The LAM Foundation

The ultimate goal of The LAM Foundation is to find a cure for LAM. To achieve our goal of finding a cure, we have focused on four primary objectives.

The LAM Foundation's primary objective is to fund research leading to improved knowledge on our path towards a cure.

Secondarily, we seek to educate LAM patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers.

Our third objective is to increase government advocacy for laws affecting LAM patients and funding for disease research.

Finally, the fourth objective is to foster a greater public understanding of LAM, as it is a rare and misunderstood disease.

Research: The types of research funding The LAM Foundation offers are: Career Development Awards to support research fellows; Established Investigator Awards for advanced research; and Pilot Project Awards for innovative research projects. In addition, The LAM Foundation considers proposals for special projects such as clinical trials and bridge funding.

Education: The LAM Foundation equips patients, caregivers, and physicians with expert information to improve the standard of LAM patient care. Our 2018 education outreach included CME for medical professionals.

Advocacy: The LAM Foundation advocates for LAM research funding from the NIH and Department of Defense. We also support legislation affecting LAM patients, such as the 21st Century Cures Act.

Awareness: We encourage and support grassroots efforts by those in the LAM community to raise awareness about this disease. To facilitate greater LAM awareness in 2018, we are expanding our Worldwide LAM Awareness Month campaign.

Research: The Scientific Advisory Board works in conjunction with our Board of Directors and staff to identify research priorities and promising investigators.

Education: The LAM Foundation has educational materials available for patients, caregivers, and physicians. These include our website, webinars, social media, the LAM Liaisons program, patient and provider conferences, the patient handbook, the LAM Wikipedia page, and clinical treatment guidelines.

Advocacy: To facilitate these initiatives, we provide advocacy education, arrange virtual Capitol Hill days, and encourage LAM patients and their caregivers to meet with legislators locally.

Awareness: The LAM Foundation website has tools to facilitate online awareness campaigns, community-based fundraisers, and local human-interest stories. We work with a pro-bono public relations firm to promote The LAM Foundation activities and LAM research in the mainstream media and the medical community.

For the first 20 years of The LAM Foundation's history, there were no FDA approved treatments for LAM. Thanks to the work of The LAM Foundation, this number currently stands at one. However, this treatment is not a cure, and it does not work for all patients. The LAM Foundation seeks additional treatments for LAM, specifically including treatments aimed at reversing the course of the disease.

An increase in the patient population tells us that more physicians
are diagnosing LAM. In 2018, the number of newly diagnosed patients was higher than ever. In addition, the rate of lung transplants among LAM patients is decreasing, which tells us that patient care is improving.