Please review the letter in full below.
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Dear Members of the California Congressional Delegation:
California is the epicenter of a public health threat that is stretching our healthcare system to the breaking point: antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This includes Valley Fever, a deadly fungal infection and one of the biggest human health threats facing Californians . Without timely Congressional action, this threat will only continue to grow, leaving those living in California at an increased risk of fungal and bacterial diseases without available treatments. We urge you to help address this threat by passing the PASTEUR Act before the end of this year.
Three deadly fungal pathogens - histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis (commonly called Valley fever), and blastomycosis - are quickly spreading nationwide. The PASTEUR Act addresses market challenges that have led to a shortage of antifungal and antibacterial medications that are essential to combatting diseases, such as Valley Fever. This bill would encourage the development of new and novel anti-fungal and antibiotic medications that the medical community urgently needs. “Despite extensive research dedicated to the development of new therapeutic strategies, there are only a limited number of available drugs to fight against invasive fungal infections. Indeed, only four molecular classes that target three distinct fungal metabolic pathways are currently used in clinical practice to treat essentially systemic fungal infections.”
California is at the forefront of an incredible amount of life-saving and changing health innovation - and because of that you know all too well that development of new medications takes decades, and incredible amount of investment. Unfortunately, for antimicrobials, like those necessary to treat diseases like Valley Fever, those investments do not occur because of market failures. The PASTEUR Act will change it, but swift passage is needed.
According to a recent L.A. Times story , “The incidence and range of Valley Fever has grown dramatically over the last two decades, and some experts warn that the fungus is growing increasingly resistant to drugs.” As temperatures rise, fungi are not only surviving but thriving. Researchers at UC Berkeley have found a pronounced role of California’s recent droughts in driving the transmission of Valley Fever throughout the state, and further recent research conducted by Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Minnesota have found that this California threat is quickly becoming a national one. Diseases like Valley Fever spread quite easily: from proximity to an infected animal, skin scrapes, outbreaks in healthcare facilities, and most commonly from breathing fungal spores in the air. Some fungal pathogens, like Valley Fever, have been known to spread over two hundred miles during heavy winds.
According to the CDC, the direct medical costs in the U.S. alone from fungal infections are $6.7 to $7.5 billion annually. Much of these costs are driven by the more than 75,000 hospitalizations and nearly 9 million outpatient visits that occur every year for fungal diseases. Indirect costs from premature deaths and missed work or school are estimated at an additional $4 billion, placing the total cost at $11.5 billion, conservatively, and could be as high as $48 billion. And that is just fungal. The cost burden of AMR broadly is even greater.
AMR is not unique to California nor to a specific patient population. It is a global threat that impacts all of us, and one that is growing worse. AMR kills 35,000 Americans annually and is responsible for more global deaths than malaria and HIV/AIDS. There are a number of factors making the risk of AMR even greater – from climate to armed conflicts to simply time.
We the undersigned ask that you work with House and Senate leadership to help us address the growing threat of Valley Fever and AMR by prioritizing the passage of the PASTEUR Act by the end of this year. We stand ready to work with you to make this request a reality.
