The National Psoriasis Foundation Announces Ambitious New Programs and Initiatives

The National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) has announced a number of new programs and a five-year strategic mission for the organization with initiatives that are designed to increase research and uncover new treatments.

Residents and Medical Students Given Chance to Work with Experts

Twelve dermatology residents and medical students have been awarded one-year, $50,000 fellowships by the NPF to study psoriasis. The fellowship recipients are students in medical schools across the United States who will be paired with physicians established in psoriasis research.

The Dr. Mark G. Lebwohl Medical Dermatology Fellowship recipient has also been named. This grant is named for Dr. Mark Lebwohl, chairman emeritus of the NPF’s Medical Board and one of the world's leading psoriasis experts.

Areas of focus for the grant recipients include psoriasis in children, the link between psoriasis and other conditions, and more.

More Than $1 Million in Grants Awarded for Research

The NPF has awarded more than $1 million in research grants to physicians throughout the US.

The majority of these grants are designed to facilitate early-stage psoriasis research, although some are for later-stage research that may translate into new treatments for the skin disease.

Grant recipients will examine a number of different topics. The role that inflammation plays in psoriasis will be a focal point for many of the researchers. Other areas of investigation include novel delivery systems for the treatment of psoriasis and the link between this skin condition and other diseases.

One of these grants, the Dr. Alan Menter Translational Grant, is named in recognition of one of the world's leading psoriatic disease experts.

5-year Strategic Plan Aims to Increase Research while Decreasing Disease Burden

The 5 year strategic plan recently announced by the NPF is “the most aggressive” and “results-driven” plan to be undertaken by the organization, according to Pete Redding, vice chair of the NPF’s Board of Directors and chair of the NPF Strategic Plan Committee.

According to a news release from the NPF, the Foundation will be doubling the number of researchers studying psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis as part of this 5 year plan, while also cutting in half the number of those who cite these conditions as problems in their daily lives. The NPF has announced it will accomplish these goals by:

• Doubling the annual investment of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on psoriatic disease research to more than $19 million
• Increasing the number of NIH scientists studying psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis by 50% for a total of 42
• Creating a community of 1,000 people with psoriatic disease to collaborate on research
• Initiating annual progress reports in key areas of psoriatic disease research such as causes, diagnosis, prevention and cures
• Investing at least 30% of NPF revenue on research grants and fellowships
• Doubling the number of people who are receiving the appropriate treatment
• Cutting in half the number of people who report that psoriatic disease is an issue in their lives
• Doubling the number of health care providers who can effectively manage psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis

According to Redding, this strategic plan “puts the person living with psoriatic disease at the center of all of our goals and demonstrates the Psoriasis Foundation commitment to improving the lives of millions of people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.”

Click here to learn more about the NPF’s 5 year strategic plan.