Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) appears to be of multiple benefit to patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), both in terms of hemodynamics and in other systemic disorders like glycemic control and kidney disease, according to a study published in the journal Circulation, titled “Multiple Beneficial Effects of Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty in Patients…

Inspiratory muscle weakness aggravates shortness of breath caused by exertion and lung function capacity in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, a study has found. The study, “Inspiratory muscle weakness contributes to exertional dyspnea in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension,” was published in the journal PLOS One. CTEPH is a…

Analysis of gas exhaled in differing positions, like sitting or laying flat, could be a noninvasive and simple alternative to right heart catheterization in evaluating and managing people with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), a study suggests. The study, “Usefulness of ventilatory gas analysis for the non-invasive…

A Phase 3 clinical trial testing high-dose Opsumit (macitentan) in people with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) has ended early after an analysis showed the treatment is unlikely to help patients. The announcement was made in a press release from Janssen, the company that markets Opsumit. Opsumit…

Actelion announced that a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating its pulmonary hypertension treatment, macitentan, in patients with inoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) has met its primary endpoint. At week 16, treatment resulted in a significant reduction in pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) compared to placebo. MERIT is a 24-week, randomized and…

Actelion Pharmaceuticals submitted a supplemental new drug application to U.S. regulatory authorities seeking expanded approval for Opsumit (macitentan) to treat inoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration application is based on promising results from the Phase 2 MERIT-1 clinical trial (NCT02021292) that…

People with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) show an increased prevalence of sleep disordered breathing, a condition predicted by low cardiac index, according to the study “Usefulness of Low Cardiac Index to Predict Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension,” published in the American Journal…

Oxygen therapy may help relieve lung pressure in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) who are about to undergo balloon pulmonary angioplasty, a procedure in which balloons are used to open blood vessels that have been chronically narrowed or blocked, according to a new study. Researchers found a decrease…

Bayer HealthCare will deliver six presentations at the ongoing American Thoracic Society (ATS) International Conference in Denver, Colorado. Five posters and one oral presentation will describe data concerning treatment of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). “At the American Thoracic Society…

MRE-269, an active metabolite of Uptravi (selexipag), is more effective at stopping the growth of lung cells from people with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) than it is in healthy lung cells, a study found. Researchers also discovered that MRE-269 may do this by increasing the activity of ID1…

Many people with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension or CTEPH have a particular anatomical variation called May-Thurner anatomy, which may increase the risk of developing this rare disease type, according to researchers. A new study found this anomaly is very common in individuals with CTEPH, with nearly 30% of patients…

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) — a type of blood thinner medication — are as safe and effective as vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), the standard blood thinner used to treat chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), according to a meta-analysis of published studies. The findings support the use of DOACs as a…