France Foundation-Genentech Initiative to Improve IPF Diagnosis, Treatment at Local Level

Supported by an educational research grant from Genentech, the France Foundation is launching a mentoring and relationship-building program for community healthcare providers to improve how patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are diagnosed and treated.

The program aims to bring front-line health practitioners into closer and long-term contact with leading research centers that care for patients with chronic lung conditions, such as the Johns Hopkins Interstitial Lung Disease Clinic.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Johns Hopkins and other leading healthcare institutions, and we’re grateful to Genentech for providing this grant,” Stacy Miller, president of the France Foundation, a medical education company, said in a press release.

“This project goes beyond education to build relationships and foster communication for the purpose of effecting sustainable, system-level changes in the management of IPF. Ultimately, we hope this program will lead to improved outcomes for patients living with IPF,” Miller added.

Diagnosing IPF can be difficult, because its symptoms can mimic other diseases, leading to delays in treatment that might slow lung scarring. The need for close collaboration between medical teams working across disciplines is recognized.

The program will offer mentoring for community healthcare providers.ILD center specialists will mentor and assess a community and its healthcare providers’ current strategies for diagnosing and managing patients with IPF and other interstitial lung diseases, to the identify key areas that need change and suggest solutions.

Genentech’s grant will help the France Foundation in establishing mentorships. The foundation will be responsible for setting project timelines, assessing and reporting outcomes, and providing administrative support. Community groups and health professional interested in learning more can contact the foundation at (860) 434-1650.

Genentech is the maker of Esbriet (pirfenidone), approved in the U.S., EU and elsewhere to treat people with mild to moderate IPF. The anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic oral medication has been shown to significantly reduce IPF disease progression and the decline in lung function.

The France Foundation, located in Old Lyme, Connecticut, specializes in planning, developing, and implementing multidisciplinary certified medical education.