You may be familiar with the proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” The phrase is believed to have originated from the Nigerian Igbo culture and is often cited in literature and popular media, most famously in Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 1996 book, “It Takes a Village.”…
New York cardiopulmonary physical therapist Noah Greenspan has launched the Pulmonary Wellness Foundation (PWF), a nonprofit group that provides free online information on a range of prevalent, rare and ultra-rare pulmonary diseases for those who can’t afford to pay for it. PWF specifically targets patients with pulmonary fibrosis,…
I was recently brainstorming ideas with other rare disease columnists about how to support someone admitted for a long hospital stay. I started thinking about the ways that caregivers need support, too. It’s easier to be the person who can walk out of the hospital, but caregivers still deal…
Galapagos NVÂ announced that its Phase 2 PINTA trial, evaluating the safety and effectiveness of oral GLPG1205 in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), has completed patient recruitment ahead of schedule. GLPG1205 is a small molecule designed to specifically block the activity of GPR84, a protein that…
You would be hard-pressed to find anyone who hates pulmonary fibrosis (PF) more than the patients living with it and their caregivers. This chronic and debilitating disease, characterized by progressive scarring in the lungs, is cruel and relentless. PF affects much more than the ability to breathe — it also…
Marking a decade of raising funds to battle pulmonary fibrosis (PF), this year’s glitzy and glamorous “Broadway Belts for PFF!” event will be held on Feb. 24 in New York City. Bringing together a host of Broadway stars and other celebrities, the annual evening…
Boehringer Ingelheim has acquired the worldwide exclusive rights to Enleofen‘s interleukin-11 (IL-11) platform, designed for the treatment of fibrotic diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis. This newly established partnership brings together Boehringer Ingelheim’s expertise and substantial pipeline in fibrotic diseases, and Enleofen’s knowledge of IL-11 biology. Enleofen…
One of my most vivid memories of my late friend Serena Lawrence is when we sat down to discuss my becoming a columnist for Bionews Services. I’d just been diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a lung disease characterized by fibrosis in the lungs that prevents oxygenation. Serena wrote…
Biopharmaceutical company Scholar Rock received $25 million from Gilead Sciences to continue the development of potential therapies to treat the progression of fibrotic diseases, including pulmonary fibrosis (PF). This funding is a milestone payment, based on Scholar Rock’s preclinical studies in animals showing the effectiveness of therapeutic…
I’ve never been hospitalized for more than a day, but I have spent a fair amount of time visiting others. Even though it’s sometimes hard to show up, I always make an effort. The last thing I want is for my people to feel abandoned when they are coping with…
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