U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Representatives Edward Markey and Cliff Stearns Honored for Leadership on Behalf of People With Cystic Fibrosis

BETHESDA, Md., March 19, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Reps. Edward Markey (D-MA) and Cliff Stearns (R-FL) were honored for outstanding leadership on behalf of people with cystic fibrosis during the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's annual March on the Hill event in Washington, D.C., this week.

During March on the Hill, members of the cystic fibrosis community meet with elected officials to raise awareness about the disease.

"Senator Wyden, Representative Markey and Representative Stearns are champions for people with cystic fibrosis," said Robert J. Beall, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. "They have worked tirelessly to raise awareness of CF, strengthen research efforts and accelerate the search for a cure. We are grateful for their support."

In 2010, President Obama signed into law the "Improving Access to Clinical Trials Act" (I-ACT), which was introduced by Sen. Wyden in the Senate and Reps. Markey and Stearns in the House. This legislation enables patients with rare diseases to participate in clinical trials without losing eligibility for public health care benefits.

In 2006, Reps. Markey and Stearns founded the Congressional Cystic Fibrosis Caucus to increase awareness about issues of importance to people with CF. These issues include the need for increased federal support of research funding, improved access to specialized care and a reduction in the high cost of medicine for CF patients.  

Cystic fibrosis is a fatal genetic disease that causes the body to produce abnormally thick, sticky mucus that results in life-threatening lung infections and premature death. Fifty years ago, few children with cystic fibrosis lived to attend elementary school. Today, because of CF Foundation-supported research and care, people with the disease live into their 30s, 40s and beyond.

About the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is the world's leader in the search for a cure for cystic fibrosis. The Foundation funds more CF research than any other organization, and nearly every CF drug available today was made possible because of Foundation support. Based in Bethesda, Md., the Foundation also supports and accredits a national care center network that has been recognized by the National Institutes of Health as a model of care for a chronic disease. The CF Foundation is a donor-supported nonprofit organization. For more information, go to www.cff.org.

SOURCE Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

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