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FDA approves first drugs for deadly lung disease

By WTOP Staff

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug treatments for a deadly disease that causes severe lung damage.

The agency on Wednesday approved two novel treatments from Boehringer Ingelheim and Roche for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Patients with the disease experience lung damage over time that makes it difficult to breathe properly. Currently the disease is treated with oxygen therapy, rehabilitation and lung transplants.

Boehringer’s Ofev and Roche’s Esbriet both work by blocking mechanisms thought to cause lung scarring.

Pulmonary fibrosis can have multiple causes, including exposure to toxins and pollutants. The drugs approved Wednesday are for forms of the disease in which the cause is unknown. Many patients live less than five years after being diagnosed.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Emergency guide: What you should do to prepare for emergencies

By WTOP Staff
WASHINGTON — Do you know what you'd do if an emergency hits? What if you're at work, your spouse is stuck in traffic and your children are in school? There's no way to plan for every emergency, but you can make sure you're prepared for different scenarios, including making a plan for your family and building a kit of emergency supplies.
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