Sincerely,
MyCARE Foundation | Nonprofit |
Integrita Healthcare Education Foundation | Nonprofit |
Valley Fever Americas Foundation | Nonprofit |
Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease (PFID) | Nonprofit |
Mycoses Study Group Education and Research Consortium | Nonprofit |
Aspergillosis Trust | Nonprofit |
Alliance for Reducing Microbial Resistance (ARMoR) | Nonprofit |
HealthHIV | Nonprofit |
Spina Bifida Association | Nonprofit |
Meningitis Foundation | Nonprofit |
Neuropathy Action Foundation | Nonprofit |
CancerCare | Nonprofit |
GAFFI (Global action For Fungal Disease) | Nonprofit |
Stuart B. Levy Center for Integrated Management of Antimicrobial Resistance at Tufts | Organization |
Kathera Bioscience Inc | Organization |
Acurx Pharmaceuticals | Organization |
Omnix Medical | Organization |
Aequor, Inc. | Organization |
Sequella, Inc | Organization |
Bactria Pharmaceuticals LLC | Organization |
Core Content Network, LLC | Organization |
DeFino Consulting, LLC | Organization |
Zaycor Pharma Consulting, LLC | Organization |
Optimum Development Technologies, Inc | Organization |
Zavante Royalty Corporation | Organization |
Febris Therapeutics Inc | Organization |
MiraVista Diagnostics | Organization |
Advanced Veterinary Therapeutics | Organization |
Imperial, London | Organization |
Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) | Organization |
Shionogi Inc. | Organization |
Organization | |
Fabiosys Innovations | Organization |
Pfizer | Organization |
Recombinant Films: "Beating Superbugs: Can We Win"? | Organization |
Microbiotix, Inc. | Organization |
Karen Joy Shaw, Hearts Consulting Group | Organization |
Staurus Pharmaceuticals | Organization |
Matinas BioPharma | Organization |
F2G | Organization |
Elion Therapeutics | Organization |
Anivive Lifesciences | Organization |
Melissa B Schwartz | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Harish Ravivarapu | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Tariro Kutadza HIV/TB Advocate | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Greg Kowald | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Kathleen Birks | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Fredrick Watson | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Suzette Watson | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Diana Ascher, PhD, MBA | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
David Shoots | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Maryam Hedayati | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Caitlin Sinclair | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Jennifer Van Roekel | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Jaclyn | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Larry Williams | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Tracy Mattos | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Lawren Linehan | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Chelsa Thomas | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Pamela Fendley | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Maeve Settanni | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Elizabeth | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Matthew Cherepinsky | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Taylor Berumen | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Al L. | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Chang Yi | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Krista Nelson | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Susan Franke | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Mitchell Edwards | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Allison Palmer | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Mitch Medeiros | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Ana Vargas | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Anastacia Rabago | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Carissa Countryman | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Kira Brown | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Anna Jones | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Julie Patrick | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Samantha Stevens - Greystar | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Leonard Morris | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Jessica Widing | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Maggie Payne | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Tracy brunetti | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Vanessa Albright | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Catherine Behringer | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Samantha Grizzell | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Sean Skinner | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Kenneth Fitzgerald | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Alyssa Warren-Ramirez | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Laura Dobslaw | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Callie Brunet | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Haley Goodwin | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Laura Tan | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Tenoka Hudson | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Sarah Woodward | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Milosz Wilczkiewicz | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Stacey Hogue | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Conor McManus | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Kim Herrmann | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Ben Maller | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Lindsay Walkerr | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Benjamin Watt | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Liz Girgenti | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Kaeleigh Kraft | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Emma - Envida | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Kacey Turner | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Lindsey Riley | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Candis Holler | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Brynne Packhem | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Charles King | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Megan Marks | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Declan Costello | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Makenzie Jahn | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Katie Congdon | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Sarah Zagorski | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Alison Freifeld MD | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Ellie Uribe | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Stephanie Krull | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Chelise Frederickson | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
