Veracyte, a leading genomic diagnostics company, launched an Early Access Program to make its Envisia Genomic Classifier test available for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients, the company announced. Envisia Genomic Classifier was designed to improve the diagnosis of IPF and help ensure an appropriate treatment without requiring surgery. The…
The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) has added 15 treatment sites to its nationwide Care Center Network (CCN) — including one each in Wisconsin and Iowa, states which previously did not have centers with recognized expertise in diagnosing and treating pulmonary fibrosis patients. “As the leading resource for the pulmonary fibrosis…
If you’re a social media user, you’ve likely had a laugh or two at the many different memes that circulate on Facebook or Instagram about life being difficult as an adult. My favorite, and one that always makes me laugh, is an image of a French bulldog lying…
The European Union isn’t doing enough to protect the 30 million or so people with rare diseases who live in its 28 member countries, officials meeting last week in Vienna said. More than 900 people from 58 nations attended the 9th European Conference on Rare Diseases & Orphan Drugs (ECRD),…
The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) will celebrate the 35th anniversary of both the 1983 Orphan Drug Act and NORD’s founding at a dinner tonight in Washington, D.C. The 2018 Rare Impact Awards, to be held at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, will be webcast via Facebook for those…
Investigational SM04646 inhibits expression of TGF-beta-stimulated genes known to promote lung fibrosis, a new study shows. The results will be presented in a poster titled “SM04646 Inhibited Wnt Pathway Gene Expression Stimulated in Response to Transforming Growth Factor-beta and was Effective in a Chronic Model of Bleomycin-induced Pulmonary…
Last week, I wrote about my brain-fog struggles. It’s common to wonder, “Why am I having so much trouble thinking clearly? Is it from pulmonary fibrosis?” I was able to run this question by Noah Greenspan, a doctor of physical therapy who specializes in cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. He…
Two molecules secreted by epithelial cells of the lungs — CST3 and GDF15 — “are bona fide regulators” of scarring processes and may point to a new way to treat pulmonary fibrosis, an early study reports. The study, “Epithelial cell-derived cytokines CST3 and GDF15 as potential therapeutics…
Person-first language is a concept that has been around for many years. However, the general population does not prioritize it in everyday language. I don’t believe that people deliberately use disability- or disease-first language, such as “autistic child” or “PF patient.” Rather, I believe person-first language is…
Treatment with Esbriet (pirfenidone, Genentech) or Ofev (nintedanib, Boehringer Ingelheim), or with steroids was found to be safe for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients needing a bilateral lung transplant (BLTx), a study reports. The research, “Effect of Antifibrotics on Short-Term Outcome after Bilateral Lung…
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