Photo courtesy of Latoya Hawkins Day 8 of 30 This is Latoya Hawkins’ story: After years of a cough that just would not go away, I was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in December 2019. I was prescribed oxygen at that time, which made my disability more visible. Although I…
In preclinical studies, PRS-220, Pieris Pharmaceuticals’ experimental inhaled therapy for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), showed stronger lung tissue penetration and anti-scarring effects than pamrevlumab — an into-the-vein, mechanistically similar IPF therapy currently being tested in a Phase 3 clinical trial. These promising findings, which support Pieris’…
Photo courtesy of Mary Spilman Day 7 of 30 This is Mary Spilman’s story: I was on a Girl Scout camping trip with my granddaughter in September 2016 when I caught a cold that turned into pneumonia. The X-ray showed a spot on my lung so I had a…
I am finally on the road to a better understanding of my disease, lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia (LIP), and the course it’s taken throughout my life. In my previous column, I mentioned that I would soon have my second visit with my new pulmonologist. During this visit, I finally got…
A new service, Bionews Clinical is seeking to bring more patients into relevant clinical trials by helping all involved — scientists, pharmaceutical companies, people with diseases — regard these studies as part of continuing care. “Today what happens is that the conversation about patients participating in a clinical trial is…
Photo courtesy of Barbara Schmitz Day 6 of 30 This is Barbara Schmitz’s story: My husband, Greg, was classmates with Kevin Olson in the 1970s at the U.S. Military Academy. In October 2016, at the guys’ 40th West Point reunion, we learned that Kevin had been diagnosed with…
Photo courtesy of Tom Johnson Day 5 of 30 This is Tom Johnson’s story: I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) nearly 12 months ago. Since that time, I have undergone four lung CTs and 6–7 pulmonary function tests at my regular healthcare provider and at the…
Photo courtesy of Linda Gorman Day 4 of 30 This is Linda Gorman’s story: I am not in control of my life. Before PF, I was quite the control freak and thought I could control my health by exercising more, eating healthier, and getting more sleep. Then I started…
The National Organization for Rare Disorders, known as NORD, was named an official charity partner of the 2021 TCS New York City Marathon, which will be held Nov. 7 both in-person and online. “Supporting charitable causes and organizations are a long-standing tradition of the TCS New York City…
Photo courtesy of Gail Hicks Day 3 of 30 This is Gail Hicks’ story: My name is Gail Hicks, and my PF story began in February 2017. I had been out of breath and coughing uncontrollably for several months. We were getting ready for a trip to Florida,…
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