June 1st Kicks Off Worldwide LAM Awareness Month to build awareness of a rare disease that affects women

CINCINNATI, May 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- About 2,000 American women and an estimated 3,500 globally have been diagnosed with LAM or lymphangioleiomyomatosis, a progressive and deadly rare lung disease which affects women during the prime of their lives. One in 10 Americans is affected by a rare disease, and there are 7,000 rare diseases with only 500 having a known treatment.

June 2017 has been designated as the first Worldwide LAM Awareness Month (WWLAM) by the Worldwide LAM Patient Coalition. WWLAM brings together the global community in a collaborative effort to educate the world about the signs and symptoms of LAM, what it means to live with LAM and share our achievements to inspire researchers and clinicians to optimize therapies and find a cure for LAM.

The LAM Foundation, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, is working on a national basis to fund LAM research and enhance the care of women with LAM, as well as fostering collaboration among scientists and clinicians to inspire innovative research efforts.

Over the past 21 years, The LAM Foundation has raised more than $23 million and directed the majority to research, which has been leveraged to $50 million in funding from other sources including the National Institutes of Health.

These funds have contributed to three major scientific breakthroughs, including the identification of a LAM gene, a powerful diagnostic biomarker, and the first treatment for LAM.

For more information, visit www.thelamfoundation.org.

Media Contact:
Jackie Reau
jreau@gamedaypr.com
(513) 708-5822

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SOURCE LAM Foundation