Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis x-ray courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
This September is the inaugural Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month, which the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation and allies have launched to educate the public about the disease family. Involving scarring of the lungs, pulmonary fibrosis gradually robs the breath from patients it affects.
Some 200,000 Americans live with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
At present, two drugs are available to treat the condition in the U.S., but pulmonary fibrosis remains an active focus area for drug developers.
Given that September is Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month, the anniversary of the September 11 attacks also can serve as a reminder of the impact of interstitial lung disease. “Lots of lung disease has occurred in the first responders of the World Trade Center,” said Dr. Joyce Lee, a senior medical advisor for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundat…