Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Announces Open Registration For International Health Care Conference On Pulmonary Fibrosis

PFF Summit 2013: From Bench to Bedside will be held December 5-7 in La Jolla, California

CHICAGO, March 27, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) announced today that registration is open for the PFF Summit 2013: From Bench to Bedside. The goal of the PFF Summit 2013 is to foster a collaborative environment to improve the education and awareness of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and to identify new approaches to treat and ultimately find a cure for the disease. The Summit will feature an innovative two-day continuing medical education program for physicians, researchers, registered nurses, and allied health professionals. Additionally, there will be a separate two-day program for patients, family members, and caregivers to address their educational needs and provide tools for living better with pulmonary fibrosis.

The PFF Summit 2013 is presented by the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, in partnership with National Jewish Health to provide CME/CE certification, and will be held December 5-7 in La Jolla, California. To register, please visit www.pffsummit.org.

"The Foundation is privileged to once again offer this unique opportunity to benefit the entire PF community. The Summit brings together the scientific, clinical, pharmaceutical, financial, patient, and caregiver communities in an environment that encourages the exchange of information and ideas. It is our belief that facilitating this type of interaction fosters collaboration that can improve patient care and stimulates research that will lead to better treatments," said Daniel M. Rose, MD, CEO and Chairman of the Board at the PFF.

The conference will "kick-off" on Thursday, December 5 with a Welcome Reception and Poster Presentations. Both academic and industry researchers are invited to submit abstracts of their original ideas to be considered for poster presentation. The call for abstracts will close on August 25. "The Summit provides fundamental support for pulmonary fibrosis research by bringing together the leading academic and industry investigators," stated Dolly Kervitsky, Vice President of Patient Relations and Medical Affairs at the PFF. "It is exciting to see such talented individuals exploring the mechanisms, pathways, and genes that are suspected of playing a role in pulmonary fibrosis. The research presented at the Summit could lead to new innovations important to finding a treatment for PF." Learn more about the call for abstracts at www.pffsummit.org/posters.html.

For professionals, the first day of the Summit will focus on the science of lung injury and repair; genetics and biomarkers; promising therapeutic targets; and the challenges of drug development for pulmonary fibrosis.  The second day will be dedicated to clinical management and will focus on diagnosis, common co-morbidities, and treatment options. 

Sessions for patients and caregivers will run concurrently with the professional sessions. Day one is designed to improve attendees' understanding of the disease process and will incorporate a discussion on the various forms of pulmonary fibrosis and idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (including autoimmune, occupational, and environmental fibrotic lung disease). Day two will cover additional topics that are key to improving patients' quality of life including treatment options, research trials, lung transplantation, and the drug pipeline. Both days will be highlighted by "roundtable discussions" with the experts.

An important new addition to the Summit, which has been added as a result of suggestions from the 2011 attendees, is the Networking Dinner that will take place on Friday, December 6. The Dinner will additionally facilitate further interactions among the diverse group of conference participants.

For more information, or to register for the PFF Summit 2013, please visit www.pffsummit.org or call 888.733.6741. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Rodney J. Watt, Vice President of Development, Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, at 312.239.6628 or [email protected].

About Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
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 or radiographic criteria are met), the disease is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or IPF. IPF affects approximately 200,000 individuals in the United States (US), and 138,000 individuals in the European Union (EU). The annual mortality is estimated to be 40,000 in the US alone, with an average survival of 2–3 years following diagnosis.  There is no cure for IPF. There is no FDA-approved treatment for IPF in the US and limited therapeutic options available for individuals with mild-to-moderate IPF in the EU, Canada, and Asia.

About the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
The mission of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) is to help find a cure for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), advocate for the pulmonary fibrosis community, 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; PFF Summit 2013 will be held December 5–7, 2013, in La Jolla, California. For more information visit www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org or call 888.733.6741.

About National Jewish Health
National Jewish Health is known worldwide for treatment of patients with respiratory, cardiac, immune and related disorders, and for groundbreaking medical research. Founded in 1899 as a nonprofit hospital, National Jewish remains the only facility in the world dedicated exclusively to these disorders. Since 1998, U.S. News & World Report has ranked National Jewish the #1 respiratory hospital in the nation. For more information visit www.nationaljewish.org.

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

SOURCE The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation