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,…
FDA Grants Orphan Drug Designation to Samumed’s Investigational SM04646 for IPF Treatment
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…
Ofev (nintedanib) can counter lung fibrosis by correcting abnormalities in lung blood-vessel structure, according to a German study in mice. The research suggests that fibrosis, or tissue scarring, and mechanisms involved in blood vessel formation interact in the progression of the disease. Researchers at the Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center in Mainz studied…
ZappRx’s new digital platform for prescribing specialty medications, including therapies to treat pulmonary fibrosis, can now be used at two centers with expertise in respiratory conditions —  Arizona Pulmonary Specialists and Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. The platform was designed to speed up and simplify the complex process required to order…
We know dealing with pulmonary fibrosis sometimes feels like an uphill battle, both for the patients and the caregivers. You feel like you’re not doing enough or as if the disease is taking up all your time and attention. To help you on your journey, we’ve gathered a few quotes we…
Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) prescribed Ofev (nintedanib) or Esbriet (pirfenidone) in real-world practice have shown similar tolerability and adverse event profiles as those reported in large-scale clinical trials testing these drugs, according to recent research. For many decades, IPF treatment was limited to supportive care…
The body and mind can do such strange things in response to stress. More and more I am hearing about the physical impact of stress on friends, colleagues and family members requesting a break from work, or managing to recover quickly from a cold only to become sick…
Eating a healthy, balanced diet is essential for everyone, but for those living with a chronic lung condition, it is even more important to eat well. The food and drinks we consume can help us achieve better overall health and the nutrients can help protect the lungs against infection. MORE: Seven…
There are many symptoms associated with pulmonary fibrosis (PF), but fatigue is often cited as one of the most difficult to deal with by those living with the disease. MORE: Nine steps for managing pulmonary fibrosis Fatigue in pulmonary fibrosis goes much further than simply being tired and often can’t…
