Patricia Inácio, PhD,  science writer—

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…

Small vesicles, called exosomes, released by mesenchymal stem cells helped to ease vascular remodeling in a rat model of pulmonary hypertension (PH), a study reports. The study “Mesenchymal stromal cell-derived exosomes improve pulmonary hypertension through inhibition of pulmonary vascular remodeling” was published in the journal …

The number of treatments for children with rare diseases has grown over the past decade, according to a new study. However, despite the increase, nearly 7,000 rare diseases are still lacking treatment. And federal incentives to boost treatment development for these rare diseases have primarily focused not on creating new…

Men with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) are more likely to carry mutations in the BMPR2 gene, a known genetic risk factor for PAH, a study from China found. Male PAH patients had more severe disease and were diagnosed at younger age than women. The results support the therapeutic potential…

The buildup in the lungs and plasma of oxidized low-density lipoproteins, or LDLs — one of the major vehicles for the transport of cholesterol and other types of fatty molecules in the body — is associated with the progression of pulmonary hypertension (PH), a study reports. However,…

Minimal incisions, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery are some of the advantages of robotic heart surgery to repair a leaky mitral valve — a risk factor for pulmonary hypertension (PH) — compared to conventional open-heart surgery, says a cardiovascular surgeon at the Mayo Clinic. Patients with…

Preliminary data from the Phase 2 HELP study testing levosimendan as a potential treatment for pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (PH-HFpEF) showed that 86% of those analyzed responded to the therapy, with less pressure evident on heart’s left atrium. The ongoing trial’s predefined response criterion — the…

Bellerophon Therapeutics’ vasodilator INOpulse increased physical activity and improved quality of life in people with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD) who are at risk of pulmonary hypertension, top-line results from a Phase 2/3 clinical trial show. These results are from the second group of patients taking part in…

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is highly prevalent and linked to increased mortality and hospitalization among patients who underwent minimally invasive transcatheter mitral valve repair — the repair of the valve placed between the two chambers in the left side of the heart — according to a retrospective study. The study,…

New preclinical data supports the positive effects of Liminal Biosciences’s lead candidate, PBI-4050, in reducing pulmonary hypertension and the abnormal enlargement of the heart’s right ventricle muscle. The company presented its latest data on two posters at the American Heart Association 2019 conference, held recently in Philadelphia. The…

Fifteen out of 18 patients (83%) enrolled in the Phase 2 HELP study testing levosimendan achieved the predefined response required in the open-label phase of the study, Tenax Therapeutics announced. The investigational therapy is a potential treatment for pulmonary hypertension (PH) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (PH-HFpEF). The response…

Oral treatment with rodatristat ethyl is safe and reduced the levels of serotonin — a hormone whose high levels may promote the tightening of pulmonary artery muscle cells — in healthy volunteers, a study has shown. The results were presented in a poster, titled “Once Daily Oral Dosing…