News

Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania identified two populations of lung mesenchymal cells that may play a distinct role such in diseases as pulmonary fibrosis — one that seems to protect against disease and the other possibly promoting it when things go awry. Results suggest that future therapies targeting each cell type…

Synairgen and Pharmaxis are preparing a Phase 1 clinical trial of PXS-5382A for pulmonary fibrosis and other tissue-scarring disorders. Positive results of preclinical-trial studies on the therapy’s pharmacology — the way it works — and toxicology paved the way for the trial, the company said. PXS-5382A blocks an enzyme known…

A combination of Ofev (nintedanib) and Esbriet (pirfenidone) is as safe a therapy for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis as the individual components alone, a Phase 4 clinical trial indicates. Preliminary trial findings also suggested that the combination might be more effective than either therapy alone, although researchers said this needs to…

Boehringer Ingelheim has extended its collaboration with Inventiva on developing treatments for tissue-scarring conditions such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or IPF. The company exercised an option to continue the partnership, which began in 2016. A joint research team has identified a target for a fibrosis therapy, and preliminary results indicate…

When Susan Arick Spears learned of her father’s illness, she felt blindsided. “I hung up the phone and just stared out the window. For hours.” The call came in October 2016, she said in a recent interview with Pulmonary Fibrosis News, while she was traveling with her work.  First, the doctor talked with her…

miRagen Therapeutics will release preclinical data supporting an inhaled version of its investigational treatment MRG-201 for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress that opens Saturday. At the meeting, which runs Sept. 9–13 in Milan, Italy, miRagen will present the poster, “Feasibility, distribution, and efficacy of…

The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation is marking Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month in September with a range of festivities across the United States. Some of the activities will allow patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals to share their stories and knowledge with each other. The first event will be the inaugural walk…

Researchers at New York’s Columbia University have developed a new way of restoring lung function by replacing airway surface cells in a scaffold containing supportive cells and blood vessels — an approach that offers promise in treating lung diseases and improving lung transplant survival rates. Their study, “Functional vascularized…

The influence of smoking on the course of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is complex, and a recent study did not manage to significantly disentangle the relationship. While smoking appeared to influence the onset of IPF, with current smokers falling ill at a younger age, the study found no impact of smoking…

Research into key drivers of fibrosis will be used by a Singapore-funded biotechnology start-up, Enleofen Bio, to possibly develop first-in-class therapeutics for pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and other fibrosis-related diseases. The intellectual property that came from the work performed at two Singapore institutions, Duke-NUS Medical School (Duke-NUS) and National Heart Centre…