As many of you know, the primary federal support forNF research comes from the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) at the Department of Defense. NF has been supported through this program since 1996, and this funding has been critical to the great strides we have made in NF research. With CDMRP funds, researchers have been able to:
– Identify the major functions of the NF genes in both their normal and mutated states.
– Develop sophisticated animal models which are now used for pre-clinical drug testing.
– Create the NF Clinical Trials Consortium, the first forum for NF clinical researchers to truly collaborate on clinical trials.
– BEGIN TESTING DRUGS!
All of this work over the years has allowed the CDMRP to begin focusing on clinical trials. The Clinical Trials Consortium, which was established by this program in 2006, is the most important part of this program.
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Increasing pressures on the defense budget are resulting in cuts to various programs, and we need your help in sending the message to Congress that federal funding for NF research should continue at a robust level. This is more important now than ever before. The FY2012 Defense Appropriations Bill passed by the House of Representatives earlier this year included $12.8 million for NF research. The Senate did not provide this level of funding in its version of the bill. We need your help in requesting that Congress retain the House-passed funding level for the NF CDMRP when House and Senate leaders meet to negotiate the differences in their two bills. Time is of the essence – please write your Member of Congress today! A template letter of support is included on this page to help make this easy.
We are at a critical stage for NF research. CDMRP funding has brought NF research to the commencement of clinical trials, and continued funding will allow new drugs to be tested through the Clinical Trials Consortium, helping us move closer to the goal of therapies for NF and conditions related to this debilitating disorder. Thank you for your continued support and for reaching out to Congress in support of federal NF research funding!
