About The LAM Foundation

Our Mission

The LAM Foundation urgently seeks safe and effective treatments, and ultimately a cure, for lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) through advocacy and the funding of promising research. We are dedicated to serving the scientific, medical, and patient communities by offering information, resources, and a worldwide network of hope and support.

LAM is a rare and progressive lung disease that primarily affects women and has no known cure. Founded in 1995 as a grassroots effort, The LAM Foundation is the global leader in the fight against LAM. It has evolved into an organization that is described by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) as “a model for voluntary health agencies.”

The LAM Foundation provides support and education for women with LAM and their families, engages doctors and scientists to continue to learn more about the disease, and raises funds for continued research. In May 2015, the FDA approved Rapamune as the first effective treatment for LAM, based on research and patient engagement supported by The LAM Foundation.

In over 29 years, The LAM Foundation has raised nearly $35 million, with over 60% directed to research. Thanks to those grants, investigators were able to obtain an estimated $90 million in subsequent funding from other sources to advance the field of LAM research. This research effort has produced significant grant-related publications, a diagnostic biomarker that can obviate the need for lung biopsy, and a pivotal clinical trial that has identified the first treatment.

Over the next five years, The LAM Foundation’s goals are focused on targeted scientific research, including biomarker development to diagnose and predict disease progression, the identification of new drugs as possible treatments, and driving the completion of all related clinical trials. Other goals include improved quality of patient care and support, expanded global outreach to patients and scientists, and increased fundraising to support the needs of promising research and an ultimate cure.

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