Over 100 pulmonologists and rheumatologists gathered to attend the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (‘META’) region’s first Interstitial Lung Disease (‘ILD’) Summit, organized by Boehringer Ingelheim

• Physicians report that 18–32% of patients with ILD might develop progressive pulmonary fibrosis leading to lung function decline, deterioration in the quality of life, and early mortality[1]
• Pulmonary fibrosis is a threat across many ILDs, including those originating from connective tissue diseases such as Systemic Sclerosis (‘SSc-ILD’) and Rheumatoid Arthritis (‘RA’).[2]

United Arab Emirates, Dubai – 21st November 2021: Leading healthcare professionals from across the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (‘META’) gathered at the region’s first Interstitial Lung Disease (‘ILD’) Summit, an event dedicated to discussing treatment and management of rare respiratory conditions. Organized by Boehringer Ingelheim, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, the event took place on November 19th and 20th at the Conrad Hotel in Dubai.

Over 100 pulmonologists and rheumatologists from the META region, and 13 international speakers and moderators, convened for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the summit, attendees were presented with the latest guidelines and insights on effectively detecting and managing ILDs, with expert speakers highlighting the need for a multidisciplinary approach to treat such rare diseases. Workshops on topics such as High-Resolution Computed Tomography (‘HRCT’) readings were also conducted to help address challenges in the diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis in ILDs, such as Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (‘IPF’), Progressive Fibrosis (‘PF’), and Systemic Sclerosis (‘Ssc-ILD’).

ILDs are a group of diseases that affect the interstitium – the lace-like network of tissue and space around the air sacs of the lungs. The condition is characterized by a build-up of scar tissue that worsens over time, causing the lungs to become stiff and making it difficult for the patient to breathe. As ILDs are chronic progressive diseases, patients typically experience deteriorating lung function, resulting in a reduction in their independence and quality of life.[3]

Mohammed Al-Tawil, Regional Managing Director and Head of Human Pharma at Boehringer Ingelheim for the META region, said, “Diagnosing ILDs is challenging due to their diverse and complex nature. Moreover, it can be a long and frustrating process for both patients and physicians as some of the ILDs share their symptoms with other respiratory conditions. At Boehringer Ingelheim, we build on our 100-year heritage in respiratory care to address such conditions by developing innovative treatment solutions that can slow down the rate of decline in lung function for chronic fibrosing ILD. Through this summit, we aim to strengthen our partnership with the region’s medical experts and provide a forum for discussion on recent developments in the treatment and management of ILDs, to improve the quality of life of patients living with these debilitating disorders.”

Dr. Bassam Mahboub, Head of Pulmonary Medicine at Rashid Hospital and Secretary General of the Emirates Thoracic Society, said, “ILDs are a group of more than 200 heterogeneous, rare or infrequently seen lung disorders that may involve the risk of developing pulmonary fibrosis[4],[5],[6]. Less common forms of lung disease are often overlooked, highlighting a significant need for the medical community to address them as a priority. Forums such as the ILD Summit help to close this gap and provide a platform for professionals in the region to discuss the best way forward in reducing the burden of rare respiratory diseases for our patients.”

Dr. Nelly Ziade, MD Rheumatology, and PhD Public Health, FRCP at Hotel Dieu de France and Saint Joseph University Beirut said, “Pulmonary fibrosis is a threat across many ILDs, including those originating from connective tissue diseases such as Systemic Sclerosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis [7]. Approximately 25 percent of patients living with scleroderma develop significant lung involvement within three years of diagnosis[8]. Early diagnosis is vital, as it can slow down the decline in lung function, and reduce the risk of early mortality[9],[10]. Scientific forums like the ILD Summit help in encouraging partnerships with the medical community and incubate new ideas to tackle the burden of rare diseases on our patients and communities.”

The ILD Summit has been accredited by the American Association of Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). Boehringer Ingelheim runs several programs aimed at empowering local and regional specialists with knowledge and international best practices in the management of ILDs. One such initiative is the comprehensive ‘Preceptorship Program’, which gives local and international experts a platform to connect and explore opportunities for building ILD centers, which are important in supporting patients and improving treatment outcomes.

Commenting on the event, Mr. Marwan Janahi, Chairman of the UAE Rare Disease Society, said, “Our Society works with patients, families and the medical community to raise awareness of rare diseases, and to support those living with rare conditions. Through partnerships with the region’s medical community, we can find ways to address the unmet needs of patients and families. We support initiatives like the ILD Summit as this is a platform that brings together medical experts to promote knowledge exchange backed by scientific research. This is what will ultimately benefit our patient community by helping to ensure that those with rare diseases can be diagnosed and treated, now and in the future.”

