European patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have lengthy and costly hospital stays, mainly because of acute respiratory events, according to a new study. There is a lack of information about the frequency of acute events among IPF patients, as well as on the outcomes, causes of poor prognosis, and financial burden of…
Vitamin D is often called the “sunshine vitamin,” mostly because we get it naturally when the sun’s UV rays interact with our skin, which triggers the vitamin’s synthesis. The vitamin helps our body’s absorption of calcium to keep our bones strong and encourage healthy cells to grow. Last year, researchers demonstrated the protective effects of vitamin…
A case report illustrates the possibility of treating cancer patients who develop bleomycin-triggered lung disease with Esbriet (pirfenidone) — a drug approved for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) treatment. Researchers acknowledged that further studies are needed, but they said combining Esbriet and corticosteroid drugs could completely reverse lung disease and prevent…
Evotec and MaRS Innovation have teamed to launch Fibrocor Therapeutics, a pharmaceutical company that will be dedicated to developing treatments for fibrotic diseases, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Fibrocor received $2.1 million in financing, including cash from MaRS Innovation, the commercialization arm for 15 academic institutions in Ontario, Canada.
Doctors are calling for studies to ascertain whether Ofev (nintedanib) should be used to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients who suffer from acute exacerbations. Find out more about Ofev (nintedanib) here. This stems from the recent successful treatment of an 84-year-old man, who after being diagnosed with an…
I am quite aware of what I can no longer do, and grieve these losses. I also have found that focusing on what I CAN DO encourages me, and gives me hope and purpose. My sister Kyle and yours truly. My…
If you’ve recently been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, there are probably loads of questions running through your mind. Here are some of the most important questions you should ask your doctor according to the American Lung Association. 1. “What is pulmonary fibrosis?” Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) literally means scarring of the lungs.
Many of you who have been following my column know that I was lucky enough to return to Australia this past fall for three weeks. “Lucky”… it is such a funny word, because while some may say I was lucky to get to travel across the world, others…
An 84-year-old man diagnosed with an acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) was successfully treated with Ofev (nintedanib) without antibiotics or steroids, according to a case study detailed in the journal Respirology Case Reports. Ofev, an approved treatment in the United States and EU, is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that works to…
Researchers identified a specific cytokine called interleukin-13 (IL-13) as a critical mediator of radiation lung injury, and provided evidence that therapeutic targeting of IL-13 may significantly lessen radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis. The study, “IL-13 is a therapeutic target in radiation lung injury,” was published in the journal…
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