[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 147 (Monday, October 1, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2036-E2037]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     PSORIASIS AND PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS RESEARCH, CURE, AND CARE ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SUSAN A. DAVIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 1, 2007

  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of 
the Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Research, Cure, and Care Act, 
H.R. 1188 and to encourage my colleagues to lend their support.
  According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as many as 7.5 
million Americans are affected by psoriasis--a chronic, inflammatory, 
painful, disfiguring and disabling disease for which there is limited 
treatment and no cure. Ten to thirty percent of people with psoriasis 
also develop psoriatic arthritis, which causes pain, stiffness and 
swelling in and around the joints. On average, there are 17,000 people 
living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in each congressional 
district.
  Cristy Boisvert is one constituent in my district living with 
psoriasis. Cristy was diagnosed with psoriasis when she was six months 
old. Growing up with psoriasis was difficult. Her mother spent 
countless nights applying medication to her scalp, followed by 
countless mornings washing the greasy mess out of her hair before 
school.
  In junior high, Cristy played on the basketball team. One day she 
wore shorts to practice, which revealed the flaky psoriasis plaques on 
her legs. Her friends stood around making fun of her. They called her 
``Fungi'' because they said it looked like mushrooms were growing on 
her legs. You can only imagine how much those words hurt her.
  When Cristy was 20, she began to think about whether she wanted to 
have children. She reflected back on all of the grief that living with 
psoriasis caused her and questioned whether she wanted to take the risk 
of passing that down to another human being.
  Cristy is now in her 30s, and she is ecstatic about the fact that she 
can do something positive about psoriasis. As an active member of the 
National Psoriasis Foundation, she is working to ensure that young 
people in the future will not have to endure the same ridicule that she 
did.

[[Page E2037]]

  The Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Research, Cure, and Care Act 
will expand psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis research and ensure 
access to care and treatment for these diseases. Despite the serious 
adverse effects that psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis have on 
individuals and families, psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are under-
recognized and under-funded by our nation's research institutions and 
public health agencies. On average, the NIH has spent less than one 
dollar for each person with psoriasis in the last ten years. H.R. 1188 
calls on the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and 
Skin Diseases to expand and intensify research on psoriasis and 
psoriatic arthritis and to coordinate those efforts with the NIH. The 
bill directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop 
a patient registry to collect much-needed longitudinal data on 
psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis so we can begin to understand the 
long-term impact of these conditions and evaluate the effects of 
various therapies.
  Of serious concern is that people with psoriasis are at elevated risk 
for a myriad of comorbidities, including, but not limited to, heart 
disease, diabetes, obesity and mental health conditions. To help 
address this, H.R. 1188 authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services (HHS) to convene a summit of researchers, public health 
professionals, representatives of patient advocacy organizations and 
policymakers to review current efforts in research, treatment, and 
quality-of-life maintenance being conducted by federal agencies whose 
work involves psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and their related co-
morbidities. Lastly, the legislation also directs the Secretary of HHS 
to commission a study from the Institutes of Medicine to evaluate and 
make recommendations to address health insurance and prescription drug 
coverage as they relate to medications and treatments for psoriasis and 
psoriatic arthritis.
  I thank the National Psoriasis Foundation for all of its efforts and 
leadership over the last four decades, and am grateful to the 
Foundation and its members and staff for their ongoing commitment to 
improving the quality of life for those with psoriasis and psoriatic 
arthritis in my district. I also would like to personally thank my 
constituent, Cristy Boisvert, for all her work.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring the Psoriasis and 
Psoriatic Arthritis Research, Cure, and Care Act.

                          ____________________