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Blood levels of immune cells called monocytes may help predict disease severity and determine the risk of poor outcomes in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and other fibrotic diseases, a retrospective study suggests. The study, “Increased monocyte count as a cellular biomarker for poor outcomes in fibrotic diseases:…

Although patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) who take Ofev (nintedanib) or Esbriet (pirfenidone) have similar clinical outcomes, adherence to treatment is higher among those who have secondary insurance coverage, especially from charitable organizations, a study finds. The study, “Retrospective Analysis of Medication Utilization and Clinical Outcomes in…

Envisia Genomic Classifier — a non-invasive diagnostic test developed by Veracyte and used as a complement to high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) imaging — improves diagnosis of interstitial lung disease (ILD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) compared with HRCT alone, according to a recent study. The findings were published…

Quantification of so-called honeycombing areas (patches of cystic spaces) in the lungs seen through high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) may be a predictor of mortality in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to a retrospective analysis. The study, “Quantitative CT analysis of honeycombing area predicts mortality in…

The quality of life of people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is strongly associated with clinical changes in lung function, comorbidities, disease duration, and overall clinical course of the disease, a study shows. The study, “The clinical course of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and its association to quality…

Two federal grants totaling $6.1 million were awarded to Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) to investigate the molecular origin of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), as well as of other forms of pulmonary fibrosis (PF). The first is a $3.5-million five-year…

The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) has opened a new registration cycle for medical centers that wish to join the Foundation’s Care Center Network, with the mission of improving the healthcare quality for people with pulmonary fibrosis (PF). The PFF started the Care Center Network together with the PF…

Note: This is the first article of a three-part series written in collaboration with respiratory therapist Mark W. Mangus Sr., RRT, RPFT, FAARC, and oxygen expert Ryan Diesem.  One of the more hotly debated topics in the treatment of respiratory disease is supplemental oxygen use. Participants in the debate often…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted breakthrough therapy designation to PRM-151, a compound being investigated for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). PRM-151 is a recombinant (lab-made) version of the protein pentraxin-2. This protein acts on immune cells called macrophages; it can activate these cells to…

A post-hoc analysis of the Phase 3 RECAP trial shows that long-term treatment with Esbriet (pirfenidone) is safe and similarly effective in patients with advanced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) as in those with less advanced disease. The study, “Effect of pirfenidone in patients with more advanced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis,”…