Message from the Executive Director

As we begin a new year and new decade, I am excited about what the future holds for the IPPF and all those affected by pemphigus and pemphigoid (P/P). As demonstrated in our 2019 Year in Review Infographic, our community made great strides in our main areas of focus: outreach and patient services, research and treatments, awareness, and advocacy. We have made progress but there is still work to be done!

By sharing our stories about living with these diseases with doctors, researchers, other disease groups, decision-makers, and one another, our community will continue to grow. P/P are rare diseases, but collectively we have a loud voice. When we band together, our stories will:

• Accelerate basic research and drug development through IPPF initiatives that collect vital disease information, like the IPPF Natural History Study and IPPF Biobank

• Improve access to life-saving treatments and quality healthcare by advocating with law-makers and regulatory agencies

• Create even more disease awareness by educating practicing and future medical professionals

• Provide hope and support for each other when they are most-needed

In 2020, the IPPF will gather key members of the P/P community to raise disease awareness, advocate for unmet medical needs, and accelerate the path for new treatments. Globally, we must assess the current state of treatments, steroid burdens, the role of clinical research, and our ability to overcome treatment barriers. To meet these challenges, we need everyone in our community to participate. You can make a difference by letting us know how we can help you, pledging to join a study that advances research, or sharing your story with policy makers. Although there are many obstacles ahead, we can improve the lives of all those affected by pemphigus and pemphigoid! Together we are going to make 2020 a milestone year!

Marc Yale IPPF Executive Director and MMP Patient marc@pemphigus.org