News

Potential PAH Treatment, a Soluble Guanylate Cyclase Stimulator, Will Advance in Testing Based on Phase 1a Trial Results

Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. recently announced positive top-line results from a Phase 1a clinical trial of IW-1701, an investigational soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator that is part of the pharmacologically distinct library of sGC compounds discovered by Ironwood. An enzyme, sGC is crucial to the physiological control of blood flow, inflammation, and fibrosis.

PAH Drug, Opsumit, Seen to Prevent and Treat Lung Disease in a Mouse Model of Scleroderma

Researchers at University College London (UCL) and Actelion Pharmaceuticals presented a study investigating the therapeutic effect of macitentan (Opsumit) in a mouse model of pulmonary hypertension associated with systemic scleroderma (SSc). The presentation, titled “Macitentan Responsiveness Supports the Validity of a Murine Model of Pulmonary Hypertension in Scleroderma…

Men with SSc-associated PAH Seen to Both Develop and Advance in Disease More Quickly Than Women

In a large study investigating the impact of sex in systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (SSc-PAH), a team of researchers analyzed a cohort of Canadian patients and found that the male gender is associated with shorter PAH disease duration and increased burden of SSc disease, although it does not independently impact SSc-PAH survival.

Portopulmonary Hypertension Seen as Important Prognosis Parameter in Liver Transplant Candidates

Researchers at the Baskent University Faculty of Medicine in Turkey recently provided an overview of the existing literature regarding portopulmonary hypertension (PoPHT) in patients with advanced liver disease and liver transplant candidates. In these patients, pulmonary hypertension is also defined as PoPHT when pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is associated with…

New PAH Drug, Uptravi, Moves Step Closer to Approval in Europe

Action Pharmaceuticals recently announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has released a positive opinion on the use of Uptravi (selexipag) for the treatment of patients with a diagnosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Uptravi is an oral IP prostacyclin receptor agonist.

In PAH, Tissue Phase Mapping of Left Ventricle May Predict Clinical Outcomes

In a new study, researchers used novel cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) tissue phase mapping (TPM) to determine if right ventricular disease in pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients also resulted in abnormal left ventricular functioning, discovering that left ventricular myocardial velocities are significantly abnormal in PH and also constitute independent predictors of clinical…

PAH Patients with Anti-U1 RNP Antibodies Better Protected Against Worst Aspects of Disease

People with connective tissue disease (CTD) and systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) who are positive for anti-U1 RNP antibodies have better chances of longer-term survival. The study, “Characteristics and Survival of Anti–U1 RNP Antibody–Positive Patients With Connective Tissue Disease–Associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension,” was published in the journal…

Pulmonary Hypertension Program at Orlando Heart Institute Accredited by PHA

The Orlando Health Heart Institute’s Pulmonary Hypertension Program was recently recognized as an accredited comprehensive care center through the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA)’s accreditation program for Pulmonary Hypertension Care Centers (PHCCs). Qualifying PHCCs are either designated as a  PHA-accredited Center of Comprehensive Care (CCC) or PHA-accredited Regional Clinical Program (RCP) based on…