News

IVA337, the leading drug candidate from the biopharmaceutical company Inventiva, received a prize at the recent 4th Systemic Sclerosis World Congress  for its innovative character in treating systemic sclerosis. IVA337 is currently being tested in a Phase 2b clinical trial. At the congress, Inventiva researchers showed that IVA337 has…

Mitophagy, a protective mechanism against mitochondria reactive oxygen species (ROS), in lung macrophages is a key mechanism underlying the development of pulmonary fibrosis, according to a study titled “Macrophage Akt1 Kinase-Mediated Mitophagy Modulates Apoptosis Resistance and Pulmonary Fibrosis,” and published in the journal Immunity. Alveolar macrophages,…

Last week’s hot topic on pulmonary fibrosis was Country Music Star Joe Nichols Shares His Dad’s IPF Story in ‘Breathless,’ a Public Awareness Campaign written by Daniela Semedo. This article was about country music artist Joe Nichols partnering with Boehringer Ingelheim to raise awareness about idiopathic pulmonary…

Combined evidence from the TOMORROW and INPULSIS clinical trials confirms the safety and efficacy of OFEV (nintedanib, Boehringer Ingelheim) in slowing disease progression and greatly reducing acute exacerbations in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a study reported. The article detailing the pooled analyses of the clinical studies, “…

Medical device company XENiOS recently announced that it has invested $2.6 million in XOR-Labs Toronto, a spin-off of Toronto General Hospital at University Health Network (UHN), a world-leading center for lung transplantation. The startup company’s organ repair technology has the potential to help thousands of patients suffering from respiratory diseases, including pulmonary…

Redwood City, California-based Third Rock Ventures, LLC, a healthcare venture firm, recently announced $45 million in Series A financing to launch the biotechnology start-up company Pliant Therapeutics, Inc., with a mandate to discover, develop, and commercialize breakthrough drug treatments for fibrotic diseases. Pliant’s product engine has the potential to address the needs…

Country music artist Joe Nichols is partnering with Boehringer Ingelheim to raise awareness about idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Nichols’ father, Michael Nichols, suffered with IPF symptoms for three years before receiving the diagnosis, and he died from the condition at age 46. As part of a national education campaign called Breathless: A…

Morristown, New Jersey-based Capsugel, a provider of empty two-piece hard capsules and an innovator of drug delivery systems, and Pulmatrix, of Lexington, Massachusetts — a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company and developer of inhaled therapies for treating pulmonary fibrosis and other pulmonary diseases with its patented iSPERSE technology, are collaborating to develop…

Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., recently announced that it has completed a $47.1 million Series D preferred stock financing, which will be used to advance clinical trials into the company’s complement immunotherapy programs for diseases that include idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The complement system is part of…

A study from the University of Madras, India, showed that celastrol — a component of an extract from the Thunder God Vine root — was able to reduce inflammation, collagen deposition, and alveolar damage in a rat model of pulmonary fibrosis (PF). The effects were likely the result of a broad activation of…