News

Galectin Therapeutics, Inc., announced that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for its patent application “Method for Treatment of Pulmonary Fibrosis” — number 13/999,389 — on its lead compound GR-MD-02. Galectin Therapeutics is currently developing carbohydrate-based therapies to treat…

A recent study showed that worsening symptoms of lung fibrosis in systemic sclerosis patients is linked to high levels of antibodies against the chemokine receptors Cxcr3 and Cxcr4. The results were revealed at the 4th Systemic Sclerosis World Congress held in Lisbon, Portugal, Feb. 18-20 in the presentation “Antibodies against chemokine…

Coinciding with the Rare Disease Day 2016 theme, “Patient Voice — Join us in making the voice of rare diseases heard,” an international survey’s results were released, giving voice to more than 500 idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients across 20 countries, and detailing the tumult of emotions they experience living with a…

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…