Resolution Introduced to Increase Research Funding

On April 28, the fight to increase funding towards autoimmune disease research took a huge step forward. Representative Stephen Lynch (R-MA) introduced H. Res. 610, with co-sponsor Todd Tiahrt (R-KS), expressing the sense of the House of Representatives to increase the level of funding to NIH to carry out the Autoimmune Diseases Research Plan.

The Autoimmune Disease Research Plan is the nation's first-ever coordinated, collaborative effort to study the cause, incidence, diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune disease, as well as educate the medical community and general public. The House Resolution emphasized the need for increased funding due to the 14 to 22 million people in the United States that are afflicted with an autoimmune disease (about twice as many as cancer). In addition, it is well known that the family of autoimmune diseases are genetically interrelated and share etiological pathways and yet current NIH funding for autoimmune disease research is focused on only a fraction of the approximately 80 known autoimmune diseases.

The measure was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Additional Headlines on the Autoimmune Disease Research Plan:

• SSF Members Rally Support for NIH Autoimmune Research Plan more >>

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