A new international consortium based in Paris, and funded largely by the 28-member European Union, intends to speed the diagnosis of rare diseases, while also accelerating the development of treatments for the 95% of such illnesses that currently don’t have one. The European Joint Programme on Rare Diseases (EJP…
European Initiative Targets Diagnosis, Treatment of Rare Diseases
I recently returned from a three-week vacation in Europe. On the trip, my wife, Rebecca, and I visited Poland, Italy, Greece, and Austria. I was anxious before the holiday and worried about transporting my medications across borders. I thought, “Will I become ill? Will I be able to physically handle…
Patients older than 75 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are at higher risk of discontinuing treatment with Esbriet (pirfenidone) due to adverse reactions, namely anorexia, according to a retrospective analysis made in Japan. The study, “Differences in tolerability of pirfenidone between elderly and younger patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis,”…
Gilead Sciences gained rights over GLPG1690, Galapagos‘ investigational therapy for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), as part of a 10-year research collaboration between the two companies. The agreement will allow Gilead to have access to Galapagos’ therapeutic platform, which includes six molecules currently in clinical trials, and more than…
No one really enjoys being admitted to the hospital, but for many patients living with a chronic illness, hospitalization is inevitable, and can bring both comfort and relief. At least, that has been my experience while living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). There has been a lot of talk among…
The demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in Spain are similar to those of IPF patients in other countries, allowing for comparison with other registries and cohorts, a study has found. The study, “Demographic and Clinical Profile of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Patients in…
Organ transplants are a trade-off. The patient receives a healthy organ or organs, but the price is chronic immunosuppression. The trade-off is made when there are no other treatment options, and only if the transplant is expected to be successful. I can’t tell you how many times I…
The Alpha Foundation for the Improvement of Mining Safety and Health has granted $750,000 to a project to investigate how silica, coal, and other mining dusts contribute to the development of progressive lung fibrosis. Led by researchers at the Chicago Mining Education and Research (MinER) Center from the…
At some point in our lives, we’re all likely to face difficult decisions. They will force us to weigh out all the options, considering not only the pros and cons of each decision, but also the overall impact on our lives. Before I became sick with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF),…
Lack of tissue oxygenation, also known as hypoxia, is involved in the development and progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a study has found. The findings of the study, “Dysregulated expression of hypoxia-inducible factors augments myofibroblasts differentiation in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis,” were published in the journal Respiratory Research.
