During a video call with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) advocates last week, I was informed that the U.S. Eastern Seaboard faced some terrible weather. Severe thunderstorms left many without power for days. While this is inconvenient, a prolonged loss of power can be detrimental to the health of those requiring…
Preparing for Power Outages as a Pulmonary Fibrosis Patient
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement of a rare disease film festival originally slated for May, its organizers set out to find a new way to bring the films to an audience. Co-founders Daniel DeFabio and Bo Bigelow, who are both fathers of children with…
Veracyte’s Envisia Genomic Classifier can aid in the diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and distinguish it from other interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) without the need for invasive, expensive, and risky surgical procedures, real-world data confirm. These findings were presented in two posters at the American Thoracic…
Ofev (nintedanib) helped more patients with progressive fibrosing interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) avoid a decline in lung function greater than 10% over the course of a year compared with those given a placebo, according to a new analysis of the Phase 3 INBUILD trial. A separate analysis…
Note: This story was updated Aug. 11, 2020, to correct the name of the factor involved in fibrosis to TGF-alpha rather than TNF-alpha. Barasertib, AstraZeneca’s investigational inhibitor of the AURKB protein, eased the activation of fibroblasts and lessened lung scarring in two mouse models of idiopathic pulmonary…
AstraZeneca has acquired a global license for RXC006, an investigational porcupine inhibitor for treating fibrotic diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), providing $17 million in initial funding to the therapy’s developer Redx Pharma. AstraZeneca plans to advance RXC006 to a Phase 1 clinical study. The agreement includes a…
To help people experiencing the lingering effects of coronavirus infection, the Pulmonary Wellness Foundation (PWF) has launched a free online rehabilitation and recovery program called COVID Bootcamp 101. In addition to patient education and support, the program offers breathing and other exercises conducted by a team of…
The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) Barcelona a €150,000 ($176,000) Proof of Concept grant to develop new medications to treat fibrotic diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The grant, which provides for 18 months of funding, also…
People with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are at increased risk of several cancers other than lung cancer, a new study reports. The study, “Risk of cancer incidence in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: A nationwide cohort study,” was published in the journal Respirology. IPF and…
Blocking an enzyme — called 15-PGDH — in a mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) limited early-stage inflammation and the development of fibrosis in the lungs, aiding the animals’ survival, a study demonstrated. These findings support further work targeting 15-PGDH as a…
