Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation's Inaugural IPF Summit Receives High Accolades From Pulmonary Fibrosis Community

CHICAGO, Dec. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation's (PFF) inaugural conference on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), IPF Summit 2011: From Bench to Bedside, was recently held in Chicago.  The event brought together medical professionals, patients, and caregivers for an innovative two-day meeting.  Gregory P. Cosgrove, MD, IPF Summit 2011 Faculty Member and PFF Medical Advisory Board Member commented on the importance of the event: "The Summit was truly exceptional in bringing together the medical, scientific, and patient communities to learn and collaborate in a mutually beneficial environment."

The IPF Summit 2011 was presented by the PFF in partnership with National Jewish Health and The France Foundation and endorsed by the American Thoracic Society. Forty-four presentations were conducted by preeminent professionals in the field of pulmonary fibrosis.  Kevin K. Brown, MD, IPF Summit 2011 Program Chair and Chair of the PFF Medical Advisory Board, described the conference: "The IPF Summit is the first meeting of its kind to bring together both the scientific and clinical medical communities dedicated to treating, and one day curing, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Dedicating significant portions of the program to the needs of patients and caregivers highlights the Foundation's desire for the Summit to be a resource for the entire pulmonary fibrosis community."

The IPF Summit 2011 was held before a sold out audience that included 244 medical professionals and 127 patients/caregivers. There were attendees from 36 states and 14 countries. In order to provide the information to individuals who could not attend the conference, there was a live webcast of the patient/caregiver sessions. Almost 600 viewers watched the webcast including an international audience representing nine different countries. Additionally, 225 people attended group satellite feeds of the Summit at ten national and three international locations.  The entire conference, including the physician sessions, will be available on-demand at the Foundation's website in January 2012.

The Summit emphasized the importance of new research; twenty-six young academic investigators were chosen to give poster presentations on their basic, clinical, translational, or social science/quality of life research.  All submissions were peer-reviewed and graded; awards were given to the first, second, and third place posters. Their research presented original ideas that will help improve the understanding of pulmonary fibrosis.

"The Summit was an important milestone for the PFF and launches the next stage of the Foundation's role as a resource and catalyst for the PF community," stated Daniel M. Rose, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer at the PFF.  "We would like to thank all of the people who have helped to support the PFF including our individual and corporate donors, volunteer fundraisers, and Foundation sponsors." Sponsors include: The Bean Family; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Booz Allen Hamilton; Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis; Phyllis N. Demont; Jennifer A. Galvin, MD; Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Hales; Hogan Lovells; ImmuneWorks; InterMune; JP's Peace, Love & Happiness Foundation; Jenny H. Krauss and Otto F. Krauss Charitable Foundation Trust; Chuck Lawless / The Lawless Team, Mesirow Financial; Lincare; Mr. and Mrs. Charles P. McQuaid; Julia Willis O' Connor; Pacific Northwest Friends of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation; Promedior; ProVideo; REI; Mrs. Selma Rose; Stromedix; and Tighe Logistics Group.

The PFF announced that the dates of its IPF Summit 2013 will be December 5-7, 2013. To pre-register, please contact the PFF at [email protected] or 888.733.6741. To learn about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Cara Schillinger at [email protected] or 312.265.2184.

About the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation

The mission of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation is to help find a cure for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), advocate for the pulmonary fibrosis community both locally and in Washington, D.C., promote disease awareness, and provide a compassionate environment for patients and their families. The PFF collaborates with physicians, organizations, patients, and caregivers worldwide. December 1-3, 2011 the PFF hosted its first biennial international scientific conference, IPF Summit 2011: From Bench to Bedside, in Chicago; IPF Summit 2013 will be held December 5-7, 2013. For more information visit www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org or call 888-733-6741.

About the IPF Summit 2011: From Bench to Bedside

The IPF Summit 2011: From Bench to Bedside was the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation's inaugural national scientific conference on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The goal of the Summit was to foster a collaborative environment to improve education and awareness of IPF, and to identify new approaches to treat and ultimately find a cure for this devastating disease. The Summit featured innovative continuing medical education programs for physicians, researchers, registered nurses, and allied health professionals to improve their clinical understanding of IPF, as well as a one-day program to address the growing educational needs of IPF patients, family members, and caregivers. The Summit was planned in accordance with the Essentials and Standards of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), in partnership with The France Foundation and National Jewish Health and was endorsed by the American Thoracic Society. For more information, please visit www.ipfsummit.org or call 888-733-6741.

About Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

According to the National Institutes of Health, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a condition in which over a period of time the lung tissue becomes thickened, stiff, and scarred. The development of the scar tissue is called fibrosis. As the lung tissue becomes scarred and thicker, the lungs lose their ability to transfer oxygen into the bloodstream. As a result, the brain and other organs don't receive the oxygen they need. In some cases, doctors can determine the cause of the fibrosis, but in most cases, there is not a known cause. When there is no known etiology for the fibrosis (and certain pathologic criteria are met) the disease is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or IPF. IPF affects approximately 200,000 individuals in the US, and the annual mortality is estimated to be 40,000.  At present there are no FDA-approved medical therapies.

­­Contact:
Cara Schillinger
Associate Vice President, Communications and Marketing
312.265.2184
[email protected]

SOURCE The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation