Funding for Research Into DRESS Syndrome Is Critical for Saving Lives

National DRESS Syndrome Day 2025 Highlights "Faces of DRESS" to Advocate for Urgent Scientific Investment

RICHMOND, Va., July 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of National DRESS Syndrome Day on July 16, the DRESS Syndrome Foundation is calling out the urgent need for funding into an overlooked yet life-threatening condition: DRESS Syndrome. DRESS stands for Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms, and is a severe adverse reaction to certain medications.

A variety of drugs cause DRESS, such as antibiotics and anticonvulsants. Approximately 1 in 1,000 to 10,000 people who take certain medications will develop the condition and 10% will die. DRESS is progressive and causes widespread inflammation, multi-organ failure, and long-term autoimmune complications. With delayed symptoms, DRESS is frequently misdiagnosed—or diagnosed too late.

"Faces of DRESS" spotlights the patients, caregivers, and medical researchers whose lives the condition directly impacts and whose futures depend on greater scientific investment.

"DRESS requires early recognition and immediate medical care," says Tasha Tolliver, Executive Director of the DRESS Syndrome Foundation. "Despite its seriousness, DRESS remains underfunded. In a climate where budget cuts threaten scientific research, critical progress on DRESS is at real risk of stalling."

Funding DRESS Syndrome research is not optional—it's essential. It's the difference between life and death, and the path toward improved prescribing, diagnosis, and treatments. The Foundation is urging policymakers and institutions to allocate research funds toward understanding DRESS and other severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions (SCARs).

Recent breakthroughs show what's possible. Researchers have identified genetic risk markers like HLA-A*32:01 that can predict someone's risk of developing DRESS from the antibiotic Vancomycin. Emerging targeted therapies like dupilumab and JAK inhibitors may offer promising treatment but still need larger clinical studies to establish safety and effectiveness.

"Research is the only way forward," says Dr. Elizabeth Phillips, a leading severe drug reaction global expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center "We urgently need investment to develop predictive and preventive tools, protocols for recognition and early diagnosis, and more targeted approaches to treatment that avoid short- and long-term complications. We need mechanisms to improve recognition and education for all healthcare providers. Each delay in funding is another patient missed, another life at risk."

Each year, National DRESS Syndrome Day globally raises awareness about DRESS. This year's event includes a live webinar featuring medical researchers, patients, and loved ones. The DRESS Syndrome Foundation calls for action — because those who've lived it and those who may be next deserve better care, deeper understanding, and meaningful progress. Every life behind every face is worth recognizing and saving.

About the DRESS Syndrome Foundation

The DRESS Syndrome Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Richmond, Virginia. We educate and advocate for patients with DRESS Syndrome, and improve awareness of this disease. We partner with patients, families, and leading researchers worldwide. Learn more about the Foundation and how to participate in National DRESS Syndrome Day: www.DRESSsyndromefoundation.org.

Contact: Deanna Lorianni
Communications Director
DRESS Syndrome Foundation
804.307.6703
[email protected]

SOURCE DRESS Syndrome Foundation