March on The Hill 2022 - Urging Congress to Sponsor the PASTEUR Act

Yesterday, more than 160 advocates across 46 states rallied together to represent the cystic fibrosis community during the Annual Cystic Fibrosis Foundation March on the Hill. Advocates shared their personal experiences as caretakers, clinicians, friends and family members of people living with CF. By using their personal stories, advocates spoke about the need for market incentives around antibiotics, as many people living with cystic fibrosis battle difficult-to-treat infections for which there are very few effective treatments. I was fortunate enough to work closely with the parents of a child living with CF and a retired CF nurse. Their stories inspired me deeply and demonstrated the resilience of the CF community.

In the hundreds of meetings with members of Congress, attendees of March on the Hill garnered support for the PASTEUR Act. Under the PASTEUR Act, the federal government would create market incentives for the development of lifesaving antimicrobial drugs. Developers would be paid contractually agreed-upon amounts annually, for a duration ranging from five years up to the patent life of the treatment.

Of note, this issue does not only affect the CF community. Did you know that, in 2019 alone, the Centers for Disease Control reported more than 2.8 million drug-resistant infections? Of those, antimicrobial resistance took the lives of more than 35,000 people. Some have even argued that this number is a substantial underestimate, and that antimicrobial resistance may actually be the third leading cause of death in the United States. This is incredibly alarming considering there are 30,000 people living with CF in the United States.

Even for those who survive drug resistant infections, the potential consequences can be severe in many cases. People living with CF face a heightened risk of infections throughout their life and many battle infections for which there are unfortunately no effective antibiotics available.

Under this model, patients covered by federal insurance programs like Medicare or Medicaid would have access to these drugs at no additional cost to the government. Not only does this act provide all people with a sense of safety when it comes to antimicrobial resistance, this approach would also position the U.S. as a leader in the development of drugs that pose a threat to global health.?

Now I call on you, my connections. You can help amplify the voice of the CF community. Join us by asking your members of Congress to support the PASTEUR Act. Together, we can ensure Congress understands why antibiotic-resistant infections cannot be ignored.?