Richard Marshall, MD, PhD
Great progress has been made in the treatment of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, but the use of molecular markers to implement precision medicine could revolutionize treatment in the near future.
“We need to understand for a given patient at a given stage of disease what core biological mechanisms are driving their disease, so we can identify the best treatment and optimize the risks and benefits,” says Richard Marshall, MD, PhD, one of the moderators for “The Road to Precision Medicine in IPF: Biomarkers and Clinical Predictors.”
Seven presenters will explain the role of molecular markers, the potential value of lung and bronchoalveolar lavage molecular analyses in diagnosis and management, and new findings on the clinical management of patients with IPF.
The session will be presented from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Moscone Center, Room 135 (North Building, Lower Level).
Those advances will build on the use of two new medicines—pirfenidone and nintedanib—that have been approved for treatment of patients with IPF.
“With the recent arrival of these two medicines, plus the promise of more to come, not surprisingly the respiratory community’s attention is turning to personalization,” says Dr. Marshall, vice president of respiratory, GlaxoSmithKline, United Kingdom.
A great amount of information has been collected about the use of molecular markers, and speakers in the interactive session will use social media and dynamic interaction to discuss the potential for clinical application.
“There is a good opportunity to identify biomarkers in blood, urine, or lung samples, with a number of very plausible candidate markers already having been identified,” Dr. Marshall says. “Attendees will hear a lot more about these at the session, as well as about collaborative efforts to further identify and refine the best biomarkers to use. I think we should be optimistic that they are out there, which is good news for patients.”
“The Road to Precision Medicine in IPF: Biomarkers and Clinical Predictors” (D82) is supported by an educational grant from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Genentech.