News

Massachusetts, which adopted the nation’s first pulmonary hypertension (PH) law in January, has named the first members of an expert task force dealing with PH patient care. The PH law, signed by Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, requires the state to establish the task force to monitor and report on research, transplants, public awareness,…

The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) is joining Periwinkle Hearts Around the World, an 80-organization international campaign to raise awareness of pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients’ need for better access to care. Stiffness in the lung’s arteries and veins causes the high lung blood pressure that characterizes PH. Patients experience shortness of…

A Japanese study of nine families members who have heritable pulmonary arterial hypertension (HPAH) found different mutations in the same gene, called BMPR2, four of which had been identified before and four newly identified. Researchers also found a new mutation in another gene, KCNK3, that caused HPAH in another family. The researchers believe…

Two U.S. companies, Respira Therapeutics and United Therapeutics, will jointly develop and license RT234 and its dry-powder inhaler drug delivery technology AOS-DPI to treat pulmonary hypertension (PH) in the United States. Under the agreement, United, based in Silver Spring, Md., will finance the development of RT234 towards its approval by the U.S. Food and Drug…

A simple test with cord blood could predict which babies are at risk of developing a severe lung disease called bronchopulmonary dysplasia-associated pulmonary hypertension (BPD-PH), according to a study. If scientists can validate the test’s predictive ability, doctors could intervene to try to prevent the disease immediately after a baby is…

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients have given high marks to a new implanted,  programmable intravenous (IV) system that delivered Remodulin (treprostinil) to them with few complications, according to a clinical trial. The study, “Treprostinil Administered to Treat Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Using a Fully Implantable Programmable Intravascular Delivery System…

The INOpulse inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) delivery system improved lung-pressure measurements in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients, according to its maker, Bellerophon Therapeutics. It presented the results at the 37th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) in San Diego April 5-8. The title of…

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has completed its review of Uptravi (selexipag) and concluded that doctors may continue prescribing the drug to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), according to a press release. The 28-member European Union approved Uptravi for treating PAH in May 2016. However, after…

U.S. specialty biopharmas SteadyMed and United Therapeutics both issued media releases recently commenting on a ruling by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that declared invalid a United Therapeutics patent related to the drug treprostinil, a synthetic analogue of prostacyclin. Prostacyclin and its analogues are widely used in…

A researcher exploring stem cells to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), among other heart conditions, was recently inducted into the Johns Hopkins University Society of Scholars — an honorable group of scientists who include both Nobel laureates and Lasker Award winners. Eduardo Marbán, MD, PhD, director…

Due to regulatory delays, the U.S. launch of United Therapeutics‘s implanted pump system for the delivery of Remodulin (treprostinil) for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) will be postponed until 2018. “United Therapeutics’ commitment to bringing better therapies to patients transcends temporary delays or setbacks,” Martine Rothblatt, PhD,…

Letairis (ambrisentan) is a safe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) treatment, according to a  confirmation of the clinical trial findings that led to its approval in Europe. European regulators ordered the study to be on the safe side because of the trials’ small patient sample size. In addition to confirming oral…