The Senate Appropriations Committee for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies has released their FY2021 funding recommendations, which for the second consecutive year includes report language directing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support celiac disease research.
Beginning with CEO Marilyn G. Geller’s 2019 testimony to the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees, the Celiac Disease Foundation has been boldly advocating for NIH to develop a strategic plan to find a cure for celiac disease. The FY2021 appropriations report language provides detailed instructions on how NIH is to continue to proceed with the study of celiac disease.
The Senate language is companion to the already passed House Appropriations report language on celiac disease and reads:
“The Committee includes sufficient funding for NIH to devote focused research to the study of Celiac disease, including the autoimmune causation underpinning the affliction. Today, the only known treatment for this disease is a gluten-free diet; however, recent public and private sector research has revealed that such a “treatment” is insufficient for many who suffer from Celiac disease. Therefore, the Committee urges NIAID to support new research on celiac disease to better coordinate existing research and focus new research efforts toward causation, and ultimately, a cure of this disease. The Committee encourages NIAID to coordinate with other Institutes and Centers including NIDDK as appropriate and to submit its plan for coordination and execution of this research to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate no later than 90 days after enactment of this act.”
The House language reads as follows:
“The Committee supports NIH research on celiac disease, including the autoimmune causation underpinning the affliction. Today, the only known treatment for this disease is a gluten-free diet, but recent research reveals that this strategy is insufficient for many who suffer from celiac disease. The Committee urges NIAID to support new research and to better coordinate existing research with NIDDK and the other Institutes and Centers. The Committee requests that NIAID report back in the fiscal year 2022 Congressional Justification on the progress made towards promoting, recruiting, and supporting additional celiac-focused research.”
In response to the House and Senate requests for NIH to support new celiac disease research, the National Institutes of Health will convene experts from around the country to a virtual workshop entitled “Accelerating Progress in Celiac Disease,” on March 18th and 19th with the intent to release a Notice of Special Interest in order to spur additional celiac disease research.
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Senate Releases FY2021 Language Directing NIH to Study Celiac Disease