SAN JOSE, Calif., June 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF) today announced that it will partner with two nationally recognized medical centers to raise funds for research efforts to find a cure for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a fatal lung disease, affecting more than 83,000 Americans with no known cause, no cure, and no FDA-approved treatment.
The B.I.G. (Breathing is Glorious!) Ball on Friday, Oct. 21, 2005 will be held at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago, Ill., to benefit the University of Chicago, and The B.I.G. Butterfly Ball on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2005 will be held at a private beach club in Santa Monica, Calif., to benefit The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Proceeds will also benefit the education, awareness, advocacy and support services offered by the CPF to patients and families nationwide.
"We are pleased to partner with the University of Chicago and UCLA, medical centers who clearly share our mission of unifying efforts to help all those affected by IPF," said Mark Shreve, chief executive officer of the CPF. "This is a unique opportunity to raise funds to benefit these highly regarded IPF treatment and research centers, while also supporting the programs and services of the CPF."
UCLA is one of the country's premier IPF treatment and research centers, with more than 500 IPF patients among 1,800 of those suffering from interstitial lung diseases at the clinic.
"UCLA is pleased to partner with the nation's largest nonprofit organization supporting IPF patients," said Dr. Robert Strieter, chief, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, and professor of medicine at UCLA. "These events are a critical source of funding to continue the important research that we do at UCLA."
The University of Chicago's Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine is also a leading institution actively involved in IPF research.
"We are happy to be a part of this exciting IPF fund-raising event," said Imre Noth, M.D., co-director, Respiratory Clinical Research Group at the University of Chicago. "Funding for research into novel therapeutic approaches to treat - and hopefully cure - IPF is desperately needed. It is important to get everyone involved in this effort."
Although IPF is approximately three times more common than cystic fibrosis, it is often misdiagnosed and receives a fraction of the research funding. The B.I.G. Ball and B.I.G. Butterfly Ball galas will not only raise important funds for research, but will also provide a channel to increase awareness of this little-known disease.
Guests at each of the B.I.G. events will enjoy an evening of fine dining, live and silent auctions, and an opportunity to provide hope for thousands of patients around the country suffering from IPF, and the physicians who treat them. For more information on the CPF or to learn more about each of these groundbreaking events, please visit http://www.coalitionforpf.org or call 888-222-8541.
About Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
IPF is a lung disorder characterized by a progressive scarring - known as fibrosis - and deterioration of the lungs, which slowly robs its victims of their ability to breathe. Approximately 83,000 Americans suffer from IPF, and there is currently no known cause or cure. An estimated 31,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. IPF is difficult to diagnose, and an estimated two-thirds of patients die within five years of diagnosis.
About the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis
The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, founded in 2001 to further education, patient support and research efforts for interstitial lung disease, and specifically pulmonary fibrosis. The CPF is governed by the nation's leading pulmonologists, individuals affected by pulmonary fibrosis, medical research professionals and advocacy organizations. With more than 8,500 members nationwide, the CPF is the largest nonprofit organization in the country dedicated to helping those with pulmonary fibrosis. The CPF's nonprofit partners include the Caring Voice Coalition, the Genetic Alliance, the Mary D. Harris Memorial Foundation, the National Coalition of Autoimmune Patient Groups, the National Organization for Rare Disorders, The Pulmonary Paper, the Second Wind Lung Transplant Association, and more than 30 leading medical and research centers nationwide. For more information about the CPF visit http://www.coalitionforpf.org .
The Coalition for Pulmonary FibrosisCONTACT: Mark Shreve of The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis,+1-888-222-8541, info@coalitionforpf.org
Web site: http://www.coalitionforpf.org/