What Is Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)?
What Is IPF?
IPF is a specific type of interstitial lung disease (ILD), or diseases that cause inflammation and scarring of the lungs
The I stands for “idiopathic,” which means the cause of IPF is unknown.
“Pulmonary” is another word for lungs.
“Fibrosis” refers to scarring.
Know the characteristics of IPF
IPF is progressive. This means that the scarring caused by IPF will continue to happen, and lung function will continue to get worse. Overtime, scarring becomes more widespread and lung function declines. IPF progresses rapidly for some people and slowly for others.
IPF is unpredictable. It is difficult to know how slowly or quickly IPF will progress. Each person's experience is different.
IPF is irreversible. Once there is scarring in the lungs, it cannot be reversed. Today, there is no cure for IPF, but there are treatment options that may slow its progression.
Ask your doctor about the progression of IPF over time.
How IPF Affects the Lungs
IPF is scarring of tissue in your lungs
This scarring, or fibrosis, may be the result of tiny injuries deep in your lungs that do not heal properly.
These injuries lead to progressive scarring of tissue in the small air sacs in your lungs (called alveoli). This scarring, or fibrosis, causes the lungs to stiffen.
Fibrosis may damage the lungs’ ability to exchange gases, such as oxygen with the blood.
Did you know that the average lung function loss in adults without IPF is 30 mL/year? But in IPF, the progressive scarring in the lung can lead to much greater annual loss.
IPF permanently damages lung function
Currently, there is no cure for IPF, but there are treatment options that may help delay disease progression.
“I want people to realize that IPF is just a disease. The diagnosis is not the end; it is the beginning — the beginning of personal development, potential, and change.”
Janet
Esbriet Ambassador
How Does IPF Affect Me?
With IPF, once damage occurs, it cannot be undone. That is why it is important to slow your IPF from progressing. The goal of treatment is to help slow progression of the disease.
How Esbriet May Help Slow IPF
Preserving more of your lung function by slowing disease progression is essential, and Esbriet may help.
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Genentech’s educators are called Clinical Education Managers. They do not provide medical advice. If you have questions about your health or treatment, you are encouraged to contact your health care provider.
Genentech’s educators are called Clinical Education Managers. They do not provide medical advice. If you have questions about your health or treatment, you are encouraged to contact your health care provider.
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Zitter Health Insights. Policy & Access Tracking Tool for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Published September 2017.
Zitter Health Insights. Policy & Access Tracking Tool for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Published September 2017.
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Independent co-pay assistance foundations have their own rules for eligibility. We cannot guarantee a foundation will help you. We only can refer you to a foundation that supports your disease state. We do not endorse or show financial preference for any particular foundation. The foundations we refer you to are not the only ones that might be able to help you.
Independent co-pay assistance foundations have their own rules for eligibility. We cannot guarantee a foundation will help you. We only can refer you to a foundation that supports your disease state. We do not endorse or show financial preference for any particular foundation. The foundations we refer you to are not the only ones that might be able to help you.
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The Medicare Extra Help program is not a Genentech program. It is administered by the Social Security Administration. The co-pay amount for Medicare Extra Help changes each year.
The Medicare Extra Help program is not a Genentech program. It is administered by the Social Security Administration. The co-pay amount for Medicare Extra Help changes each year.
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This Esbriet $5 Co-pay Program is valid ONLY for patients with commercial insurance who have a valid prescription for a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved indication of a Genentech medication. Patients using Medicare, Medicaid or any other federal or state government program to pay for their medications are not eligible.
Under the program, the patient will pay a co-pay. After reaching the maximum program benefit, the patient will be responsible for all out-of-pocket expenses.
All participants are responsible for reporting the receipt of all program benefits as required by any insurer or by law. No party may seek reimbursement for all or any part of the benefit received through this Program. The program is only valid in the United States and U.S. Territories. This program is void where prohibited by law and shall follow state restrictions in relation to AB-rated generic equivalents (e.g., MA, CA) where applicable. The patient, guardian, prescriber, hospital and any other person using the program agree not to seek reimbursement for all or any part of the benefit received by the patient through the offer of this program. Genentech reserves the right to rescind, revoke or amend the program without notice at any time. Additional terms and conditions apply. Please visit EsbrietCopay.com for the full list of Terms and Conditions.
This Esbriet $5 Co-pay Program is valid ONLY for patients with commercial insurance who have a valid prescription for a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved indication of a Genentech medication. Patients using Medicare, Medicaid or any other federal or state government program to pay for their medications are not eligible.
Under the program, the patient will pay a co-pay. After reaching the maximum program benefit, the patient will be responsible for all out-of-pocket expenses.
All participants are responsible for reporting the receipt of all program benefits as required by any insurer or by law. No party may seek reimbursement for all or any part of the benefit received through this Program. The program is only valid in the United States and U.S. Territories. This program is void where prohibited by law and shall follow state restrictions in relation to AB-rated generic equivalents (e.g., MA, CA) where applicable. The patient, guardian, prescriber, hospital and any other person using the program agree not to seek reimbursement for all or any part of the benefit received by the patient through the offer of this program. Genentech reserves the right to rescind, revoke or amend the program without notice at any time. Additional terms and conditions apply. Please visit EsbrietCopay.com for the full list of Terms and Conditions.
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To be eligible for free Genentech medicine from the Genentech Patient Foundation, insured patients who have coverage for their medicine must have exhausted all other forms of patient assistance (including the Esbriet $5 Co-pay Program and support from independent co-pay assistance foundations) and must meet certain financial criteria. Uninsured patients and insured patients without coverage for their medicine must meet different financial criteria.
To be eligible for free Genentech medicine from the Genentech Patient Foundation, insured patients who have coverage for their medicine must have exhausted all other forms of patient assistance (including the Esbriet $5 Co-pay Program and support from independent co-pay assistance foundations) and must meet certain financial criteria. Uninsured patients and insured patients without coverage for their medicine must meet different financial criteria.
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Eligible patients will pay as little as $5 per valid prescription, subject to a maximum benefit of $25,000 for a 12-month period.
Eligible patients will pay as little as $5 per valid prescription, subject to a maximum benefit of $25,000 for a 12-month period.
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