Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis News and Research

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Pulmonary fibrosi is a condition in which tissue deep in your lungs becomes thick and stiff, or scarred, over time. The development of the scarred tissue is called fibrosis. As the lung tissue becomes thicker, your lungs lose their ability to move oxygen into your bloodstream. As a result, your brain and other organs don't get the oxygen they need.

In some cases, doctors can find out what's causing the fibrosis. But in most cases, they can't find a cause. They call these cases idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). IPF is a serious condition. About 200,000 Americans have it. About 50,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. IPF mostly affects people who are 50 to 75 years of age. IPF varies from person to person. In some people, the lung tissue quickly becomes thick and stiff. In others, the process is much slower. In some people, the condition stays the same for years. IPF has no cure yet. Many people live only about 3 to 5 years after diagnosis. The most common cause of death related to IPF is respiratory failure.

InterMune seeks European marketing approval for pirfenidone

InterMune, Inc. today announced that it has submitted a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) seeking approval to market pirfenidone for the treatment of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in the European Union (EU). Currently, there are no EMA-approved treatments for IPF in the EU.

2 Mar 2010

CPF to partner with ATS to fund Pulmonary Fibrosis research

The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis and the American Thoracic Society, the world's leading professional organization for pulmonary, critical care and sleep physicians, today announced that the CPF will again partner with the ATS to fund Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) research.

26 Feb 2010

IPF added to Social Security's "Compassionate Allowances" program

The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis is praising Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue's announcement this morning via press release that Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), also known as Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF), and a listing of 37 other diseases and life-threatening medical conditions are the latest additions to Social Security's "Compassionate Allowances" program.

12 Feb 2010

Bioactive lipid LPA mediates fibrogenesis in bleomycin mouse model of scleroderma

Amira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that their collaborators, Andrew Tager, M.D. and Flavia V. Castelino, M.D. of Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, will present a preclinical proof-of-concept study which demonstrates that the bioactive lipid lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), through its high affinity LPA1 receptor, is an important mediator of fibrogenesis in the bleomycin mouse model of scleroderma. Data will be presented as part of a poster session for the 1st Systemic Sclerosis World Congress to be held in Florence, Italy, February 11 to 13, 2010.

11 Feb 2010

New study may allow scientists to develop screening test for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

A simple blood test could predict which patients with the lung-scarring disease known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are soon to get far worse, an indicator that could one day influence their treatment, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

4 Feb 2010

Celgene reports total revenue of $758M for fourth-quarter of 2009

Celgene Corporation announced non-GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) net income of $290.3 million, or non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.62 for the quarter ended December 31, 2009. Non-GAAP net income for the fourth quarter of 2008 was $200.9 million or non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.43. Based on U.S. GAAP, Celgene reported net income of $254.2 million, or diluted earnings per share of $0.54 for the quarter ended December 31, 2009. GAAP net loss for the fourth quarter of 2008 was $149.3 million, or diluted loss per share of $0.33.

28 Jan 2010

NeoPharm submits IL13-PE38QQR IND for the treatment of IPF

NeoPharm, Inc., announced today that it has filed an investigational new drug application (IND) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for IL13-PE38QQR (IL13-PE) for the treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). IPF is the most deadly disease of the lungs in humans with very high morbidity. There is currently no proven effective treatment for the cure of this disease.

5 Jan 2010

FDA grants Priority Review designation for InterMune's NDA for pirfenidone

InterMune, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review and granted Priority Review designation for the company's New Drug Application (NDA) for pirfenidone for the treatment of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

4 Jan 2010

CPF reports success in advocacy, research support and awareness of PF

The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF) calls 2009 a year of success in advocacy, research support and awareness, even in a year plagued by the economic recession. PF is a fatal disease that has no known cause, no FDA-approved treatment, and no cure.

30 Dec 2009

On-going Phase 2b study conducted by Roche of ITMN-191 modified

InterMune, Inc. today announced that the on-going Phase 2b study conducted by Roche of ITMN-191 (RG7227) combined with standard of care (SOC) PEGASYS® (peginterferon alfa-2a) and COPEGUS® (ribavirin) in HCV treatment-naive patients has been modified.

