Last week I had the opportunity to participate in the Lupus Research Institute’s Tell Congress Event on Captiol Hill. Lupus is an autoimmune disorder with an unknown cause that affects the skin, joints, kidneys and other organs and involves the immune system attacking healthy cells and tissue because it cannot tell the difference between normal and unhealthy substances.
I spent the afternoon lobbying on the Hill with a dozen Lupus advocates, meeting with senators and listening as advocates voiced their concerns about Lupus awareness and increasing funding for lupus research. Advocates strived to make an impact by sharing with their senators their personal connections with the disease. Patients shared their difficulties living with chronic fatigue and joint pain, family members honored those they had lost to Lupus and caregivers, including children, discussed the hardship of caring for a parent with Lupus. Everyone had a story to share.
The Food and Drug Administration is wrestling with how to best implement the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act. The agency is writing regulations that will set the exact rules for gaining biosimilar approval and has scheduled a meeting to obtain public input on the regulatory pathway that is being considered. The meeting is set for November 2-3 and will be held at FDA’s facility in Silver Spring, Maryland. The full meeting announcement can be found 
As the wife of a current collegiate football coach who played in college, I know that there are few words to express the emotions surrounding Rutgers’ defensive tackle Eric LeGrand’s horrific injury this weekend. My heart goes out to Eric’s family and the Rutgers community – I sat through so many games when if my
