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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…

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) may be mitigated by pulmonary thromboendarterectomy, which prevents the need for lung transplant, a new case report shows. The study, “Pulmonary Thromboendarterectomy for Pulmonary Hypertension Before Considering Transplant,” appeared in The Ochsner Journal. CTEPH is observed in approximately 4% of cases…

A significant proportion of patients with hyperthyroidism may have mild pulmonary hypertension (PH), according to the results of a recent study. Increased pulmonary vascular resistance may be the underlying cause of this association. The study, “Relationship Among Pulmonary Hypertension, Autoimmunity, Thyroid Hormones And Dyspnea In Patients With Hyperthyroidism,” was…

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) may be triggered by therapies used in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) treatment, namely the drugs Gleevec (imatinib), Tasigna (nilotinib), or Sprycel (dasatinib), according to a recent study. The study, titled “Comparative Analysis Of Pulmonary Hypertension In Patients Treated With Imatinib, Nilotinib And Dasatinib,” was published in the…

An imaging technique called optical coherence tomography (OCT) can effectively determine abnormalities in the lung vasculature of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), a study shows. The study, “Optical coherence tomography evaluation of pulmonary arterial vasculopathy in Systemic Sclerosis,” appeared in the journal Scientific…

The discovery of a molecular factor that triggers blood clots in lung arteries may explain why chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) often occurs in patients without traditional clotting risk factors, according to a study. Researchers think the factor, called activated TAFI, could be used to identify those with CTEPH. And…

A variation in the gene sequence of superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) is associated with a susceptibility to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), new research from China shows. SOD2 is an antioxidant enzyme that transforms the superoxide radical into hydrogen peroxide and oxygen. The study, “Role for Functional SOD2 Polymorphism in Pulmonary Arterial…

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients who take statins live longer than those who don’t — despite similar histories of hospitalization in both groups. That’s the conclusion of a retrospective analysis by researchers at New York’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine, who also found that statin use had no effect on survival rates in…

Inhaled Revatio (sildenafil) appears to be superior to current oral forms of this approved pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) treatment by allowing for lower doses and potentially fewer systematic side effects, researchers report. They also recommend that a nebulized form of Revatio be produced and moved into clinical testing in patients. The study reporting this finding, “Inhaled Sildenafil As An…