AbbVie’s portfolio of antibodies for the potential treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) now includes DJS-002 — a first-in-class antibody directed against lysophosphatidic acid receptor-1 (LPAR1), a protein thought to drive the progression of IPF and other fibrotic diseases. This was made possible by AbbVie’s estimated $250 million acquisition of…
AbbVie Gets Experimental IPF Treatment DJS-002 in Acquisition
When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, it felt like my entire world had shrunk. My wife and caregiver, Susan, and I were suddenly alone on an island. I’m confident many feel this way after receiving a diagnosis. However, a rare, incurable disease can…
I have begun a new, educational phase in my life: I’m working to become a patient advocate. Honestly, I’d never thought about patient advocacy until I was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in December 2019. But it became extremely important to me when I realized that my…
A test by Veracyte can be used to predict which patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), are more likely to experience progressive decline in their lung function, according to new data. Called the Envisia Genomic Classifier, the test works by identifying the genomic…
Greetings from Griefville. This column comes in three parts. Part 1: Grief is the worst Five years ago, I lost my cousin Charlie to lung cancer. He went to the emergency room with what he thought was pneumonia, and six weeks later, he was gone. It was a cold, dark…
The benefits of mindfulness are becoming more prevalent in literature. A quick search on social media or Google will reveal not only the importance of practicing mindfulness regularly, but also an abundance of self-led practice videos and articles about the topic. However, I wish the benefits of mindfulness for those…
The cellular aging of a group of cells called alveolar type 2 pneumocytes — which work to promote airway stability, and play a key role in lung repair after injury — may be responsible for driving pulmonary fibrosis (PF). That’s according to new findings from a team led by…
Those who follow my column know that one of my passions is cooking. It always has been. My wife, Susan, and I usually eat meals I prepare using little to no prepackaged ingredients. Dinner usually included wine for me. But what I can eat and drink changed on July…
The first patient has been enrolled in a Phase 3 clinical trial of Tyvaso (treprostinil) inhalation solution for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to the therapy’s developer, United Therapeutics. Called TETON 2 (NCT05255991), the trial will evaluate the treatment’s efficacy against a placebo in about…
Learning to live with a chronic illness is the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my young adult life. It’s stressful mentally, financially, socially, and emotionally. That’s in addition to the difficult physical challenges. Sometimes that stress manifests in ways I’m not proud of. Since my diagnosis of idiopathic…
