Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Starts 2021 with Massive Media Month

We helped our client the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) bring awareness to the devastating lung disease affecting more than 200,000 Americans with a total of over 92.6 million impressions garnered in January. Below are a few stories and highlights from coverage secured throughout the month using a multifaced media approach. 

Feature Stories Drive Awareness
A byline article by Dr. Sonye Danoff, Senior Medical Advisor for the PFF Care Center Network, shared advice on how patients can pinpoint pulmonary fibrosis (PF) symptoms and talk to their doctors in the new year. The byline article was published via HubPages and the pitch was distributed via Newswise and to national consumer health media. Outlets including Health News Digest and News Break published stories on the guidance. In a SiriusXM Doctor Radio interview, Dr. Danoff discussed PF signs and symptoms, with emphasis on how a chronic cough can be a sign of something serious like PF.
Later in the month, a story idea highlighting smoking as a PF risk factor and leveraging the U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Smoking Cessation was distributed and pitched to national health media. The pitch generated extensive coverage from outlets including U.S. News & World Report, Medical Xpress, HealthDay, The HealthCast, Health News Digest and MedicineNet.

News Garners Coverage
A press release announcing United Therapeutics’ sponsorship of the PFF Registry was distributed via PR Newswire and Newswise, as well as directly to national health trade media. The announcement was shared by multiple outlets, including BioSpace, Patient Worthy, Clinical Hearts, Pulmonary Hypertension News and the American Association for Respiratory Care.

An additional press release about the first patient enrollment in the PRECISIONS study was distributed via PR Newswire, Newswise and directly to national health trade media. Stories on the announcement were published by RT Magazine, Ritz Herald, Psychiatry Intel and Stem Cell Science News, among others. Dr. Kevin Flaherty, Steering Committee Chairman for the PFF Care Center Network and PFF Registry, also completed a video interview with ACRPtv, where he discussed the role precision medicine played in developing the clinical trial.
We were thrilled to kick off 2021 with a fantastic month of media coverage for the PFF, and look forward to another successful year of driving awareness of this serious disease.