Teaching has been a passion of mine since I earned my masters degree in sociology from the University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL) in 2013. Becoming a college professor gave me a sense of self-worth. I was proud of my accomplishments, especially since I obtained my degree so late in…
Returning to Work After My Diagnosis
Is 90% of a message’s effectiveness dependent upon the way it is delivered? In terms of our rare disease, how important are the words we use to describe it? Many of us with a rare disease only learned about it when we were diagnosed, so we shouldn’t be surprised…
The more monocyte immune cells that circulate in a person’s bloodstream, the greater the odds that lung abnormalities, such as those linked to pulmonary fibrosis, will show up on a CT imaging scan, a study found. Researchers also observed that a higher monocyte count increased the odds of lung…
Algernon Pharmaceuticals hit the full enrollment of 20 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in its Phase 2 study of NP-120 (ifenprodil) for persistent, hard-to-treat cough, a common symptom of the disease. Early interim data from the study (NCT04318704), underway in Australia and New Zealand, showed…
The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) is welcoming pulmonary fibrosis (PF) patients, caregivers, and lung transplant recipients in the U.S. willing to volunteer as PFF Ambassadors. The PFF Ambassador program is designed to offer hope and inspiration to those affected by PF through public speaking and heightened awareness of this…
Treatment with Ofev (nintedanib) was found to prevent the progression of both cancer and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in a 75-year-old woman with a history of smoking who was diagnosed with IPF and diffuse squamous cell lung cancer, a recent case study reported. Nevertheless, researchers noted that “scientific data…
How does a person with a chronic, progressive lung disease of unknown origin live their best life? How do they continue to live their best life in a pandemic? In the days immediately following my diagnosis in January 2017, I made a couple key decisions about my relationship with…
Algernon Pharmaceuticals has been notified it will be given a Canadian patent, as requested, covering its investigational oral therapy NP-120 (ifenprodil) for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Initially developed by Sanofi and approved for the treatment of circulatory disorders in Japan and South Korea, ifenprodil showed anti-scarring and anti-coughing effects…
Supplementary oxygen using a high‐flow nasal cannula boosts exercise endurance more effectively than standard devices in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients with suboptimal blood-oxygen levels, a small trial reported. The study, “Impact of high-flow oxygen therapy during exercise in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a pilot crossover clinical trial,” was…
People with rapidly progressing idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have significantly higher levels of circulating cell-free DNA (ccfDNA) than those with slower disease progression and healthy people, a small study shows. In addition, ccfDNA levels, which have been suggested to contribute to IPF, were found to be associated with changes in…
