Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

Treatment with Acceleron Pharma’s sotatercept leads to substantial improvements in cardiac parameters, as well as exercise tolerance and capacity, in people with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) on standard therapies, early data from the SPECTRA Phase 2 trial show. The findings, “SPECTRA and Beyond: Signs of Disease Modification?…

A new virtual tool, called VEST, is aiding clinicians in remotely diagnosing people with Group 1 pulmonary hypertension (PH) per the World Health Organization (WHO) classification, a new study reports. VEST, short for virtual echocardiography screening tool, uses images from routine echocardiography exams of a person’s heart to…

People with intermediate-risk pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) who failed to respond adequately to phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE5i) show significant benefits when transitioned to Adempas (riociguat) treatment, a Phase 4 trial has found. A total of 41% of patients who made that transition experienced significant clinical improvements, compared with…

The five-year survival rate is markedly reduced among adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) due to congenital heart disease (CHD), compared with other types of CHD, real-world data from the COMPERA-CHD registry show. This worse mortality rate occurred despite the increasing number of PAH-targeted combination therapies now available for…

Preterm babies with the lung condition bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) — a risk factor for the development of pulmonary hypertension (PH) — have lower levels of the anti-aging-associated protein Klotho, a study shows. The results support the potential for Klotho as a biomarker for BPD. Moreover, early Klotho…

Anodal block, a technique based on electrical nerve stimulation, allows for the selective activation of fibers in the vagus nerve, a key nerve that runs through the neck and controls the workings of the heart and lungs, an early study in mice reported. A more controlled activation of the vagus…

Increasing the levels of a tiny RNA molecule known as microRNA-483 enhanced the function of endothelial cells and eased the symptoms of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in rat models of the disease, a new study shows. The results support the potential of microRNA-483 as a potential therapy for PAH. The study,…

Six weeks of treatment with levosimendan significantly lowered pressure on the heart and improved physical capacity among people with pulmonary hypertension and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (PH-HFpEF), findings from a Phase 2 trial show. The investigational treatment, by Tenax Therapeutic, however, did…

Changes in the epigenetic profile — a collection of marks that turn genes on and off  — of pulmonary arterial endothelial cells from people with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) may contribute to disease development, a study suggests. The study, “Remodeling of active endothelial enhancers is associated with aberrant…

Kalytera Therapeutics intends to acquire Salzman Group, a company developing R-107 — a liquid form of nitric oxide — to possibly treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), lung disease associated with COVID-19, and other lung disorders, the company announced. Its acquisition of the Massachusetts-based company should be completed by…

United Therapeutics has temporarily stopped enrolling patients in ongoing clinical trials of treprostinil-based therapies for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the company announced. Treprostinil is a man-made version of the hormone prostacyclin, a natural compound that helps blood vessels relax and widen, prevents arteries from blocking, and…

United Therapeutics’ Orenitram (treprostinil) improves heart function and lowers risk status in people with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) who had begun treatment with another approved therapy, new data from a Phase 3 clinical trial show. Moreover, compared with Actelion’s Uptravi (selexipag), treatment with Orenitram was linked to significantly…