|
Partner with the CF Foundation
Since 1955, the mission of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
is to assure the development of the means to cure and control cystic
fibrosis (CF) and to improve the quality of life for those with the
disease.The CF Foundation
tirelessly pursues its mission by supporting scientific research, which is
dedicated to the discovery and development of new therapies. At the same time, it funds and accredits
a network of specialized treatment centers that provide state-of the-art
care for people with CF. By applying the same principles that a for-profit
company follow - efficiency, innovation and a results-driven approach - the
CF Foundation is making a profound difference in the lives of those with
CF.
The CF Foundation Is
Efficient.
The Foundation is
one of the most effective and efficient organizations of its kind. It has
received a four-star rating for sound fiscal management from Charity Navigator, the largest independent charity
evaluator in the United States, and is an accredited charity of
the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance.
The CF Foundation Is
Innovative.
To quicken the pace of drug
discovery and development, the Foundation has pioneered an innovative and
highly effective business model the Foundation has
committed hundreds of millions of dollars in collaboration with the biotech
industry to fuel the search for new treatments and a cure. The Foundation's unique approach to
drug discovery has yielded a therapeutics
pipeline with more than 30 potential therapies in development
for CF.
Virtually every approved CF
drug available today was made possible because of Foundation support. Since
the 1980s, the Foundation has played an integral role in the development of
Pulmozyme®, TOBI®, azithromycin
and hypertonic saline, essential drugs for the treatment of CF.
The CF Foundation Is
Results-Driven.
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
has fueled dramatic improvements in research and care that have
significantly changed the prognosis for people with CF. When the CF Foundation began, few
children lived to attend elementary school. Thanks to the research and care supported by the CF Foundation, the
median age of survival for a person with CF is now 38 years. For the first time in the history of the
disease, CF clinical trial participants are taking oral drugs aimed at
treating the basic defect in CF (a faulty protein). If successful, these
drugs could add decades of life for people with the disease.
The Foundation continues to be
a strong and focused organization: 2008 was a banner year in terms of
scientific and medical progress. As
we look ahead, we are working more proactively and thinking more creatively
than ever before. Although the
outlook for a child born with CF today has improved tremendously over the
years, it is not good enough. Your
involvement and financial support are critical to our success. Working together, we can add tomorrows
every day to the lives of all people with CF.
About Cystic Fibrosis
CF is a
life-threatening genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive
systems of approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States
(70,000 worldwide). One in 32 Americans (more than 10 million people) is an
unknowing, carrier of the defective
CF gene.
When the CF
Foundation began, few children lived to attend elementary school. Today,
thanks to the efforts of scientists and caregivers supported by the CF
Foundation, the median age of survival for a person with CF is in the early
thirties. In fact, nearly 40 percent of the CF patient population is age 18
and older. This is a remarkable improvement, but it is not good enough, as
we continue to lose at least one precious life to CF every day.
|
