LungFit PH, Beyond Air’s device for administering nitric oxide therapy, has received European CE mark approval for persistent pulmonary hypertension in newborns (PPHN). This approval allows the company to market the device in the European Union and all other countries that recognize this certification, and also extends its…

Sildenafil is generally more effective than bosentan at controlling blood pressure and reducing the need for supplemental oxygen in infants with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), a study shows. The study, “Oral sildenafil versus bosentan for treatment of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn:…

A new device to deliver inhaled nitric oxide gas to newborns with pulmonary hypertension (PH), is now available for use in hospital neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) across the U.S. The rollout follows recent approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of the next-generation device, the INOmax…

Sildenafil — a medication that relaxes blood vessels, thereby increasing blood flow — may possibly be used to treat neonatal pulmonary hypertension in babies born at high altitudes, where less oxygen is available for breathing. This is according to clinical observations by Alexandra Heath-Freudenthal, MD, a pediatric cardiologist, while…

When done during pregnancy, an echocardiogram — a noninvasive measurement of heart function that uses sound waves — may help doctors predict pulmonary hypertension in newborns, a study in China suggests. An echocardiogram can show how well the heart’s right ventricle, one of its bottom pumping chambers, will push…

Newborns were seen to be at an increased risk of pulmonary hypertension (PH) if they developed poorly while in the womb and had meconium aspiration syndrome, meaning they inhaled their feces during birth, a study from Pakistan reported.  The…

An international consensus is lacking about what constitutes pulmonary hypertension (PH) in newborns, according to a review study, which recommends the use of standardized criteria to define the disease in these patients. The systematic review, “Variation in the definition of pulmonary hypertension and clinical indications for the use…

Infants with mild or severe forms of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, who were discharged from hospital, were significantly more likely to be readmitted or die within their first year of life, with the primary cause being congenital abnormalities, a study has…

Into the vein (intravenous) injections of Revatio (sildenafil) have no added benefit over inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) used alone in treating newborns with persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN), a Phase 3 trial sponsored by Pfizer shows. Revatio, marketed by Pfizer, was ineffective as an intravenous formulation combined…

INOmax (nitric oxide) gas improved the oxygenation of premature, term, and near-term newborns with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and associated hypoxic respiratory failure, according to data from a interim analysis of Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals’ Phase 4, observational PaTTerN registry study. Persistent PH in newborns occurs when the pressure in…

Use of antidepressants during pregnancy doubles the risk for persistent pulmonary hypertension in the newborn (PPHN), a systematic review of several studies suggests. Out of the antidepressants analyzed, researchers proposed sertraline (brand name Zoloft, marketed by…

Blood biomarkers may help to predict poor outcomes in babies born with a rare congenital defect of the diaphragm that often leads to pulmonary hypertension (PH). The seven biomarkers, identified by researchers in Germany and evident in the blood within 24 hours of birth, were associated with a…