Tag Archives: action

Rest In Power, CFSAC

Posted on September 7, 2018 by Jennie Spotila

The Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee (CFSAC) is dead. Both the website and the email listserv made the announcement on September 6th: “The charter for the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee expired on September 5, 2018.” A sudden death under … Continue reading →

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In Healthcare, Be Squeaky

Posted on August 13, 2018 by Jennie Spotila

As the saying goes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. This is particularly true in healthcare, where you are dealing with big systems that don’t always talk to each other. Today, I will tell you the story of how I … Continue reading →

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How Much Will NIH Spend in 2018?

Posted on July 30, 2018 by Jennie Spotila

Fiscal year 2018 is almost over, and I have calculated how much NIH is likely to spend on ME research this year. The short answer? Based on current numbers, I project a 17.6% decrease in NIH spending on ME/CFS research … Continue reading →

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NIH 2017 Funding Fact-Check

Posted on July 23, 2018 by Jennie Spotila

Today, we need to revisit and reconcile NIH’s funding numbers for FY 2017. NIH is reporting that it spent $15 million dollars on ME/CFS research last year, but this includes several non-ME/CFS studies. The truth is that NIH actually spent … Continue reading →

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How To Represent

Posted on July 16, 2018 by Jennie Spotila

Last month, I had my first chance to serve on an FDA Advisory Committee as a Patient Representative. I had a lot to learn about the drug under consideration, but I also learned how to use my individual perspective to … Continue reading →

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NIH Forms New Working Group on ME/CFS

Posted on June 22, 2018 by Jennie Spotila

NIH recently announced that it is forming a new Working Group on ME/CFS. The announcement is very low on specifics, but this Working Group has the potential to make a big impact on research at NIH. Dr. Walter Koroshetz, Director … Continue reading →

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Public Comment on Engaging People with ME

Posted on June 20, 2018 by Jennie Spotila

I delivered these comments via telephone today at the CFS Advisory Committee meeting: My name is Jennifer Spotila. I will soon begin my 25th year of living with ME. People with ME know this disease. We have valuable insights and … Continue reading →

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Talk To FDA About Chronic Pain

Posted on June 1, 2018 by Jennie Spotila

The FDA wants to hear from people with chronic pain, and is hosting a meeting on July 9, 2018 to collect public input. I have chronic pain, and I know that many of you do as well. This meeting is … Continue reading →

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The NIH Pilot Program: What We Can Do

Posted on May 28, 2018 by Jennie Spotila

As I discussed in Part One of the NIH Pilot Program, NIH thinks that the three (and only three) Collaborative Research Centers are seeds to generate interest in ME research, and will wait for more research applications to come in … Continue reading →

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The NIH Pilot Program: Wait and See

Posted on May 21, 2018 by Jennie Spotila

MEAction has collected thousands of signatures on a letter to Dr. Francis Collins, asking for a meeting with him and a plan of action to attack the ME public health crisis. That request is all the more urgent because NIH … Continue reading →

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