WASHINGTON, D.C. – January 22, 2014 – The COPD Foundation (COPDF) celebrates ten years of helping more than 24 million Americans living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), fostering life-changing research, developing comprehensive educational programs and generating support from all members of the COPD community. Established with the help of sister organization the Alpha-1 Foundation, COPDF is committed to improving the lives of all people affected by COPD while working on preventing and curing this devastating disease.
"COPDF was created in direct response to the scarcity of resources, education and information about the disease that left many patients, families and caregivers with nowhere to turn for help,” says John W. Walsh, president and co-founder of the COPDF. "Since our inception, COPDF has evolved and progressed, providing vital services to the public, increasing understanding and awareness about lung health, and aiding the development of new drugs and therapies. Moving forward, we will build upon our successes and continue to help those living with COPD achieve their highest quality of life."
Research has held a pivotal role in the evolution of COPDF: creating the COPD Biomarker Qualification Consortium (CBQC) to help fast track research for better treatment; supporting the COPDGene® Study, which looks at genetic factors that can contribute to an individual’s risk for developing COPD; working tirelessly to support research designed to improve quality of life for COPD patients; and fostering the development of new drugs and therapies. COPDF also initiated the creation of the Bronchiectasis Research Registry, a consolidated database of 1,715 patients affected with certain subsets of COPD, as well as the COPD Research Registry, a confidential database of 2,273 individuals living with COPD or at risk of developing COPD.
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