BIDMC, IPFnet to conduct clinical trials for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) will join the Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Clinical Research Network (IPFnet), a clinical research network sponsored by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to conduct randomized clinical trials to evaluate new and existing medications for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The network is made up of healthcare institutions from around the United States.

"BIDMC, in conjunction with Brigham and Women's Hospital, will join the IPFnet as its first Boston-area site," explains Principal Investigator Joseph Zibrak, MD, a member of BIDMC's Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. "As this pulmonary condition continues to affect greater numbers of individuals, we are glad to be able to offer our patients the chance to participate in clinical research to test new and promising therapies."

Other than lung transplantation, there are no proven therapies currently in existence to treat IPF, a respiratory disorder characterized by cough and shortness of breath that affects between 80,000 and 100,000 individuals in the U.S. While pulmonary fibrosis can, in some cases, be linked to a particular cause -- such as environmental exposures, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, infection or autoimmune diseases -- in many instances, no cause it is established. It is these cases that are referred to as "idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis."

The IPFnet was created in 2005 to find effective therapies for patients with both early and advanced stages of this devastating disease, and as part of IPFnet, BIDMC will participate in these clinical trials. "For many years, BIDMC has been a leader in conducting clinical trials to test IPF therapies, including such experimental agents as interferon-gamma, pirfenidone and bosentan," notes Zibrak. "The IPFnet will further expand opportunities for our patients and strengthen communication with physicians and medical centers around the country, which are in the forefront of treating individuals with this disease."

Source: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center