A major investigation appearing on the front page of Monday’s Wall Street
Journal looks into fraudulent asbestos claims and the multi-billion dollar
mesothelioma litigation industry. (You can read an abstract of the article
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323864304578318611662911912.html?mod=WSJ_hps_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsTop. Full access requires a subscription.)
As a science-based organization and the largest independent source of
nonprofit funding for mesothelioma research, we do not advise on legal
issues. Nor do we provide referrals. As a foundation we firmly believe in
full adherence to ethical guidelines when addressing the impact of
mesothelioma. Our mission is based solely on putting patients first, and
mobilizing as many resources as possible to fund independent, peer-reviewed
research projects.
Asbestos liability is very complex and difficult to decipher, and it has
skewed the public’s understanding of mesothelioma, which impacts thousands
of individuals, regardless of age or background. But, just as we saw at
our annual symposium, there are new victories in the field of mesothelioma
– both in the labs and the clinics – that give us a lot to hope for. We
are finally very close to seeing treatments based upon a personalized
medicine approach having identified unique targets and genetic
alterations. I have never seen this much excitement among the medical
professionals who have dedicated their careers to finding a cure for
mesothelioma.
And while the economic, legal and political aspects of asbestos have never
received national attention like this before, it is our hope that the
national spotlight on this issue will help us lead to finding a truly
effective life-prolonging treatment for mesothelioma patients, and a cure
for this aggressive and neglected cancer. This important article, which
comes on the heels of our annual gathering, gives us a renewed sense of
hope and purpose.
