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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…

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…