News

Measuring blood vessel function in arm may help predict PH: Study

Measuring blood vessel function in the arm in a noninvasive way can help predict pulmonary hypertension (PH) when combined with certain heart measurements, a study has found. The study, “Endothelial Function Correlates With Pulmonary Pressures in Subjects With Clinically Suspected Pulmonary Hypertension,” was published in The American Journal…

Molecules in blood, urine may help detect PH in children with CHD

Two molecules, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), showed a potential to diagnose pulmonary hypertension  early in children with congenital heart disease based on their levels in blood and urine samples examined in a study. 5-HIAA is the main product of the breakdown of serotonin, a…

Economic burden in PAH mainly due to treatment, hospital costs

Healthcare costs were found to be more than eight times higher for people with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) compared with patients without the disease in a real-world study — which contributed to the greater economic burden seen for those being treated for PAH. These costs were mainly driven by…

Sildenafil may help treat PH in newborns at high altitudes

Sildenafil — a medication that relaxes blood vessels, thereby increasing blood flow — may possibly be used to treat neonatal pulmonary hypertension in babies born at high altitudes, where less oxygen is available for breathing. This is according to clinical observations by Alexandra Heath-Freudenthal, MD, a pediatric cardiologist, while…

FDA tentatively approves generic selexipag as PAH treatment

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has tentatively approved Alembic Pharmaceuticals‘ generic formulation of injectable selexipag as a treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). As a generic drug, which contains the same chemical substance as an approved treatment, it’s equivalent to Uptravi (selexipag) for injection (1,800…

New European patent covers Reviva’s brilaroxazine in PH

Reviva Pharmaceuticals has been granted a patent in Europe that covers using brilaroxazine, formerly RP5063, for pulmonary hypertension (PH). The patent covers patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and those who develop PH associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an inflammatory lung disorder, or sickle…

AI algorithm shows promise for early detection of PH: Study

Anumana‘s artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm shows promise for the early detection of pulmonary hypertension (PH), a study suggested. The PH Early Detection Algorithm, which analyzes data collected from a routine electrocardiogram (ECG) heart test, was developed by scientists at Anumana, Janssen Research and Development, the Mayo Clinic,…

EMA branch favors approving Winrevair to treat PAH across EU

An advisory committee of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is recommending that Winrevair (sotatercept) be approved for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in the Europe Union. Specifically, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) issued an opinion recommending that Winrevair to be used in…

Study identifies pro-inflammatory gut bacteria as PAH risk factor

A new study identifies the presence of bacteria from the genus Eubacterium fissicatena, known for their pro-inflammatory properties, as a risk factor for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). While the findings suggest “specific intestinal bacteria” are biomarkers for pulmonary PAH, and show “compelling evidence” that connects gut imbalance, or dysbiosis,…