For Immediate Release                                             Contact: Dorothy Coyle 773-332-6201 

Commit to Drive Disease Awareness, Expand Research and Patient Advocacy

CHICAGO, September 4, 2019 – The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) and Three Lakes Partners today marked September’s National Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month with the announcement of a major partnership in the fight against pulmonary fibrosis (PF). Three Lakes Partners will provide funding to the PFF to achieve its goals of driving awareness and accelerating the development of new therapies and cures for the devastating lung disease.  

The substantial gift from Three Lakes Partners launches a new call to arms in the battle against the disease. The organizations have joined forces to enlist the public on social media @PFFORG. There people can learn about the disease and how to get involved in the crusade toward a cure. 

More than 200,000 Americans are living with PF, a progressive and debilitating lung disease that leads to scarring of the lungs. While 50,000 new cases of pulmonary fibrosis are diagnosed annually, the disease remains largely unknown, which can lead to later stage diagnoses.

“Three Lakes Partners is dedicated to establishing collaborations with PF community leaders to advance our mission to improve care and accelerate therapies. Leveraging our resources with the expertise of the PFF will allow us to make substantial progress in the fight against this disease,” said Dana Ball, Executive Director of Three Lakes Partners. “Our two organizations will come together to attack all elements of PF – from diagnosis and treatment to patient quality of life, research and advocacy.”

“This alliance with Three Lakes Partners marks a new, innovative partnership model built on a shared passion and determination to improve the lives of those with PF, their caregivers and loved ones,” said William T. Schmidt, President and CEO of the PFF.

Driving Research and Innovation
Funding from Three Lakes Partners will help expand and maximize the PFF Patient Registry, the largest resource of its kind designed to speed progress in research and in understanding the causes of PF. 

“Continued investment and focus on research are absolutely essential if we are ever going to cure this disease,” said Ball. “Our program will help accelerate studies into the causes of PF and the development of new therapies so patients can get the care they deserve.” 

Building Awareness 
“Low awareness of PF is a huge barrier to timely diagnoses,” said Schmidt. “Our ‘Not Everyone Breathes Easy’ campaign and AboutPF.org web resource are designed to educate patients on the symptoms and risk factors of PF so they can drive conversations with their physicians.” 

The Three Lakes Partners awareness program will fund a multichannel marketing campaign to target patients, caregivers and families. Two animated “spokes characters” will be introduced in television ads this month to illustrate the experiences of a patient and a caregiver. These characters will be rolled out in national print, digital and out-of-home ads throughout the year.

“Right now, many patients go years before finally getting their PF diagnosis and when they are finally diagnosed, it’s often too late,” said Ball. “We want everyone in the country to not only know about PF, but to recognize the symptoms and risk factors so they can begin treatment as soon as possible.”

Empowering the Community
Three Lakes Partners will be a sponsor of the biennial, international PFF Summit 2019 conference to be held Nov. 7-9 in San Antonio. The event brings together physicians, researchers, patients, caregivers, and PF professionals from around the world to help enhance patient care and stimulate research that will lead to better treatments for pulmonary fibrosis. 

“With the support of Three Lakes Partners, this year’s event will be an important catalyst for new, innovative thought and practices,” said Schmidt.

Raising Life-Saving Funds
The PFF and Three Lakes Partners are encouraging donors to further support efforts in the fight against PF by contributing to the PFF. The partnership aims to demonstrate the significant impact that pooling resources and expertise can have on increasing awareness, research and advocacy for those affected by the disease. 

For more information on the PFF and Three Lakes Partners programs, please visit www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org and www.threelakespartners.org.

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About the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation mobilizes people and resources to provide access to high quality care and leads research for a cure so people with pulmonary fibrosis will live longer, healthier lives. The PFF collaborates with physicians, organizations, patients, and caregivers worldwide. The PFF has a three-star rating from Charity Navigator and is a Better Business Bureau accredited charity.  For more information, visit  pulmonaryfibrosis.org or call 844.TalkPFF (844.825.5733) or 312.587.9272 from outside the U.S.

About Three Lakes Partners 
Three Lakes Partners, LLC is a strategic initiative whose mission is to accelerate the development of promising technologies for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). Three Lakes Partners provides not only financial support, but also operational leverage via partnership with a greater network of IPF resources worldwide. Visit www.threelakespartners.org for more information.