 The PH community celebrated a tremendous success with the funding of two Specialized Centers for Clinically Oriented Research focused on pulmonary hypertension. These centers will bring nearly $25 million new dollars to PH Research and are a direct result of the PH community’s efforts to pass the PH Research Act. The story of the PH Research Act is a story full of victories, with more still to come! Together, we are making a difference!
A Running Start
The PH Research Act was introduced to the House of Representatives of the 109th Congress on June 21, 2005 by Congressmen Kevin Brady and Tom Lantos. Thanks to the tremendous energy and commitment of the PH community and the dedicated support of our Congressional champions, it took only a few weeks for the bill to surpass its previous 26 co-sponsors. In less than three months, more than half of the members of the House had signed on as co-sponsors!
Lobby Day
The PH community didn’t stop there! In September, 2005, Senators Cornyn and Mikulski introduced the PH Research Act in the Senate. Two days later, members of the PH Resource Network descended on Capitol Hill and lobbied their Senators to support the bill. At least three Senators agreed to co-sponsor as a result of their efforts.
The PH Research Act Gets a Hearing
In December, 2005, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on pulmonary hypertension — one of the only disease-specific Congressional hearings of the year! At the event, Dr. Mark Gladwin of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) mentioned plans to substantially expand PH research within the National Institute for Health.
The Final Count
During 2006, as a direct result of the persistence of PH patients and supporters across the country, support for the PH Research Act continued to grow. By December, 248 members of the House of Representatives and 13 members of the Senate had signed on as sponsors or co-sponsors!
The SCCOR Victory
As a direct result of the number of co-sponsors of the PH Research Act, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute agreed to fund two Specialized Centers of Clinically Oriented Research (SCCOR). These centers are similar to the “Centers of Excellence” called for in the PH Research Act. Each center will pursue multiple PH research projects, and the funding they receive from NHLBI over the next five years will total nearly $25 million. That’s millions of new dollars aimed at finding new and better treatment for PH and moving us closer to a cure!
What Next?
Get involved in supporting the 2007 PH Research and Education Act. |
