Leading Organizations Take to Capitol Hill to Discuss the Need to Accelerate New Medicines for Lupus and Other Diverse Diseases

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Lupus Foundation of America, the only national force devoted to solving the mystery of lupus, and the Rheumatology Research Foundation, the largest private funding source of rheumatology research and training programs, convened on Capitol Hill to update our nation's leaders about the new Accelerating Medicines Partnership (AMP) project at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and discuss how Congress can support biomedical innovation. The AMP project, which launched in February 2014, is an unprecedented new partnership, bringing high-level government, pharmaceutical industry and nonprofit health partners together to identify and validate the most promising biological targets of disease for new diagnostics and drug development. 

Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), two relatively common and complex autoimmune diseases, are the focus of one AMP project. Lupus was selected for this project because of the lack of effective, targeted therapies for the most severe forms of the disease, such as when lupus affects the kidneys or the central nervous system. There is no cure for lupus, and only one drug has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration that was designed specifically to treat the disease. 

"The Lupus Foundation of America is pleased to be working together with the Rheumatology Research Foundation to educate members of Congress and their staff about the importance of making biomedical research and innovation of autoimmune diseases, like lupus, a priority on the nation's health agenda," explains Sandra C. Raymond, President and CEO, Lupus Foundation of America. "While we have seen great progress over the past decade, we still have much work to do to find the next breakthrough that will improve the care and quality of life for people with lupus.  With the support of Congress and all of our partners, we believe the AMP initiative will ultimately lead to a new understanding of the underlying causes of lupus along with new therapies for this devastating disease." 

David Karp, MD, PhD, president of the Rheumatology Research Foundation, says that working with the Lupus Foundation of America to host today's briefing provides a unique opportunity to help the country's leaders better understand the value of the AMP project and the importance of supporting similarly-focused research.

"The Foundation is a strong supporter of research that will lead to advances in treatments and, one day, cures for rheumatic diseases such as lupus," Dr. Karp explains. "However, organizations like the Rheumatology Research Foundation and the Lupus Foundation of America cannot be alone in our efforts to improve the health of people with lupus. We hope the members of Congress who took part in the discussion will see that the AMP initiative and the push for continued federal funding of novel research ideas also have the potential to yield major breakthroughs that will benefit researchers, doctors and patients alike."

Sue Manzi, MD, MPH, member of the Lupus Foundation of America's Medical-Scientific Advisory Council, served as moderator for today's discussion. Presentations were also given by Representative Jim Moran (VA), co-chair of the Congressional Lupus Caucus; Robert Carter, MD, PhD, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases at the NIH; Martin Hodge, PhD, Senior Director, Immunoscience at Pfizer Worldwide Research & Development and David Karp, MD, PhD, President of the Rheumatology Research Foundation and Chief of the Rheumatic Diseases Division at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas, TX).

Better understanding of the pathways that contribute to the development of a particular disease and identifying the specific biological targets that can be used to prevent these diseases will help industry better design and test potential new treatments. Research to better understand lupus and discover effective treatments is greatly underfunded, relative to its scope and devastation. 

"Without sufficient funding from public and private sources, research efforts into the causes of lupus and the discovery of new treatments will be delayed, and the search for a cure will be seriously impaired," adds Raymond. "We took to Capitol Hill today to urge Congress to make biomedical research and innovation for lupus, the prototypical autoimmune disease, a priority. We need Congress to invest and fund biomedical research at the NIH and throughout the federal government. This robust funding is vital to moving lupus research forward."

The AMP project complements the Lupus Foundation of America's ongoing efforts and strategies to advance the science and medicine of lupus and expand the number of new therapies available to manage the disease. In 2009, the Foundation commissioned a first-of-its-kind report to detail obstacles and provide a roadmap to speed development of new, safe, effective and more tolerable treatments for lupus. The report, authored by the respected health policy research organization, the Lewin Group, called for organizing a new coordinated national effort to overcome the barriers. The report also recommended that the scientific community and the NIH collaborate on a research agenda to provide a clear pathway to drug development in lupus.

Visit lupus.org for more information about lupus and the AMP program.

About the Lupus Foundation of America
The Lupus Foundation of America is the only national force devoted to solving the mystery of lupus, one of the world's cruelest, most unpredictable and devastating diseases, while giving caring support to those who suffer from its brutal impact. Through a comprehensive program of research, education, and advocacy, the Foundation leads the fight to improve the quality of life for all people affected by lupus. Learn more about lupus, the Lupus Science & Medicine Journal and the Lupus Foundation of America at lupus.org. For the latest news and updates, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

About the Rheumatology Research Foundation
The Rheumatology Research Foundation was established in 1985 as a 501(c)(3) organization with a mission of advancing research and training to improve the health of people with rheumatic diseases. The Foundation is the largest private funding source of rheumatology training and research programs in the U.S. On average, 90 cents of every dollar donated to the Foundation is used to fund an extensive awards and grants program. For more information, visit www.rheumatology.org/Foundation.

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SOURCE Lupus Foundation of America