Patient as Self-Advocate: It Seems Impossible to Keep Up

As a patient living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), I am extremely grateful to the researchers, doctors, health advocates, and other professionals dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for those of us enduring this horrible disease. I am thankful that research is under way to further…

GLPG1690, an investigational therapy developed by Galapagos to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), prevented further lung decline in a Phase 2a trial, allowing the Belgian pharmaceutical firm to rapidly move forward with the clinical development of this therapy. The trial, called FLORA (NCT02738801), involved randomly assigning 17 IPF patients treatment with GLPG1690 and…

Key leaders in the idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis therapy development industry, representing large pharma and biotech firms, academia  and contract research organizations, will gather at the inaugural IPF Summit in Boston, Aug. 21-23. This forum will cover the latest in IPF drug development, from late discovery to early clinical studies.

We only get one set of lungs so it’s imperative that we look after them. This is even more important with diseases that directly affect the lungs as it could help slow down the progression of the disease and ease the symptoms.  To help you take the best possible care of your lungs,…

An Instagram account is using well-loved characters from children’s animated movies to create memes that highlight some of the issues people living with chronic illnesses face in their everyday lives. MORE: Seven common symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis. As reported in The Mighty, the account was set up by…

In previous columns, I have alluded to the world of lung diseases and organ transplantation as one that is unique and very different from the life that most people experience. This is especially true for young adults, who naturally focus on building a career, strengthening relationships, starting…

A Phase 2 trial testing the investigational therapy pamrevlumab (FG-3019) in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has shown positive and encouraging results, FibroGen, the drug’s developer, announced. In addition, combining pamrevlumab with the FDA-approved IPF therapies Esbriet (pirfenidone) and Ofev (nintedanib) was found to be safe. These results will be…

Medical marijuana is gaining popularity as a complementary medicine to help with many symptoms associated with chronic illnesses. While many people are curious about how marijuana (or cannabis) may help improve their symptoms, they are also reluctant to smoke the substance. However, there are ways that medical marijuana can be administered, including…

According to the Better Health Channel, a chest infection affects either the larger airways or the smaller air sacs of the lungs. Most chest infections are viruses, meaning that the body’s immune system is enough to fight the infection on its own. However, with most bacterial chest infections, antibiotics are needed. Chest…

Three Lakes Partners, a venture philanthropy organization that finances research in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), has launched its $1 million IPF Catalyst Challenge — a competition to fund the most promising ideas in improving quality of life for IPF patients. The challenge is open to nonprofit groups as well as for-profit ventures. The…