As Boehringer Ingelheim continues to create community awareness campaigns on lesser-known conditions, the organization has developed an ILD website to educate the general public on rare respiratory diseases.

ENDS

About Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim is working on breakthrough therapies that improve the lives of humans and animals. As a leading research-driven biopharmaceutical company, the company creates value through innovation in areas of high unmet medical need. Founded in 1885 and family-owned ever since, Boehringer Ingelheim takes a long-term perspective. Around 52,000 employees serve more than 130 markets in the three business areas, Human Pharma, Animal Health, and Biopharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing. Learn more at www.boehringer-ingelheim.com.

About the Interstitial Lung Disease (‘ILD’) Summit 2021

The ILD summit focused on different types of  ILDs – Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) - a rare, debilitating, and lifelong disease in which the lungs become scarred and thickened, making it increasingly difficult for patients to breathe, with no known cause,[1],[2],[3] Systemic Sclerosis (Ssc) – ILD, which is a disfiguring, disabling and potentially fatal rare disease that causes scarring of the lungs (SSc-ILD), and Progressive Fibrosing ILD (PF-ILD),  a disease behavior observed in some patients across different ILDs, of which IPF is the most typical example.[11]

For more information, please contact:

Hazar Alzaki

Head of Communications, Public and Government Affairs

Middle East, Turkey, and Africa
Boehringer Ingelheim 

Email: hazar.alzaki@boehringer-ingelheim.com   
 

OR

Feda Kassem

Associate Director

GCI Health Middle East 
Email: feda.kassem@gcihealth.com 

[1] [Wijsenbeek2018/pg1/Par/ln14-18; pg2/labels to y axis]

(Data based on online surveys with 486 physicians)

[2] [Demedts2001/p1/General epidemiological aspects/para1/ln1-4]
[Cottin2018/pg2/ln1-2]
[Flaherty2017/pg1/col1/par1/Ln1-2]

[3] Boehringer-ingelheim.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/respiratory/progressive-fibrosing-ild> [Accessed 20 October 2021].

[4] Erj.ersjournals.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/erj/18/32_suppl/2s.full.pdf> [Accessed 15 November 2021].

[5] Err.ersjournals.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://err.ersjournals.com/content/errev/27/150/180076.full.pdf> [Accessed 15 November 2021].

[6] Bmjopenrespres.bmj.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/bmjresp/4/1/e000212.full.pdf> [Accessed 15 November 2021].

[7] Raghu2004/p1/introduction/ln1-6]
[Cottin2018/pg2/par2/ln6-8; par3/ln3-6]
[Wijsenbeek2018/pg1/Par1/ln14-18; pg2/labels to y axis]
[“insidious” Wells2018/pg4/par2/ln1-2]

[8] 5 McNearney TA, Reveille JD, Fischbach M, et al. Pulmonary involvement in systemic sclerosis: associations with genetic, serologic, sociodemographic, and behavioral factors. Arthritis Rheum. 2007;57(2):318-326. doi:10.1002/art.22532

[9] [Flaherty2017/p1/col1/introduction/para1/ln9-15; col2/par1/ln1-4; p4/col2/discussion/para1/ln5-10]
[Cottin2018/pg2/par2/ln2-4]

[10] [Richeldi2017/pg4/col2/par6/ln1-5; pg5/col1/par2/ln12-15; pg7/col1/par4/ln4-7; par5/ln1-4]
[Richeldi2018/pg2/par2/ln2-3]

[11] Boehringer-ingelheim.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/respiratory/progressive-fibrosing-ild> [Accessed 20 October 2021].

[1] Cleveland Clinic. 2021. Pulmonary Fibrosis: What is It, Causes, Symptoms, Testing & Treatment. [online] Available at: <https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/10959-pulmonary-fibrosis> [Accessed 23 August 2021].

[2] British Lung Foundation. 2021. What is pulmonary fibrosis? - British Lung Foundation. [online] Available at: <https://www.blf.org.uk/support-for-you/pulmonary-fibrosis/what-is-pulmonary-fibrosis> [Accessed 1 September 2021].

[3] Martinez FJ, Collard HR, Pardo A, et al. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2017;3:17074.