Ofev Approved in US and Canada for Progressive Fibrosing ILDs

Ofev (nintedanib), an oral medication by Boehringer Ingelheim, is now approved to treat people with progressive fibrosing interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) in the U.S. and Canada. These approvals, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Health Canada, come on the heels of findings from the…

European authorities must step up efforts to screen babies for a multitude of genetic disorders, a panel of experts suggested during a May 14-15 online medical conference. The session was part of the 10th European Conference on Rare Diseases & Orphan Products (ECRD2020) — which was to have occurred…

Last week was Global Tracheostomy Tube Awareness Week. The mother of a child with complex health challenges started it. Her goals were to educate people and normalize her daughter’s trach. While Trach Week focuses on the use of a trach as a long-term treatment, it got me thinking about my…

I am taking a deep breath as I announce to my beloved online community the following: I have COVID-19. I also have idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Until now, I thought this combination would be fatal, but I am here to tell you that this isn’t necessarily true. I’m a fairly…

Eurordis, a Paris-based coalition of national rare disease associations across Europe, hosted its first all-virtual conference, bringing some 1,500 delegates from 57 countries together online during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 10th European Conference on Rare Diseases & Orphan Products (ECRD2020) — which was set for May 14–15 in…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated AMP945, Amplia Therapeutics’ investigational anti-fibrotic therapy for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), an orphan drug, supporting its development, the company announced. Its decision came about one month after AMP945 also received orphan drug status as a potential pancreatic cancer…

Eurordis, a Paris-based coalition of national rare disease associations across Europe, hosted its first all-virtual conference, bringing some 1,500 delegates from 57 countries together online during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 10th European Conference on Rare Diseases & Orphan Products (ECRD2020) — which was set for May 14–15 in…

Repeat hospitalizations for respiratory problems in people with chronic idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (c-IIP) — a group of chronic lung diseases that also include idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) — are associated with poor long-term survival, a study reported. The study, “Characteristics of patients with chronic idiopathic interstitial…

The French Medicines Agency has authorized Genkyotex to launch a Phase 1 trial to evaluate the safety and pharmacological properties of high-dose setanaxib, the company’s investigational oral treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Setanaxib (formerly known as GKT831) is an investigational anti-fibrotic therapy that is thought…