As part of the partnership, Boehringer Ingelheim and Duke Clinical Research Institute will initiate a prospective, multi-center IPF registry in the US, as well as establish a biomarker bank to identify potential blood or genetic markers of the disease that correlate with patient outcomes.
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Clinical Development and Medical Affairs senior vice president Dr Tunde Otulana noted the company is excited by this research partnership with Duke Clinical Research Institute as it represents an important step to understanding a disease for which there has been a minimal amount of understanding.
"Our partnership with Duke Clinical Research Institute represents an important step for our company. We believe this approach will allow us to accomplish together certain research goals that we might not otherwise have achieved separately," Dr Otulana added.
The first project will be the development of the Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Outcomes Registry (IPF-PRO), a long-term study that will collect and analyze data over time from a large group of patients. This prospective, observational study is designed to provide a better understanding of the natural progression of IPF and treatment approaches for people with the condition and will launch shortly.
Research indicates that IPF may affect as many as 132,000 people in the United States and the patient population may be increasing. Most patients with IPF die from the disease within three to five years of diagnosis.