As the number of Americans infected with COVID-19 surpasses one million, it’s no surprise that people with rare diseases — whose immune systems were generally compromised even before the outbreak — are particularly terrified of this pandemic. That fear is evident in an online survey conducted by the…
I can’t recall how many weeks we’ve been enduring physical distancing unless I actually sit down to think about it. The days seem to blur together, and the time at home seems similar today to what it was yesterday, and to the days before that. However, if this is…
A cell therapy based on human and rat lung progenitor cells — called lung spheroid cells — reduced scarring (fibrosis) when infused in two rat models of pulmonary fibrosis (PF), a study has found. The safety and efficacy of human LSCs is expected to be tested in a Phase…
While there are few silver linings to the cloud created by COVID-19, the pandemic that has killed tens of thousands, hobbled economies worldwide and drove millions to quarantine in their homes, one may be a new appreciation of telemedicine. “If something good could come out of this crisis, it’s that…
Despite the COVID-19 outbreak, patient enrollment in the Phase 2 trial of setanaxib, an investigational oral treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), is still expected to start by mid-year, Genkyotex, the therapy’s developer, announced in a press release. The single-site study (NCT03865927), whose protocol has been…
FFF Enterprises and Bionews announced today that both rare and orphan disease advocates are joining forces to provide patients with resources to help them connect as a community and continue to manage their health during this time when many are finding themselves alone. Recognized as the nation’s leading supplier of…
Veracyte has acquired the rights to a gene signature that may serve as a tool, based on a simple blood sample, for determining likely disease outcomes for people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The noninvasive blood-based 52-gene signature, developed by researchers at Yale University, will be offered as a complement…
Now more than ever, healthcare workers and hospital employees are being applauded for their work. Even in the best of times, working in healthcare is not easy. These days, our healthcare systems are stressed because of COVID-19, and medical care looks vastly different than what we are used…
Chronic lung infections caused by a variety of bacteria are a serious complication in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and are particularly risky for those with low oxygen pressure in the blood or high levels of the lung disease biomarker KL-6, a study has found.
As I sit down to write this column, my heart feels heavy. As a Canadian, I can’t help but shed tears for the senseless act of violence that occurred over the weekend a few provinces to the east of me in Nova Scotia. A seemingly respectable man in a…
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