Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects over 300 million people around the world and 15-25 million Americans. The COPD Foundation is an organization whose mission is to prevent and cure COPD and to improve the lives of all people affected by it. Partnerships, such as those with patients, families, healthcare professionals, and industry have led to great progress in awareness, advocacy, education, and research.

Although the COPD Foundation has made much progress in only 10 years, it recognizes the need to continue its efforts and expand globally. Read more at www.COPDFoundation.org Despite the efforts of many countries to combat COPD within their communities, the Foundation has recognized the need for a global collaboration to raise awareness about this global epidemic and to create a powerful global action plan to combat the devastating effects of this disease worldwide. Towards this effort, the Foundation is in the process of incorporating as a nonprofit organization Fundación EPOC, in Spain.

Fundación EPOC will facilitate collaborative efforts by convening a series of global patient summits with the goal of addressing COPD worldwide. Fundación EPOC will also be critical in the COPD Biomarkers Qualification Consortium’s efforts to submit biomarker qualification packages to the European Medicines Agency. We encourage you to follow the activities of Fundación EPOC, and consider collaborating with this new organization by participating in projects and activities to increase awareness, research, and treatment access for patients in Europe with COPD.

New Journal Launch of the COPD Foundation – Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation

The Foundation launched Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation (JCOPDF). JCOPDF is an open access, peer-reviewed journal that is available free of charge at http://journal.copdfoundation.org. JCOPDF publishes original research articles, basic and clinical review articles, perspectives/short communications, practice guidelines related to COPD and letters to the editor.