“Patients simply can’t afford to wait – time is running out.”

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“Patients simply can’t afford to wait – time is running out.”

The following press release was published by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on Nov. 17, 2016. It is reproduced in full below.

WASHINGTON, DC - Patients can’t wait. That’s the message from over 200 of the nation’s leading patient advocacy organizations. A letter spearheaded by the National Health Council is urging bipartisan Congressional leaders, as well as The White House, to move forward and pass the 21st Century Cures Act.

The letter, signed by more than 200 patient and research associations, states," This is a patient-focused bill that will advance the discovery and development of treatments, strengthen the patient voice in the research and regulatory environment, increase funding for the National Institutes of Health and Food and Drug Administration, and greatly improve our innovation ecosystem."

The letter continues, “Millions of Americans are desperately waiting for effective treatments and cures for their chronic disease or disability. The organizations that represent these people with chronic conditions urge Congress to pass the 21st Century Cures Act in 2016 in order to speed the development of treatments and cures. Patients simply can’t afford to wait - time is running out."

Support continues to build for 21st Century Cures. Today’s letter comes on the heels of strong support from from the Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities (APLU) and the Association of American Universities (AAU), One Voice Against Cancer, and Research!America and United for Medical Research.

The National Health Council letter was signed by:

A Kids’ Brain Tumor Cure (PLGA Foundation)

Abby Grace Foundation

Abigail Alliance for Better Access to Developmental Drugs

Adrenal Insufficiency United

Adult Polyglucosan Body Disease Research Foundation

Aidan Jack Seeger Foundation

AliveAndKickn

Allergy and Asthma NetworkAlliance for Aging Research

Alliance for Cryoglobulinemia

Alport Syndrome Foundation

Alström Syndrome International

Alzheimer’s Association

American Association for Respiratory Care

American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association

American Behcet’s Disease Association

American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

American Heart Association

American Kidney Fund

Amyloidosis Research Consortium

Angioma Alliance

Arthritis Foundation

Association for Creatine Deficiencies

Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America

Ataxia Telangiectasia Children’s Project

Autism Speaks

Autoinflammatory Alliance

Barth Syndrome Foundation

Bcureful

Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer

Foundation

Bert’s Big Adventure

Beyond Celiac

Bridge the Gap- SYNGAP Education and Research Foundation

Cardio-Facio-Cutaneous International

Caregiver Action Network

Caregiver Voices United

Center for Independence of the Disabled, NY

Central Florida Behavioral Health Network

Central Pain Syndrome Foundation

Charles E. Holman Morgellons Disease Foundation

Chase After a Cure

Chasing Life Project

CheckOrphan

Children’s Cardiomyopathy Foundation

Children’s Craniofacial Association

Children’s PKU Network

CLOVES Syndrome Community

Coalition Duchenne

Coalition for Clinical Trials Awareness

Colon Cancer Alliance

Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Research, Education and Support Foundation (CARES Foundation)

Congenital Hyperinsulinism International

Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers

Conquer Myasthenia Gravis

COPD Foundation

Crestwood School District

Cure CMD

Cure HHT

Cure JM Foundation

Cure Sanfilippo Foundation

CureCADASIL

CureDuchenne

Cutaneous Lymphoma Foundation

DADA2 Foundation

Debra of America

Dementia Alliance International

Dravet Syndrome Foundation

Drew’s Hope Scientific Research Foundation

Dysautonomia International

Dyskeratosis Congenita Outreach, Inc.

Epilepsy Foundation

Erik Metzler Foundation, Inc.

EURORDIS- Rare Diseases Europe

EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases

Fabry Support & Information Group

Fanconi Anemia Research Fund

FasterCures

Fibromuscular Dysplasia Society of America

Fibrous Dysplasia Foundation

Fight Colorectal Cancer

Florida Society of Clinical Oncology (FLASCO)

FMD Chat

FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered

Foundation for Prader-Willi Research

Friends of Cancer Research

Garrett The Grand

Gene Giraffe Project

Genetic Alliance

Global Colon Cancer Association

Global Genes

Global Healthy Living Foundation

G-PACT

Guardian Hands Foundation

H.E.A.L.S of the South (Hepatitis Education, Awareness and Liver Support)

Hannah’s Hope Fund for GAN

Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation Inc.

Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome Network Inc.

Hope4Bridget

HSAN1E Society

Hunter Syndrome Foundation

Huntington’s Disease Society of America

Hydrocephalus Association

International Cancer Advocacy Network (ICAN)

International Essential Tremor Foundation

International FOP Association

International Foundation for Autoimmune Arthritis

International Organization of Multiple Sclerosis Nurses

International Pemphigus & Pemphigoid Foundation

International WAGR Syndrome Association

International Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia Foundation (IWMF)

JDRF

Jonah’s Just Begun-Foundation to Cure Sanfilippo

Kalel’s MPS Superhero Foundation

Klippel-Feil Syndrome Freedom

K-T Support Group

Leiomyosarcoma Direct Research Foundation (LMSdr)

Little Miss Hannah Foundation

LMSarcoma Direct Research Foundation

LuMind Research Down Syndrome Foundation

Lung Transplant Foundation

LUNGevity

Lupus Alliance of Long Island/Queens

Lupus Alliance of Upstate New York

Lupus and Allied Diseases Association

Lupus Foundation of America

Lupus Foundation of Florida

Lupus Foundation New England

Lupus Foundation of Northern California

Lupus Foundation of Pennsylvania

Lupus Friends and Family Foundation

Lupus LA

Lupus Research Alliance

Lymphangiomatosis & Gorham’s Disease Alliance

M-CM Network

Mended Hearts

Miracle for Madison & Friends

MLD Foundation

Moebius Syndrome Foundation

Narcolepsy Network

National Alliance on Mental Illness

National Alopecia Areata Foundation

National Eczema Association

National Fragile X Foundation

National Health Council

National Kidney Foundation

National Lymphedema Network

National MPS Society

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)

National Patient Advocate Foundation

National Psoriasis Foundation

National Tay-Sachs & Allied Diseases Association, Inc. (NTSAD)

Neurofibromatosis Network

New England Regional Genetics Group, Inc. (NERGG)

Noah’s Hope

North Carolina Rare Disease Coalition

Norton & Elaine Sarnoff Center for Jewish Genetics

NUBPL Foundation

Organic Acidemia Association

Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation

Oxalosis & Hyperoxaluria Foundation

Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy

PBCers Organization

PCa Blue Inc.

PFO Research Foundation

PKD Foundation

PMG Awareness Organization

Prevent Cancer Foundation

PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome Foundation

Pulmonary Fibrosis Advocates

PXE International

Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research

Rare and Undiagnosed Network (RUN)

Rare Disease United Foundation

Rare NY

RASopathies Network

Regenerative Medicine Foundation

Research!America

RetireSafe

Rhode Island Ehlers Danlos Syndrome

Awareness and Support

Rush to Live Organization

RYR-1 Foundation

Sarcoidosis of Long Island

Sarcoma Foundation of America

Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome Foundation

Sjögren’s Syndrome Foundation

Smashing Walnuts Foundation

Solve ME/CFS Initiative

Spina Bifida Association

SSADH Association

St. Baldrick’s Foundation

Taylor’s Tale

The AIDS Institute

The ALS Association

The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD)

The Atypical HUS Foundation

The Choroideremia Research Foundation, Inc.

The Global Foundation for Peroxisomal Disorders

The Kortney Rose Foundation

The LAM Foundation

The Mastocytosis Society

The Michael J. Fox Foundation

The Nicholas Conor Institute

Tourette Association of America

Tremor Action Network

Trisomy 18 Foundation, Inc.

United Leukodystrophy Foundation

United Spinal Association

US Pain Foundation

Usher 1F Collaborative

Usher 2020 Foundation

Usher Syndrome Coalition

Wake Up Narcolepsy

Wellness Warrior Foundation

Source: House Committee on Energy and Commerce