Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

People with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) related to use of methamphetamine — a potent stimulant only legally available by prescription — tend to have worse heart health and poorer exercise capacity compared with patients with other forms of PAH. That’s according to a new study, “Methamphetamine-associated…

A protein called SPHK2 helps to drive pulmonary hypertension (PH) by changing the epigenetic profiles of cells in blood vessels, a study reports. Epigenetics refers to changes in gene activity that do not change the genetic code itself. As such, study findings imply that blocking SPHK2 or otherwise reversing…

The Phase 2b portion of the IMPAHCT clinical trial, which is testing multiple doses of the inhaled imatinib formulation AV-101 against a placebo in adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), has finished enrollment. Top-line results are expected in June 2024, according to AV-101’s developer, Aerovate Therapeutics. “The completion…

Tenax Therapeutics is planning to soon launch a Phase 3 clinical trial of TNX-103, an oral formulation of levosimendan, in people with pulmonary hypertension and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (PH-HFpEF). The company announced it received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct…

Beyond Air has been given an innovative technology contract from Vizient for its LungFit PH system, which was approved in the U.S. last year to administer nitric oxide to treat persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN). “We’re very happy and honored…

Endotronix has been cleared by U.S. regulators to launch a clinical trial testing its Cordella Sensor, an implanted device that measures the pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs, in people with heart failure that slightly limits their physical activity. The study, given the green light by…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has agreed to review an application seeking approval of sotatercept as a treatment for adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The FDA has given the application priority review, shortening the review time from the usual 10 months to six months. A decision…

Note: This story was updated Jan. 30, 2024, to correct the approved indications of available treprostinil formulations. Amid ongoing litigation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has agreed to review an application from Liquidia that seeks to extend the approval of Yutrepia — an inhaled dry powder…

Treatment with VU6047534, an experimental therapy that blocks the activity of a specific type of serotonin receptor, reduced strain on the heart in a mouse model of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in a new study. The study, “Development of a Peripherally Restricted 5-HT2B Partial Agonist for Treatment…

Treatment with sotatercept in addition to standard pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) therapies significantly improved measures of heart health for adults with the disease, according to a new analysis of the STELLAR trial. Results from the Phase 3 trial had already shown the therapy enhanced walking abilities in the participants…

A Phase 3 clinical trial testing high-dose Opsumit (macitentan) in people with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) has ended early after an analysis showed the treatment is unlikely to help patients. The announcement was made in a press release from Janssen, the company that markets Opsumit. Opsumit…

The protein LTBP1 is active at high levels in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and may be a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target in the disease, a new study indicates. “Our study suggests that LTBP1 is involved in the development of PAH and serves as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic…