Omnibus bill includes new funding for lupus

The omnibus spending bill, known as the Consolidated Appropriations Legislation, released by Congress includes new funding for the Lupus Initiative conceived by the Lupus Research Institute and continues funding for the National Lupus Patient Registry.

The Lupus Research Institute (LRI) applauded the $2 million allocated for the Lupus Initiative, a program designed in part to reduce racial disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of lupus. Half of the money will fund efforts to increase the representation of minorities in clinical research. Lupus stakeholders may be involved in the program design and implementation at the request of the LRI.

Under the bill, the NIH will receive $2 billion to advance biomedical research in addition to its $32 billion overall budget. According to a press release, the LRI lobbied for this increase along with other advocacy groups.

Other provisions include lupus as a designated disease under the Department of Defense research program in its overall budget of $278.7 million. The CDC’s National Lupus Patient Registry will continue to be funded with $6 million allocated for the service. In addition to funding for lupus, the budget includes $11 million for arthritis.

Reference: