Enhancement Act 2009 Increases to ...( SAN JOSE Calif. May 7 -- Th...),Health

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The CPF today announced that the Pulmonary Fibrosis Research Enhancement Act (PFREA) (H.R. 1079) - which would authorize $16 million in new federal funding for pulmonary fibrosis (PF) research - has now gained the support of 27 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

The PFREA is first of its kind legislation to improve research and awareness of pulmonary fibrosis, a terminal lung disease with no known cause, no FDA approved treatment and no cure. (For more information on PF, visit www.coalitionforpf.org). The PFREA was reintroduced on February 13, 2009 by Representative Brian Baird (D-WA) and Representative Mike Castle (R-DE).

"The Pulmonary Fibrosis Research Enhancement Act is not only important to the 128,000 patients who suffer from this devastating lung disease and desperately need help in their fight, it is critical to the researchers working on the front lines," said Mishka Michon, Chief Executive Officer of the CPF. "The passage of this bill will help the research move forward and will escalate our search for a treatment and a cure."

The PFREA was originally introduced in Congress on July 22, 2008 by Rep. Baird and Rep. Castle. Congressman Baird lost his father to pulmonary fibrosis, and Congressman Castle lost his brother and sister to the devastating disease. A substantial portion of the $16 million authorization would be used to establish a comprehensive national registry of PF patients. The Act would also:

• Mandate the creation of a National PF Action Plan, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which would focus on strategies to improve public awareness of PF, and accelerate patient and medical education strategies. The Action Plan would be provided to the Dire
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