Joana Fernandes, PhD,  —

Bayer has launched a Phase 4 clinical trial called REPLACE to evaluate Adempas (riociguat) in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) who do not respond properly to treatment with certain inhibitors such as Revatio (sildenafil) or Adcirca (tadalafil). The study is also sponsored by Merck, and is expected to enroll…

Stem cells known as mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs) may contribute to the blood vessel anomalies causing pulmonary hypertension (PH), says a new study,  “Disruption of lineage specification in adult pulmonary mesenchymal progenitor cells promotes microvascular dysfunction,” that appeared in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Vascular anomalies in the lung are…

Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) could signal that a lupus patient is at risk of developing pulmonary hypertension (PH) and related conditions, according to a study. Researchers called for additional studies that would lead to doctors using the antibodies’ presence in blood to screen such patients and develop early treatment strategies for…

The INOpulse portable oxygen provider widened blood vessels, lowered blood pressure and increased exercise capacity in pulmonary hypertension patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (PH-IPF), according to a study. Bellerophon Therapeutics, which developed the device, reported the results at the American Thoracic Society International Conference in Washington. It also discussed plans for…

The prevalence of pregnant women with heart disease rose by 24 percent over a 10-year period, according to a study, “National Trends and In-Hospital Outcomes in Pregnant Women With Heart Disease in the United States,” that appeared in the American Journal of Cardiology. Researchers at New York’s Stony Brook…

Eiger BioPharmaceuticals will host a lunch May 10 in New York City to discuss the need for potential new mechanisms to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The event, to take place at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel, includes presentations by Stanford University’s Dr. Mark Nicolls and Dr. Roham Zamanian. Both…

Selexipag improved the condition of Japanese with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), according to a clinical trial. The United States and a number of other countries have approved the therapy, but Japan wanted a clinical trial specifically with Japanese patients before authorizing it. Selexipag is available in the U.S. under the brand…

Two U.S. companies, Respira Therapeutics and United Therapeutics, will jointly develop and license RT234 and its dry-powder inhaler drug delivery technology AOS-DPI to treat pulmonary hypertension (PH) in the United States. Under the agreement, United, based in Silver Spring, Md., will finance the development of RT234 towards its approval by the U.S. Food and Drug…

A significant proportion of patients with hyperthyroidism may have mild pulmonary hypertension (PH), according to the results of a recent study. Increased pulmonary vascular resistance may be the underlying cause of this association. The study, “Relationship Among Pulmonary Hypertension, Autoimmunity, Thyroid Hormones And Dyspnea In Patients With Hyperthyroidism,” was…

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) may be triggered by therapies used in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) treatment, namely the drugs Gleevec (imatinib), Tasigna (nilotinib), or Sprycel (dasatinib), according to a recent study. The study, titled “Comparative Analysis Of Pulmonary Hypertension In Patients Treated With Imatinib, Nilotinib And Dasatinib,” was published in the…

Inhaled Revatio (sildenafil) appears to be superior to current oral forms of this approved pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) treatment by allowing for lower doses and potentially fewer systematic side effects, researchers report. They also recommend that a nebulized form of Revatio be produced and moved into clinical testing in patients. The study reporting this finding, “Inhaled Sildenafil As An…

Screening patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) may help identify patients with both conditions sooner to start appropriate treatments, ensuring a better outcome, according to new research. The study, “Epidemiology And Disease Characteristics Of Systemic Sclerosis-Related Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Results From A Real-Life Screening Programme,” was published in…