When doctors discuss the costs and benefits of getting a lung transplant, they often talk about the lifelong use of immunosuppressants. These medications can have a wide range of side effects. For example, most people experience at least a few of the many side effects of prednisone, a…
Medical Interventions, Implants, and Elective Surgeries Post-transplant
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized Blade Therapeutics to begin a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating pharmacological interactions between its investigational medication, cudetaxestat (BLD-0409), and two approved treatments for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The trial will enroll an estimated 86 healthy individuals, who…
The National Alliance for Caregiving, in partnership with Global Genes, has issued a free guidebook, available online, that offers resources and support for caregivers of children with rare diseases. “The Circle of Care Guidebook for Caregivers of Children With Rare and/or Serious Illnesses” was designed…
As we head into the last week of August, summer has been flying by, kids are heading back to school, and fall will soon be upon us. I love the cooler weather that fall brings, as I’ve found it’s been harder to breathe in the heat and humidity of…
As I write this, my parents, Diana and Jack, are likely hearing muffled morning sounds from the guest room down the hall. Hard whispers from 4-year-old Jack, tired groans from 2-year-old Maeve, and gurgles or squeaks cutting through the golden light from Gavin the newborn. I know my parents are…
MyMD Pharmaceuticals has secured a 13th U.S. patent protecting its experimental therapy MYMD-1, which is being investigated as a potential treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and other diseases. The new patent (11,096,933), “Method of Treating Disorders Associated with Chronic Inflammation,” covers the administration of MYMD-1 to…
I am an advocate for my rare disease, but I still can’t describe it. Several weeks ago, I went to the dentist with my husband. It was a hot and humid day, as it always is here in Texas. I was carrying “Cooper,” the name I gave to my…
Treatment with vitamin D’s active form lessened lung scarring, and significantly reduced the levels of fibrotic markers in a mouse model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a study reported. Notably, these benefits were associated with vitamin D’s suppression of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), whose chronic activation promotes the production of…
Six months of treatment with MN-001 (tipelukast), MediciNova’s investigational oral therapy, failed to significantly improve lung function in adults with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to data from a small Phase 2 clinical trial. The therapy, however, was associated with some positive effects, such as a reduction in worsening IPF…
Simple breathing exercises as an add-on therapy can safely slow lung function decline and improve quality of life in people with mild to moderate idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a small study reported. After six months of disease-tailored and daily breathing exercises, participants showed significant gains in several measures of…
