News

BMS-986278 declared breakthrough therapy for progressive PF

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted breakthrough therapy designation to BMS-986278, Bristol Myers Squibb’s investigational therapy for progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PF). Breakthrough therapy designation is intended to expedite the development and review of medicines for serious or life-threatening diseases. The decision is based on preliminary…

Rituximab, chemotherapy elevate PF risk after COVID-19: Study

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,…

Study finds how extracellular histones drive lung fibrosis

Proteins called histones can trigger lung fibrosis (scarring) by prompting platelets, cell fragments involved in blood clotting, to release a signaling molecule called transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFB1), a new study found. TGFB1, in turn, blocks the production of interleukin-27 (IL-27), a signaling molecule that normally helps to limit…

Inhaled AP01 likely more effective, safer than Esbriet, Ofev

Treatment with AP01, Avalyn Pharma‘s experimental inhaled formulation of pirfenidone, appears to be slightly more effective for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) than the oral version, which is sold as Esbriet, and results in fewer side effects. AP01’s efficacy and safety profiles with progressive forms of pulmonary…

Endeavor completes enrollment in Phase 2 trial testing ENV-101

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…

Engineered stem cells could regenerate damaged tissue in PF

Scientists have developed a way to use engineered specialized stem cells to regenerate healthy airway tissues, offering a potential avenue for treating chronic lung diseases like pulmonary fibrosis (PF). In a pair of proof-of-concept preclinical studies published in Cell Stem Cell, scientists described how they engineered lung stem…

Supporters poised to ‘strike a pose’ for PF Awareness Month

Supporters are gearing up to mark Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month, set aside every September, to call attention to the rare lung disease that affects more than 250,000 individuals in the U.S. and 400,000 in Europe. For its part, the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF), with its campaign theme “Embrace Your…