Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

A new startup company called Isterian Biotech has launched with the goal of developing new therapies for fibrotic diseases. Isterian is working to develop a first-in-class group of small molecules that would inhibit a protein called transglutaminase 2 (TG2), which plays a key role in fibrosis, or tissue scarring. Preclinical…

A Phase 2b clinical trial testing NP-120 (ifenprodil) as a treatment for chronic cough is expected to begin later this year, according to the therapy’s developer, Algernon Pharmaceuticals. But plans for a Phase 2b study of NP-120 in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are postponed “until…

Treatment with an extract of scorpion venom eased lung scarring in a mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis (PF), a study reported. The study, “Scorpion venom polypeptide governs alveolar macrophage M1/M2 polarization to alleviate pulmonary fibrosis,” was published in the journal Tissue and Cell. Scorpions and…

Pliant Therapeutics’ experimental oral anti-fibrotic therapy bexotegrast has received orphan drug designation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as a potential treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the company announced. EMA gives this designation to therapies that have the potential to improve care for conditions that affect fewer…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to ifenprodil, the active agent in NP-120, an investigational oral medicine for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). This designation gives Algernon Pharmaceuticals, as the therapy’s developer, certain incentives including tax credits, fee waivers, and a guarantee for…

Dosing has begun in healthy volunteers in a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the safety and pharmacological properties of LASN01, an experimental therapy for pulmonary fibrosis and other diseases characterized by excessive tissue scarring, or fibrosis. “The initiation of this trial is an important milestone for Lassen and continues…

Treatment with Haduvio (nalbuphine extended-release tablets) significantly reduced coughing for people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to top-line data from the Phase 2 CANAL trial. “It is very promising to see such a significant reduction in chronic cough in IPF patients with [Haduvio],” Peter Dicpinigaitis, MD, a professor…

The oral anti-fibrotic treatment Ofev (nintedanib) was found to be generally well-tolerated among children and adolescents with fibrosing interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) in the Phase 3 InPedILD clinical trial. “Data from the InPedILD trial demonstrate that [Ofev] has an acceptable safety and tolerability profile in children and adolescents with…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to EI-1071, an oral anti-inflammatory that Elixiron Immunotherapeutics is developing for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Orphan drug status is awarded by the FDA to therapies designed to improve medical care for rare disorders —…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given fast-track designation to DWN12088, an experimental anti-fibrotic medication that Daewoong Pharmaceutical is developing to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Fast track designation is given to therapies that are intended to treat serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need.