Steve Bryson, PhD, science writer —

Pliant Therapeutics’ bexotegrast reversed the signs of lung scarring, while improving lung function and easing cough severity in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to top-line data from a small Phase 2a imaging trial. Using positron emission tomography (PET) scans, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital were able…

Researchers have developed an inhalable prototype medicine that may be able to repair lung scarring caused by idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) by stimulating the growth of stem cells directly in the lungs, a study reports. The study provides pharmacological proof of concept for an upcoming Phase 1 clinical trial…

Pliant Therapeutics’ Phase 2b BEACON-IPF trial testing bexotegrast, an investigational oral treatment, in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is now a pivotal, adaptive Phase 2b/3 trial. Accepted by European Union and global health authorities, the implementation of the adaptive design is expected to markedly shorten the therapy’s…

GRI Bio has been given the green light to begin a Phase 2a clinical trial testing its lead program candidate GRI-0621, a natural killer T-cell (NKT)-targeted therapy, in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in the U.K. The U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) cleared the…

Adults with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) who had greater diversity of mouth bacteria tended to have worse lung function and a higher risk of death than did those with a less diverse bacteria population in their mouths, a new large-scale study shows. Interestingly, however, those with a higher proportion…

Berberine, a naturally occurring plant compound, eased the signs and symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) in a mouse model where the disease was triggered by exposing animals to fine particulate matter found in air pollution. The findings “offer novel insights into the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of…

Use of cancer chemotherapy agents or rituximab to treat autoimmune diseases was associated with an increased risk of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) in people hospitalized with COVID-19, according to a large-scale U.S. study. Exposure to these medications, along with anti-inflammatory corticosteroids and amiodarone, used to treat certain heart rhythm disorders,…

The experimental oral therapy BMS-986278, taken at 60 mg twice daily for 26 weeks, resulted in a 69% reduction in the rate of lung function decline in adults with progressive pulmonary fibrosis taking part in a Phase 2 trial. These findings are consistent with previously reported data from…

A Phase 2a clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ENV-101 (taladegib), Endeavor BioMedicines’ oral treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), has completed patient enrollment. Top-line data from the study (NCT04968574), which enrolled 41 adults with mild-to-moderate IPF, ages 40 and older, at sites in…

GB0139, an investigational inhaled treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), failed to slow lung decline in IPF patients compared with a placebo, according to top-line data from the Phase 2b GALACTIC-1 trial. GB0139’s developer Galecto will discontinue the treatment. “We are very disappointed that the GALACTIC-1 results…