You can write
your representitives in Congress
and request that the FDA approve promising new treatments
for Hepatis C
What to do:
1)
Copy
the letter below,
2) Type
your zip code into the box below and click the "go"
button.
3) When
you get to the Congress.org site, Paste the contents
of the letter into your representative(s) blank e-mail
page. You may ersonalize it if you want.
4) Sign
it and send. That's all there is to it. |
As my representative, you ought to know
liver disease is one of the major killers in America today.
Hepatitis C alone has been called a "silent
epidemic" by former surgeon general Everett Koop,
MD.
It is estimated that as many as 4 million
Americans are infected. The death rate due to complications
from this disease is expected to quadruple in the next
10 years. It is the number one cause for liver transplants
and those numbers are rising exponentially.
There is no approved cure and current treatment
has an inadequate success rate (while often causing debilitating
side effects).
The FDA needs to fast-track treatment development
for this deadly disease.
A study presented at the American Association
for the Study of Liver Diseases meeting on Tuesday November
9, 1999 concluded that long-term damage from hepatitis
C infections may cost the U.S. economy more than $81 billion
by 2019.
The study, by researchers from the New England
Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine,
looked at what costs can be expected in the ten years
from 2010 to 2019 as a result of the long-term effects
of hepatitis C infections.
Most people infected by the virus do not
notice any symptoms until serious liver damage starts
20 years or so later, although testing can detect the
infection and lead to early treatment.
The study used a computer model to estimate
the level of disease and death expected in the period
2010-2019 from existing and future infections. It found
that the medical costs of treating such liver damage as
cirrhosis and cancer would total at least $10.3 billion
in those ten years.
Productivity lost to the work force from
hepatitis C complications and death would equal another
$71.5 billion, the researchers, led by Dr John Wong, said.
"Our results suggest that hepatitis C will be an
awakening health issue that should be addressed now,"
Wong said in his paper.
The FDA is infamous for its long approval
process for new drug therapies.
Exceptions have been made for high profile
widespread diseases such as HIV/AIDs. Such exceptions
are appropriate for hepatitis C and other liver diseases
given the scope of the problem.
I am requesting that you investigate this
important area of public health and sponsor or co-sponsor
legislation allow the FDA to fast track approvals for
promising alternative treatments for Hepatitis C.
Thank you for your attention and consideration
in regard to this serious matter.
Sincerely,
