The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) recently announced a five-year partnership with the research-driven pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim. Through the collaboration, the two aim to raise awareness of pulmonary fibrosis in the community, offer educational resources on the disease, advance best practices for PF care, and provide funding for groundbreaking research.
Boehringer Ingelheim is joining with PFF to support its mission of providing resources to PF patients and their families, as well as to the medical community. The company is an industry leader in the field of therapeutic discovery and development for severe respiratory conditions and has been sponsoring the PFF since 2011. Now, Boehringer Ingelheim will support PFF’s signature programs — the Care Center Network (CCN) and the multicenter PFF Patient Registry.
“Boehringer Ingelheim is a significant partner and through their support and collaboration, we are advancing patient care and paving the way toward a cure,” stated Patti Tuomey, EdD, president and chief executive officer of the PFF, regarding the new partnership. “This investment comes at a critical time when such funding is needed in order to advance research as the PFF transforms the patient experience.”
The collaboration will help advance the CCN, which was launched in 2013 and currently includes 21 medical centers in 20 states across the U.S. The project is based on a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach that offers comprehensive care to PF patients, as well as access to important support services for patients and their families. The foundation plans on initiating an expansion of the CCN to 40 sites by the end of the year. Prospective sites may apply and participate in the upcoming national PFF Patient Registry, designed to collect patient data and facilitate ongoing research.
The PFF Patient Registry is expected to be launched soon and will allow investigators to improve their understanding of the different forms of PF and disease progression by accessing medical data collected through the generous contributions of PF patients. In the registry, researchers will also have access to data showing who is affected by PF and how patients respond to different treatments, which may help in establishing best care practices and in identifying potential treatment targets. Other programs included in the partnership are PFF Ambassadors, the PFF Support Group Leader Network, the PFF Disease Education Webinar Series, and disease education materials.
“This five year partnership with the PFF will offer critical support and resources for people living with these devastating diseases,” said Al Masucci, the vice president of the IPF Business Unit at Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. “As an industry leader in respiratory care, we are proud to offer our continued support to the broader pulmonary fibrosis community. We are pleased to partner with the PFF in its efforts to empower patients to obtain an early diagnosis, high-quality medical care and to advance research leading to healthier outcomes and better quality of life.”