Patricia Inácio, PhD,  science writer—

Exposure to secondhand smoke, dust, or asbestos in the workplace is linked to a significantly higher risk of developing idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to findings of an Australian study. These results suggest that “the burden of IPF could be reduced by intensified tobacco control, occupational dust control measures…

Researchers have discovered the existence of unique subtypes of epithelial cells in the lungs of people with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) that may drive tissue scarring, or fibrosis. Their findings were published in the study, “Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals profibrotic roles of distinct epithelial and mesenchymal lineages in pulmonary…

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients taking antifibrotic therapies Ofev (nintedanib) or Esbriet (pirfenidone) had a mortality risk that was 37% lower than patients not treated with such therapies, a large registry-based study reports. The study, “Survival and Course of Lung Function in the Presence or Absence of Antifibrotic Treatment…

A real-world, multi-center study in Poland confirms the effectiveness and safety of two-year treatment with Esbriet (pirfenidone) for people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The study “A multicentre retrospective observational study on Polish experience of pirfenidone therapy in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: the PolExPIR study” was published…

Lung evaluations via a CT scan might help predict the mortality risk in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients more accurately than the decline in forced vital capacity, a study shows. The study, “Serial CT analysis in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: comparison of visual features that determine…

The Phase 2b GALACTIC-1 trial testing Galecto’s candidate GB0139 as an inhalation therapy for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has recruited more than 150 patients to date, remaining on track despite the current COVID-19 pandemic, the company announced. The study (NCT03832946), underway across centers in the U.S.,…

A cell therapy based on human and rat lung progenitor cells — called lung spheroid cells — reduced scarring (fibrosis) when infused in two rat models of pulmonary fibrosis (PF), a study has found. The safety and efficacy of human LSCs is expected to be tested in a Phase…

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has waived all requirements for in-person testing and signature at delivery for supplemental oxygen during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) is urging patients, healthcare providers, and oxygen suppliers to comply with the new CMS guidelines,…

A clinical trial in the U.K. is recruiting people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) to test Trevi Therapeutics’ nalbuphine extended release tablets to treat chronic cough, the company announced. Nalbuphine extended release (ER) acts in two ways: the small molecule blocks the mu opioid receptor, while it…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Bellerophon Therapeutics agreed on the design of Bellerophon’s Phase 3 trial to test INOpulse — inhaled nitric oxide — in people with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) who are at risk for pulmonary hypertension (PH), the company said. INOpulse is a device that…