Overcoming travel anxiety is one hurdle I face as a patient advocate

Stepping outside of our comfort zone can be an intimidating endeavor. But life often presents us with situations that require us to venture beyond what we’re used to. As I prepare for my first trip away from home since my pulmonary fibrosis (PF) diagnosis four years ago, I find…

Low doses of controlled-release morphine, a natural opioid derived from the opium poppy, may reduce the frequency of daytime cough in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to data from a Phase 2 clinical trial. In the trial, called PACIFY COUGH (NCT04429516), patients who were experiencing persistent…

“It is only because of your generous gift of life that I am here. This is the hardest letter I have ever composed. Trying to capture the full range of emotions in a single letter to say thank you is more difficult than I imagined.” These are the words that…

Pliant Therapeutics’ Phase 2b BEACON-IPF trial testing bexotegrast, an investigational oral treatment, in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is now a pivotal, adaptive Phase 2b/3 trial. Accepted by European Union and global health authorities, the implementation of the adaptive design is expected to markedly shorten the therapy’s…

Last month, I wrote about my constant battle with lung infections. As a patient with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a progressive and life-threatening lung disease, I think the condition’s physical manifestations are obvious: respiratory viruses, shortness of breath, and a dry cough. But IPF has implications…

In last week’s column, I wrote about the preparations required for my first international vacation since 2019. Since I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in January 2017 and received a bilateral lung transplant in July 2021, many aspects of my life have changed. The most…

My wife, Susan, and I have traveled around the world by trains, planes, ships, and automobiles finding new adventures. We are now in Amsterdam — our first international trip since 2019. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, my care team encouraged me…

Almee, a behavioral therapy app designed to help ease anxiety in people with pulmonary fibrosis (PF), has been granted breakthrough device designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA gives this designation to medical devices that have the potential to provide a more effective treatment or…

Do you have pets? If so, have they been good companions? Following my diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, I faced periods of loneliness and isolation. That was especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic. My wife, Susan, has always been a cat person, while…

GRI Bio has been given the green light to begin a Phase 2a clinical trial testing its lead program candidate GRI-0621, a natural killer T-cell (NKT)-targeted therapy, in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in the U.K. The U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) cleared the…