I thrive in an organized and structured environment. As a young adult, I guess I’m a creature of habit and predictability, but my parents say I’ve always been this way. Last April, I wrote a column about the importance of routine and how the pandemic has disrupted our normal…
A researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center received the first $50,000 award of a new funding program jointly developed by the center and the Washington Research Foundation (WRF) to support the development of a new screening method to identify emerging therapies for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
While progress was made last year on newborn screening and other policy issues critical to rare disease patients, a “State Report Card” argues that many concerns — notably out-of-pocket costs for prescription medicines and access to affordable comprehensive care — still need attention. Those were the findings of the…
The European Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) and Related Disorders Federation (EU-IPFF) is welcoming patients, clinicians, researchers, industry representatives, and policymakers to register for a three-day virtual summit  regarding pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and other interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). The European PF Patient Summit, which will be held online April…
People with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in poorer health are less likely than healthier patients to tolerate more than one year of treatment with Ofev (nintedanib), and benefit less from the therapy than those able to continue with its use, a small real-world study reports. Side effects that…
In mouse models of lung cancer and fibrosis, a combination of Esbriet (pirfenidone) and anti-PD-L1 therapy strengthened an anti-tumor immune response and reduced tumor growth, while also easing pulmonary scarring in the animals. This combination therapy might be useful in treating lung…
My journey to becoming a caregiver for my mom, Holly, was a quick one. I learned about her prognosis and treatment options while she was en route to the ICU to await a lung transplant. The exacerbation of her acute idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis was so sudden that there was…
The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) is highlighting for smokers, and ex-smokers, the need to be aware of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and their higher risk of developing this disease. It is well-established that tobacco smoke contains many chemicals harmful to health, and its use is linked to cancer, cardiovascular disease, and…
The two COVID-19 vaccines that recently received emergency approval from the U.S. and other worldwide regulatory agencies are expected to pose little risk to the rare disease community, including to patients with compromised immune systems or those participating in gene therapy studies. That was the message of a recent…
It happens far too often in the pulmonary fibrosis (PF) community: the unexpected and sudden loss of a fellow patient. I’ve lost some dear friends since my idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) diagnosis nearly five years ago, and it never gets easier. Last week, the sudden loss of Don Prager, known…
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