If you have read my previous columns or other columns written by patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), you likely are aware that physical and mental fatigue is a major side effect of this disease. In my previous columns, I discussed how difficult it has been transitioning from…
For a patient with a life-threatening illness, there is nothing more difficult than asking others to help them with a task that they were once able to do independently. Having to do this highlights the fact that as a chronic illness progresses, including pulmonary fibrosis (PF), a patient’s physical abilities often regress.
Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a progressive and life-threatening disease for which there is no cure. This means that a patient’s ability to function and complete daily tasks will change dramatically. Unfortunately, this may affect their career choice and eventually, it can affect the patient’s ability to work at all.
A cancer drug in clinical development might be used to treat pulmonary fibrosis (PF), or as a starting point to develop better antifibrotic treatments, German researchers suggest. Their study, “FoxO3 an important player in fibrogenesis and therapeutic target for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis,” appeared in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine. In it,…
Chest pain may be a neglected symptom of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), finds a Finnish study that also suggests using the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea (shortness of breath) scale to identify IPF patients needing palliative care. The study, “mMRC dyspnoea scale indicates impaired quality…
With the holiday season in full swing, it’s the perfect opportunity to take a look back at 2017. It’s been a year full of ups and downs, and while there were definitely quite a few low moments, there were certainly quite a few highs. To celebrate the year that was,…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted orphan drug status to Prometic Life Sciences’ Ryplazim (plasminogen) as a treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Fewer than 200,000 Americans have IPF, which makes it eligible for orphan status. The designation gives companies incentives to develop drugs for the small markets typical…
While talking to a close friend recently, I was finally able to admit how much I am struggling with how chaotic life seems for everyone. Unfortunately, I cannot offer much insight into why I am struggling with this, but our conversation has led me to some theories as…
For patients with a chronic illness, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), there’s no shortage of medical appointments to schedule, attend and follow-up on. While the number of appointments is to be expected, it doesn’t mean that dealing with them is easy to handle. Even the most seasoned chronic illness…
Synairgen announced the revision in the terms of its collaboration with Pharmaxis to advance the development of its Lysyl Oxidase type 2 (LOXL2) program for the treatment of fibrotic conditions, including pulmonary fibrosis (PF). Fibrosis develops due to abnormal wound healing, and is characterized by a buildup of scar…
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