18 Nov 2009

InterMune seeks FDA marketing approval for pirfenidone

InterMune, Inc. today announced that it has submitted an electronic New Drug Application (NDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval to market pirfenidone for the treatment of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Pirfenidone has been granted Orphan Drug and Fast Track designation by the FDA, and also has been granted Orphan Drug status in Europe.

5 Nov 2009

InterMune and National Jewish Health to collaborate in the research of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

InterMune, Inc. (Nasdaq: ITMN) today announced that it will be collaborating with National Jewish Health(R)( )investigators in order to help further the research of inherited genetic factors that may play a role in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). InterMune will provide researchers at National Jewish with access to DNA collected from patients who participated in the Company's Phase 3 clinical trials in IPF for both pirfenidone (CAPACITY trials) and Actimmune(R) (interferon gamma-1b) (INSPIRE).

17 Sep 2009

Clinical studies reveal treatment with pirfenidone is safe and well-tolerated

InterMune, Inc. (Nasdaq: ITMN) today announced that the results of a comprehensive review of safety data from four clinical studies were presented at the 2009 European Respiratory Society Annual Congress in Vienna, Austria by Dr. Ulrich Costabel of the Ruhrlandklinik, Essen, Germany.

14 Sep 2009

Chronic pediatric cough linked to reflux and allergies

New research shows that chronic cough in children is most often caused by gastroesophageal reflux and allergies. Researchers from Tulane University in New Orleans, LA, evaluated 40 patients aged 5 to 12 years with chronic cough (> 8 weeks in duration) with no obvious cause. Each patient underwent extensive multispecialty testing. Results showed that reflux was the single most commonly associated factor of chronic cough by itself (27.5 percent), followed by allergy (22.5 percent).

8 Sep 2009

Victim’s longevity with the deadly disease inspires thousands of dying patients

When Jerry Lewis takes the stage again on Labor Day 2009 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon, thousands of people who suffer from the same lung disease as he will be watching - and not just to hear the funny things he'll say. They'll be looking for inspiration from the funny man who suffers from a not-so-funny and little known fatal lung disease.

5 Sep 2009

University of Michigan discovers new gene target for treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Researchers at the University of Michigan have discovered that targeting of a novel gene utilizing genetic and pharmacologic strategies was successful in treating pulmonary fibrosis in mice and will be developed for future testing in humans.

24 Aug 2009

Research study reveals that mortality remains high in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension

Mortality remains high among patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension awaiting lung transplant, despite changes to the allocation system that were designed to reduce mortality and increase the equitable distribution of donor organs, according to new research out of University of California San Francisco.

24 Aug 2009

InterMune receives $20 million event payment from Roche for initiating the Phase 2b trial of RG7227/ ITMN-191

Roche (SIX: ROG.VX; RO.S, OTCQX: RHHBY) and InterMune, Inc. (Nasdaq: ITMN) today announced that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase 2b study evaluating the hepatitis C virus (HCV) protease inhibitor, RG7227/ ITMN-191, in combination with PEGASYS(R) (pegylated interferon alfa-2a) and COPEGUS(R) (ribavirin). The study, to be conducted at 45 sites globally, will further define the safety and efficacy profile of RG7227/ ITMN-191, for a treatment duration of up to 24 weeks. Approximately 300 treatment-naive patients chronically infected with HCV genotype 1 - the most difficult to treat form of the virus - will participate.

20 Aug 2009

Researchers profile genes in acutely ill idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients

The first findings from a one-of-a-kind, patient-driven effort to provide lung tissue for research might help doctors predict when patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are becoming dangerously ill and also could point the way to interventions that could sustain them until life-saving transplants can be performed.

7 Jul 2009

Discovery of protein that helps determine progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Researchers say the protein - Serum surfactant protein A - is superior to other IPF predictors and could lead to better decisions about treatment and timing of lung transplantation.

4 Jun 2009