Used in Chinese Medicine, Plant Compound Reduces Lung Scarring in Rats

Often used in traditional Chinese medicine, a plant compound called salvianolic acid B, or SAB, has been found to reduce lung scarring (fibrosis) and blood clotting when given in an inhaled form to a rat model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). These findings suggest that SAB should be…

A study published early last year revealed that patients living with a rare disease have a greater risk of developing anxiety and other mental health issues compared with people with more common diseases, The Lund Report noted. While more than 6,000 rare diseases have been identified around the…

A patient with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) who also had non-small cell lung cancer responded well to treatment with Ofev (nintedanib), according to a new case report. The findings suggest Ofev might be an effective treatment choice for patients in whom the two conditions coexist but who are…

Scientists at the University of Nottingham, in the U.K., are asking pulmonary fibrosis (PF) patients — many of whom donate “gifts” of cells and samples — and their caregivers to help define the institution’s future research goals. These researchers, from the university’s faculty of medicine and health sciences and…

Axatilimab, an investigational therapy being developed by Syndax Pharmaceuticals, has been granted orphan drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a potential treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The FDA gives orphan drug status to medications that have the potential to substantially improve care…

Thanks to a $5 million donation from a grateful patient, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health is expanding its programs to treat those with lung diseases like pulmonary fibrosis (PF). After his escape from Yugoslavia in the 1950s, Bill Belanich came to the U.S., where he took a job installing…

Outpatient pulmonology appointments are common for people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The frequency of these appointments varies, depending on how the disease progresses, but spending a day at the hospital for various tests is familiar to many of us. Since my IPF diagnosis in 2016, the number of these…

Amgen will acquire Rodeo Therapeutics, along with its preclinical program focused on the development of potential therapies for inflammatory and fibrotic diseases like pulmonary fibrosis (PF). “With decades of experience in developing, manufacturing and commercializing innovative therapies for patients suffering from a broad range of immunologic diseases and…

Two approved anti-fibrotics are proving to be safe and effective in treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a study with real-world data reports. The data showed Esbriet (pirfenidone) and Ofev (nintedanib) increased progression-free survival, slowed down lung function decline, and reduced mortality in IPF patients. Ofev appears to…

Tyvaso (inhaled treprostinil) has been approved as the first treatment to improve exercise ability in people with pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD) in the U.S. PH-ILD is an umbrella term that encompasses idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and other lung fibrotic-related conditions. “The regulatory approval of…