PFF and CPF Documentary About Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis to Air on Discovery Channel

Pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is sponsoring the documentary Every Breath Counts: Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, which will air on the Discovery Channel on September 13th and 27th at 8:00 am ET/PT, and can also be viewed at www.everybreathcountsfilm.com. The documentary was created in collaboration with the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation and the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis in an effort to increase awareness and understanding of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) among the general public, and is a highlight of Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month.

The purpose of the PFF and CPF documentary is to raise awareness about the disease, pointing out the daily challenges not only patients but also caregivers have to face, as well as commentary from leading pulmonologists. The idea is also to highlight sufferers of the disease, physicians who help patients manage their symptoms, and advocates of IPF research by showing their testimonies.

“Every Breath Counts is an authentic and emotional depiction of the impact IPF has on the lives of patients and their caregivers,” explained the senior vice president of Clinical Development and Medical Affairs at Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tunde Otulana, M.D. “For 50 years, Boehringer Ingelheim has been a leader in respiratory research, patient support and disease education, and support of opportunities such as this documentary enable us to further our commitment to supporting the IPF community.”

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The associate professor of medicine and director of the ILD Center of Excellence at Yale Fibrosis Program, Yale School of Medicine, Erica Herzog, M.D., who is featured in Every Breath Counts, believes that it is “an encouraging time for those living with or affected by this devastating disease, as the understanding and research of this disease continues to advance” — a disease for which there is currently no FDA-approved treatment.

“Additionally, programs like the Every Breath Counts documentary and the FDA’s public meeting on IPF on September 26th, are truly giving patients a voice to share their stories and the impact of this disease to help raise awareness and understanding,” she added. There are as many as 132,000 Americans diagnosed with this rare and progressive lung disease, which tends to be fatal between three and five years after it is diagnosed, causing permanent scarring of the lungs, difficulty breathing, and a decrease in the amount of oxygen that the lungs can supply to the body.