Steve Bryson, PhD,  science writer—

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…

Dosing has begun in a clinical trial evaluating ARO-MMP7, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals’ investigational RNA interference (RNAi) therapy for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Expecting to enroll up to 56 healthy volunteers and 21 adults with IPF, the Phase 1/2a trial (NCT05537025) — dubbed AROMMP7-1001 — will evaluate the therapy’s…

A protein called DACT2 alleviated signs of lung scarring in mouse models of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), researchers reported. In tests in cells, DACT2 was found to work by suppressing glycolysis, an energy-producing metabolic process that is overactive in myofibroblasts, the cells involved in excess scar tissue formation in IPF.

The first-of-its-kind Vicore COMPANION Study is now recruiting participants across the U.S. to test Almee, a new artificial intelligence (AI) app designed to help people with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) manage their anxiety. Developed by Vicore Pharma, Almee is an investigational digital cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that uses…

Following the successful completion of preclinical studies, Saniona is now ready to initiate the regulatory process needed to start testing SAN903 — its therapy candidate for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and other disorders — in Phase 1 human trials. “Preclinical data for SAN903 are very compelling,” Thomas Feldthus,…

Boehringer Ingelheim has enrolled the first patient in FIBRONEER-IPF, a Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of BI 1015550, an investigational therapy for people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The trial is part of the FIBRONEER global program, which also includes FIBRONEER-ILD, a similar Phase…

Piceatannol, a natural compound with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, eased the signs and symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) in mice, a study reported. According to its researchers, these findings indicate that piceatannol could be a promising treatment candidate for PF. The study, “Piceatannol-mediated JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway inhibition…