October 2015
This week, the Senate unanimously passed a non-binding resolution designating September 2015 as Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness month. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), notes that pulmonary fibrosis (PF) takes the lives of 40,000 individuals in the United States each year equal to about 1 death every 13 minutes and that no screening or testing biomarkers or drugs to extend the lives of patients with the disease exist. The resolution does not provide any funding but expresses the Senate's support for more robust and accelerated research to develop more effective treatments for pulmonary fibrosis and to ultimately find a cure for the disease. Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-MN) is sponsoring a similar resolution in the House of Representatives, H. Res 437.
