I am slowly emerging following several weeks of hospital visits and confinement to bed. I’ve been extremely weak and unable to eat thanks to bacterial pneumonia and the influenza virus. Either of these illnesses alone is enough to kill a patient living with a chronic lung disease such as idiopathic…
Why Common Illnesses Pose Greater Risks for Those with PF
Algernon Pharmaceuticals‘s NP-120 (ifenprodil) outperformed Merck‘s MK-7264 (gefapixant) in an animal model of acute cough, a preclinical study by a contract research organization (CRO) shows. NP-120 is Algernon’s repurposed lead candidate for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), while MK-7264 is Merck’s lead candidate for the treatment…
When I started writing this column it felt like such a gift to have a space to share my story. I didn’t care if anyone but my editors read my posts. Maybe it’s selfish, but this is a way for me to process the experiences I had related to…
Enrollment in the Phase 2 clinical trial of setanaxib (GKT831), an oral investigational treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), will start in the coming weeks, Genkyotex announced in a progress report. Following approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in July, the study protocol now…
Thanksgiving is over, but my feeling of gratitude remains. As a single-lung transplant recipient, the holiday is a time for me to contemplate the tremendous gift given to me on Dec. 4, 2015. I have just passed my fourth “lungiversary.” As I look back at my experience, I find it…
Despite skyrocketing healthcare costs, President Trump is committed to protecting the 30 million or so Americans with rare diseases and ensuring timely, affordable access to lifesaving treatments, the nation’s highest-ranking health official said. “We have to think about how our financing system can protect those with serious and rare illnesses.
A joint research project between BioMed X and Boehringer Ingelheim has identified a new set of potential epigenetic targets for the treatment of two chronic lung diseases, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Epigenetics refers to DNA chemical modifications that can turn genes on or…
Treatment with Esbriet (pirfenidone) before and after cancer removal surgery reduces the risks of acute flares following the procedure in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and lung cancer, a study finds. The findings were reported in “Perioperative pirfenidone treatment for lung cancer patients with…
I love Christmas and all that comes with it: the lights, music, decorations, parades, and Christmas trees. But I know that the season is a stressful and lonely time for some people. Christmas isn’t for everyone. This especially can be true for families facing hardships, or those who are spending…
Idebenone, an antioxidant molecule used to treat Alzheimer’s disease and other brain-damaging conditions, prevented lung damage in a mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis (PF), a study has found. The therapy also improved lung function in mice that had already developed the disease. The study, “…
