Autoimmune Research in Jeopardy: Restore NIH Funding Now
As the leading organization representing the 50 million Americans living with chronic conditions classified as autoimmune diseases, we stand firmly opposed to the recent broad-sweeping funding cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that threaten the future of autoimmune disease research.
While we commend the Make America Healthy Again Commission for advocating for a “comprehensive, national strategy to address the root causes of America’s chronic disease crisis,” the Trump Administration’s recent cuts to NIH research funding risks the extraordinary progress being made in preventing, diagnosing, treating, and understanding these historically overlooked and underfunded illnesses.
On average, it takes 4.5 years for an autoimmune diagnosis, with some searching much longer, and even then, there are limited options for relief. But research is changing that trajectory. Just as we are starting to glimpse the once-unimaginable possibility of cures, that momentum is on the verge of being lost.
Thanks to federally funded science, we now have immune-targeted therapies on the horizon with the promise of dramatically changing lives. Advances like CAR T-cell therapy, precision immunology, and AI-driven diagnostics are opening new frontiers in care. Without continued support, these transformative treatments may never be fully studied, developed, and eventually turned into treatments for people who are desperately waiting for relief.
The economic cost of autoimmune disease is staggering, with an estimated $180 billion spent annually in direct healthcare costs and untold billions in lost productivity.
But the human cost is far greater. Families torn apart, careers cut short, dreams deferred. Investing in autoimmune research isn’t just a matter of public health, it’s an investment in human potential and in hope.
We urge the Trump Administration and Congress to restore and protect funding for autoimmune disease research. Our futures depend on it. With so much at stake, we cannot afford to turn back now.
