News

Patients with blood clots in the lungs known as chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) can benefit from balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA), a new study shows. The procedure is an alternative to the standard treatment for CTEPH — pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) — in patients who are not eligible…

Scleroderma patients with newly diagnosed pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have significantly higher healthcare costs than those without PAH, a Colorado study shows. The researchers said scleroderma patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) also face higher costs. Both lung conditions are associated with poorer scleroderma patient survival, demonstrating the  need for…

SteadyMed Therapeutics will do more testing to answer American regulators’ questions about the safety and effectiveness of its PatchPump pulmonary hypertension therapy delivery device. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration rejected the company’s New Drug Application for the device, which delivers Trevyent (treprostinil). It said SteadyMed needs to submit…

A single-dose of Ventavis (inhaled iloprost) is safe and effective in treating pulmonary hypertension (PH) associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), with greatest efficacy seen in patients with severe PH, a study by researchers in China reports. The study “Hemodynamic and gas exchange effects of…

The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) has unveiled eligibility criteria for patients and caregivers applying for stipends to attend next year’s PHA International PH Conference and Scientific Sessions in Orlando, Florida. The event, set for June 29 to July 1, is open to pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients, their caregivers and community…

A study in mice offers insight into why women are more susceptible to developing pulmonary hypertension than men. It suggests that genes in the Y chromosome – which confers the male sex – may protect against the development of pulmonary hypertension. The finding suggests that differences in susceptibility to the…

Anti-clotting agents can prevent pulmonary hypertension patients’ blood vessels from being blocked, but managing the agents can be challenging, a study reports. In fact, it contends that managing them in a less than optimal way can lead to severe complications. The team defined less than optimal as prescribing too little…

Adempas (riociguat) can be a safe way to treat children with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) who don’t respond to first-line standard therapies, concludes a case report published in the journal Pulmonary Circulation. Despite recent medical advances, PAH remains a complex disease with poor outcomes in both…

PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals has secured $15.6 million in funds to develop its pipeline for orphan drugs led by PB1046, which is designed to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), heart failure, cardiomyopathy and cystic fibrosis. Silicon Valley Bank is loaning PhaseBio $7.5 million, to be allocated in increments subject to certain…

Patients with mutations in the EIF2AK4 gene have worse outcomes than others with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), researchers report, suggesting that genetic tests be given these people — often diagnosed with PAH — to determine if they actually have pulmonary vena-occlusive disease (PVOD) or pulmonary capillary hemangiomatosis (PCH) and can be treated…

A retrospective study showed that pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)-specific drug therapies do not raise the risk of respiratory tract infections (RTIs). The Chinese study, “Incidence and risk of respiratory tract infection associated with specific drug therapy in pulmonary arterial hypertension: a systematic review” appeared in the journal…

Beginning in January 2018, people with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and their caregivers can apply for stipends to attend next year’s Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) International PH Conference and Scientific Sessions in Orlando, Florida. Both U.S. and foreign patients — adults and children alike — are eligible for the scholarships, which…