February 3, 2022
Hosted by our client, the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF), the PFF Summit biennial healthcare conference took place in late 2021 to gather the pulmonary fibrosis (PF) community and discuss PF, a devastating lung disease affecting more than 250,000 Americans.
Several PFF Ambassadors served as panelists during PFF Summit, and LCWA secured media coverage of their inspiring stories to educate others about this life-threatening disease.
- Gary Cunningham his wife Marianne Sarazin were devastated when Gary was diagnosed with PF in 2011. Because his PF was atypical in its presentation, he was ineligible to participate in clinical trials. In 2019, Gary received a double lung transplant. Gary and Marianne now lead a support group in Sterling Heights, Mich., to assist residents with disease education and awareness initiatives. Local reporters highlighted the couple’s story in the Macomb Daily Newspaper and the Sterling Heights Sentry.
- In 2019, Mal Doyle visited his doctor for shortness of breath and was diagnosed with PF. He was prescribed oxygen therapy and a medication designed to help slow the progression of the disease but was told he’d only have a short time to live. Rather than feel sorry for himself, Mal decided he would fight the debilitating disease. And fight he did. Today, Mal runs the Greater Hartford Pulmonary Fibrosis Support Group, which includes 12 to 15 patients and caregivers who meet monthly. Watch his story on WVIT-TV (NBC Connecticut).
We also worked with medical trade publications to highlight the news and research discussed during PFF Summit.
- An editor from Drug Discovery & Development attended the virtual event and published an article about four emerging PF therapies to watch, highlighting that the drug development landscape in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is changing rapidly.
- Healio Pulmonology also attended and published two articles following the event. In one article, the publication highlights PFF Scholar Dr. Gillian C. Goobie’s presentation on her preliminary findings regarding air pollution’s impact on patients with fibrotic interstitial lung disease (ILD). In a second piece, it discusses expanding treatment options for patients living with PF, including recent trials and therapeutic updates for progressive fibrosing ILD.
PF remains largely unknown, and with more than 50,000 new cases diagnosed annually, it’s crucial that we continue to raise awareness and educate patients about the disease. To learn more, visit www.AboutPF.org.