CPF, PFF, and ATS announce new research grant for pulmonary fibrosis research

March 18, 2013 – The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF), the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF), and the American Thoracic Society (ATS)—the world's leading professional organization for pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine—today announced that the CPF and the PFF will again partner with the ATS to fund pulmonary fibrosis (PF) research. This is the seventh partnership grant between the three organizations.

"We are pleased to once again participate in the partnership grants with the ATS and the CPF. The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation feels that supporting these types of early stage grants can (and has) led to both an improved understanding of the pathophysiology of pulmonary fibrosis and to the development of more effective therapies. We applaud the leadership of the ATS in fostering these types of collaborations," said Daniel M. Rose, MD, Chairman and CEO of the PFF.

"We are honored to again join with ATS and the PFF to support critical research in pulmonary fibrosis," said Mishka Michon, Chief Executive Officer of the CPF. "The CPF is proud to be supporting these research efforts in an economic time of uncertainty regarding federal funding. It is an opportunity for the private sector to fill the gap and demonstrate our continued commitment to finding treatments and a cure for this devastating disease."

The patient organizations will each commit $20,000 per year to co-fund a two-year research grant to be awarded in 2013. The ATS will provide partial funding and management of the grant.

"We cannot advance in the area of pulmonary fibrosis treatment without sophisticated research. The research funded by these grants has helped advance our understanding of pulmonary fibrosis," said Jesse Roman, MD, member of the ATS Scientific Advisory Committee, Chair of PFF Research Advisory Committee, and Chair of Medicine at the University of Louisville. "This important work may lead to new approaches to the treatment of this devastating disease."

Including the 2013 grant, the CPF and the PFF have together supported $1.22 million of research for PF in partnership with the ATS.

"The three way partnership ATS grant provided important support to my research program, allowing significant advancement in the understanding that Semaphorin 7a and alternatively activated macrophages might play in the progression of fibrotic lung disease in IPF. It is our hope that one day these novel findings might translate into new therapies for all patients with pulmonary fibrosis," said Erica Herzog M.D, PhD, Yale University's Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and recipient of a joint grant for her research.

Provided by American Thoracic Society