News

Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT), a clinical-stage biopharma focused on developing novel therapeutics for blood-based disorders, is discontinuing its GBT440 program for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The decision came after GBT evaluated the results from three studies, including one Phase 1 study and two Phase 2a…

More therapies are now available for the 30 million or so people with rare diseases in the U.S. than ever before, and millions of dollars are being invested in clinical studies that will test new ways of evaluating — and advancing — potential treatments, including the use of natural history…

The diabetes therapy vildagliptin reduces lung scarring after bacteria-related lung damage, according to a study in mice. It does this by preventing endothelial cells that line lung blood vessels from transforming themselves into stem cells — a process lungs use to protect themselves from the bacteria-related attack, known as an…

Results from the RECAP clinical trial, which was conducted over five years, support the long-term safety of Esbriet (pirfenidone) in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The study, “An Open-Label Study of the Long-Term Safety of Pirfenidone in Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (RECAP),” was recently published in…

Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are likely to experience symptoms for years before their diagnosis, a British study reports. University of Nottingham researchers analyzed symptoms in the medical charts of newly diagnosed patients to reach their conclusion. Breathlessness was the most common symptom, the team found. The research,…

A small bacterial protein called R1R2 reduced fibrosis-promoting cells’ ability to go from the blood, where they normally reside, to lung tissue, a mouse study shows. The research, “R1R2 peptide ameliorates pulmonary fibrosis in mice through fibrocyte migration and differentiation,” was published in the journal PLOs One. Scientists…

Pulmonary rehabilitation programs can significantly improve exercise ability, breathing, and overall quality of life in patients with pulmonary diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and should be considered as “a first line therapy” for these people, researchers report. Indeed, the study “Effectiveness of pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with…

Long-term use of Boehringer Ingelheim’s Ofev (nintedanib) prevents disease progression in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to the latest results of the TOMORROW trial and its open-label extension. The study, “Long-term treatment of patients with idiopathic pulmonary…

A protein called RUNX2 contributes to lung tissue scarring, which makes it a good target for the development of a pulmonary fibrosis treatment, a study reported. It does this differently in two types of lung cells, suggesting that scientists might need to develop therapies that targeted each of the cell types,…

A small RNA molecule, called microRNA 101, prevents the proliferation and activation of fibroblasts, thereby eliminating pulmonary fibrosis (PF) in mice, researchers at Oklahoma State University (OSU) have found. Their study, “MicroRNA-101 attenuates pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting fibroblast proliferation and activation,” appeared in the Journal of Biological…