K aliifua | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Candice Guay | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Nina Michaels | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Ashely Vanderwall | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Lily Zimmel | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Courtney Cohea | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Stacie Walker | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Lindsay Jacobs | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Jessica reed | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Lorraine Santiago | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Christina Tannahill | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Gina Moore | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Jenny Talbot | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Lauren Campbell | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Kelsey Montano | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Katy Brown | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Ashurina Kelsey | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Avery Crowley | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Greystar | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Gretchen Schultz | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Brian McGee | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Julie | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Irma Guzman | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Karyn Polak | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Cathy P | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Sophia Zach | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Ian Sinclair | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Keely Sinclair | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Ian Hay | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Christine Boutros | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Heather Knudson | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
John Paulus | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
David Bieszczad | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Avery Valdes | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Xin Huang | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Leah Patin | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Joyce Sutcliffe | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Jeff Smith | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Nate Schwab | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Tim Lindsay | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Chris Haines | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Supervisor Jeff Flores, Kern County | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Yasmeen Muqtasid | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Robert Berniard | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Greg Benson | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Leigh-Anne Reardon | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Michelle Saldana | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Teresa Landry | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Damian Nunez | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Mary Hernandez | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Bridgette Morton | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Madison Kohnen | Patient/Caregiver/Constituent |
Professor Kevin Outterson | Researcher/Clinician |
Carol A Nacy | Researcher/Clinician |
Adriana Rauseo | Researcher/Clinician |
Richard H. Ebright, PhD, FIDSA, Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University | Researcher/Clinician |
Ana Alastruey-Izquierdo | Researcher/Clinician |
Michael H Silverman | Researcher/Clinician |
Sharon Rogers | Researcher/Clinician |
Mia DeFino | Researcher/Clinician |
Deepa Deshpande | Researcher/Clinician |
xiang yu | Researcher/Clinician |
Dr. Julia Schaletzky, Exec. Director, Molecular Therapeutics Initiative (University of California, Berkeley) | Researcher/Clinician |
Vaka Reddy/RPH Labs | Researcher/Clinician |
Dr Diriba Mosissa | Researcher/Clinician |
Pharm Abubakar Funsho lawal | Researcher/Clinician |
Zeena Nackerdien | Researcher/Clinician |
Jenn Clegg | Researcher/Clinician |
David Newman | Researcher/Clinician |
Pam Lee | Researcher/Clinician |
Thuy Le, MD PhD, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA | Researcher/Clinician |
Professor Neil A.R. Gow FRS, FRSE, FAAM, FMEedSci, FECCM, University of Exeter, UK | Researcher/Clinician |
Steven A. Boyd | Researcher/Clinician |
Maertens johan | Researcher/Clinician |
Rachel Wattier, MD, MHS, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Physician | Researcher/Clinician |
Aaron Rohrer | Researcher/Clinician |
David Berman/Pediatric Infectious Diseases Specialist | Researcher/Clinician |
Douglas Lake | Researcher/Clinician |
George Thompson MD | Researcher/Clinician |
Simon Camponuri | Researcher/Clinician |
Molly Radosevich, MPH | Researcher/Clinician |
Sarah Park, MD | Researcher/Clinician |
Kenneth L. Hastings, DrPH, DABT, ATS | Researcher/Clinician |
Matthew Smollin, PharmD; Vice President, Medical Affairs, Karius, Inc. | Researcher/Clinician |
Souha Kanj | Researcher/Clinician |
Dr Darren Thomson PhD | Researcher/Clinician |
jamie harrison | Researcher/Clinician |
Gordon Brown | Researcher/Clinician |
Professor Carol Munro, University of Aberdeen/Brigid Biologics | Researcher/Clinician |
Lisa Higgins | Researcher/Clinician |
Bridget Barker | Researcher/Clinician |
Brian Fisher--Co-Director Pediatric Fungal Network | Researcher/Clinician |
Nicole Knauer | Researcher/Clinician |
Michael Wilson, MD, Professor of Neurology, UCSF | Researcher/Clinician |
Dr Stephen Brand/Mycovia Pharmaceuticals | Researcher/Clinician |
LauraLe Dyner MD | Researcher/Clinician |
Alita Miller, CSO of ArrePath, Inc. | Researcher/Clinician |
Chris Destache, PharmD, FIDSA | Researcher/Clinician |
Nathaniel J. Rhodes | Researcher/Clinician |
Rangarajan Sampath | Researcher/Clinician |
Dr.Suhasini Bhatnagar | Researcher/Clinician |
Bernat Olle / Vedanta Biosciences | Researcher/Clinician |
Rafael Canton | Researcher/Clinician |
Yatee Gupta | Researcher/Clinician |
Katie Muddiman PhD | Researcher/Clinician |
Michael Cynamon, M.D. | Researcher/Clinician |
Ellen Jo Baron, Prof. Emerita, Stanford University | Researcher/Clinician |
Jill Bennett | Researcher/Clinician |
Chiung-Yu Hung, Professor at University of Texas at San Antonio | Researcher/Clinician |
Thomas Evans MD | Researcher/Clinician |
Mary E. Wilson, MD | Researcher/Clinician |
Dr Asadulghani | Researcher/Clinician |
Francesco Maria Lavino | Researcher/Clinician |
Carolina Coelho | Researcher/Clinician |
Ronjon Nag, President R42 Group, Palo Alto, CA | Researcher/Clinician |
John Taylor | Researcher/Clinician |
Marisa Miceli | Researcher/Clinician |
OBEN Valeri Mbi PhD/R4DHP | Researcher/Clinician |
Chadwick Dodd, DVM | Researcher/Clinician |
Amanda Bruce | Researcher/Clinician |
Meredith Brown, MPH, CPH | Researcher/Clinician |
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