William T. Schmidt, a veteran healthcare advocacy executive, is the new president and chief executive officer of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. Schmidt, who takes over Aug. 14, succeeds Patti Tuomey, who led the foundation’s fight against pulmonary fibrosis from 2010 until February 2017. “After a comprehensive search process, the…
If you’ve been reading my columns the past few months, it is no secret that I’m noticing a huge difference in my physical abilities as the progression of my idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) charges on. I often write about how tired I am physically, how emotionally drained I…
To be considered eligible for an organ transplant, patients will often go on a long and difficult journey. Candidates are put through a series of tests and actually receiving an organ will include a lot of waiting and hoping. To make the road to transplant a little easier, we’ve put together some advice from…
Ofev (nintedanib) is an anti-fibrotic drug used in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) to help to slow down the progression of the disease. It was approved by the FDA in October 2014. MORE:Â Nine steps for managing pulmonary fibrosis. The online patient platform Patients…
Pulmonary fibrosis patients experience significant practical and emotional problems from their disease, according to a nine-country Boehringer Ingelheim survey. More than 150 people took part in the survey, which exposed the worries that idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients have about their disease’s irreversible progression. Sixty-one percent of patients said they were either…
Aquatic exercise can be very beneficial for patients with pulmonary fibrosis (PF), as the water supports a good proportion of a person’s body weight, making it easier to move around. The American Physiotherapy Association has some recommended exercises to try next time you’re in the pool: MORE: Tips…
Last week I had the privilege of doing a live video, via Pulmonary Fibrosis News’ Facebook page. It was a lot of fun to have so many patients, caregivers and medical professionals tune in as we talked about treatment. The beauty of a…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug status to SM04646, a therapy developed by San Diego-based Samumed to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). This designation provides several benefits, including tax incentives, exemption from the FDA user fee and potential market exclusivity for seven years following approval. SM04646,…
The definition of patient advocacy can vary from patient to patient, and can include many different roles for those involved in any type of chronic illness advocacy campaign or project. What also varies is the patients’ comfort level when getting involved in different initiatives that might focus on…
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive chronic lung condition which affects people both emotionally and physically. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held a patient-focus drug development initiative where people living with IPF could talk freely about the effect the disease has on their everyday lives. Here’s…
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