Latest news with #2025InternationalConference
Medscape
12-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Women With ILD Fare Better After ICU Care
Women admitted to ICU for interstitial lung disease (ILD) had shorter hospital stays and a lower risk for death than men, based on a new analysis of more than 800,000 individuals. Although previous studies have shown gender-based disparities in disease progression and severity for ILD based on subtype, data on the effect of gender on ICU outcomes in these patients are limited, according to Matthew Viggiano, MD, an internal medicine resident at Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, and colleagues. In a study presented at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) 2025 International Conference, the researchers analyzed data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS), part of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project for the period from 2016 to 2018. They identified 810,295 adults aged 18 years or older hospitalized with ILD, of whom 42,080 received ICU care. Of these, 46.7% were women. Female patients were significantly younger than male patients (mean age, 66.9 vs 69.1 years), more likely to be African American (17.0% vs 10.9%), and less likely to be Caucasian (63.7% vs 69.2%; P < .001 for all). Mortality was significantly lower in women than in men (40.5% vs 48.1%) even after adjusting for confounders including age, race, and comorbidities, and this difference was the most striking finding, Viggiano said in an interview. 'It also surprised us that these women tended to have a shorter length of hospital stay, given many came from lower-income areas,' he said. ICU stays were defined using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes for central line placement and mechanical ventilation. Overall, hospital stays for female patients lasted 1.15 days less than hospital stays for male patients. Female patients also were significantly more likely than male patients to come from lower-income ZIP codes (38.3% vs 33.2%) and less likely to have a history of tobacco use disorder (35.0% vs 43.9%; P < .001 for both). The reasons for the disparities remain unclear, but new studies suggest that hormones may play a role in disease progression and severity, Viggiano told Medscape Medical News . 'For example, estrogen has been implicated in modulating immune responses and fibrotic processes in the lungs via downregulating profibrotic pathways,' he said. 'Additionally, women may have lower threshold to seek medical attention or follow-up, leading to earlier intervention and management of ILD,' he noted. Other comorbidities unrelated to ILD also may contribute to morbidity and hospital length of stay, he added. 'Overall, recognizing these disparities is a key step toward more personalized treatment strategies, and our hope is that this research will prompt further studies to fully understand and address the underlying causes,' said Viggiano. Not Time for Gender Neutral Treatments Although the results suggest that clinicians should be aware that gender could influence ILD prognosis, the data do not suggest a need to advocate for entirely separate protocols as yet, Viggiano said. 'Instead, we encourage clinicians to recognize that men may have unique risk factors and might require more aggressive monitoring or early interventions; further studies will help refine specific management strategies,' he said. 'We believe evaluating for mortality and hospital stay in different subtypes of ILD would be an immediate future direction for the project,' said Viggiano. The investigation of specific biological, immunologic, and social factors also must be an area of focus, he said. 'Understanding why women fare better could lead to targeted therapies, especially for men who are at higher risk of poor outcomes, and ultimately to more personalized approaches to ILD care,' he added. To that end, Viggiano and colleagues intend to conduct prospective studies to explore specific biological markers and social determinants in men and women with ILD. 'We'll also look at the influence of treatment interventions, medication use, and rehabilitation services on outcomes. Ultimately, we'd like to identify targeted strategies to reduce the mortality gap and enhance care for both genders,' he told Medscape Medical News . Data Reinforce Differences 'As more treatments for interstitial lung diseases emerge, it is important that we now start focusing on which populations get the greatest benefit for specific treatments,' said Anthony Faugno, MD, a pulmonologist at Tufts Medicine, Boston, in an interview. To that end, the authors of the current study used data from the NIS to ask important questions about how sex, demographics, and socioeconomic factors affect patient outcomes, said Faugno, who was not involved in the study. Were You Surprised by Any of the Findings? Why or Why Not? Biologically important differences in hormones between men and women are known to affect the way a given disease behaves; therefore, it is important to have representative samples of diverse sex and race in clinical trials to ensure the generalizability of therapy, Faugno told Medscape Medical News . The current study findings were not surprisingbut reinforce the value of a diverse population using a large, nationally representative sample, he said. The current study findings may not directly affect clinical practice, as the results were based on ICD codes that cover many different diagnoses, Faugno noted. However, as the authors suggest, 'I do think it informs additional research directions, such as doing a similar analysis in specific interstitial diseases,' he said. The current study addresses a global catch-all term of ILD, which may include many different pathologies that respond to different treatments, said Faugno. 'A future analysis that addressed the gender disparities in more specific diagnoses would add to our understanding and help patients better understand how they may respond to a specific therapy,' he said.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pliant Therapeutics Presents Clinical and Preclinical Data at the American Thoracic Society International Conference
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., May 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLRX) today announced that the Company led oral and poster presentations of clinical and preclinical data this week as part of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) 2025 International Conference, held from May 16-21, 2025. Characterizing the Antifibrotic Activity of Bexotegrast on Distinct Fibroblast Populations in PCLS from Multiple ILD SubtypesIn a featured oral presentation, Johanna Schaub, Ph.D., Director of Translational Sciences at Pliant Therapeutics, discussed an evaluation of the antifibrotic activity of bexotegrast in fibrotic human precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) generated from non-idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) interstitial lung disease (ILD) patient lung explants. Results showed that bexotegrast, a dual inhibitor of αVβ6/αVβ1 integrins, reduced expression of genes related to TGF-β signaling and fibrogenesis in alveolar type 1 (AT1) cells and multiple fibroblast subpopulations. Plasma Proteome Analysis Reveals Shared and Unique Biomarkers of ILD SubtypesIn a poster presentation, Erine Budi, Ph.D., Senior Scientist II Translational Biology at Pliant Therapeutics, reviewed a comparative analysis assessing circulating plasma biomarkers of ILD in healthy subjects and patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), rheumatoid arthritis-ILD (RA-ILD), and scleroderma associated-ILD (SSc-ILD). Results identified biomarkers consistently dysregulated across multiple ILD subtypes that could assist in informing clinical decision making in ILD. Single-Cell Profiling Demonstrates the Antifibrotic Effects of Bexotegrast on Pathologic Lung Cell Populations in the Presence and Absence of Background TherapyIn a poster presentation, Mahru An, Ph.D., Director of Translational Sciences at Pliant Therapeutics, reviewed a single-nuclei RNAseq analysis of fibrotic human precision-cut lung slices comparing the pharmacodynamic effects of bexotegrast, a dual inhibitor of αVβ6 and αVβ1 integrins, alone, or in combination with nintedanib. Results showed that treatment with bexotegrast or nintedanib displayed distinct cell-specific pharmacodynamic profiles. In addition, bexotegrast alone, or in the presence of nintedanib, significantly reduced the expression of type I collagen and other profibrotic genes in aberrant basaloid cells (αVβ6-expressing) and fibroblasts (αVβ1-expressing), while treatment with nintedanib alone did not. The presentation and posters presented at the 2025 ATS Conference are available by accessing the links above or on Pliant's website under the Publications section at About Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. Pliant Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company and leader in the discovery and development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of fibrotic diseases. Pliant's lead product candidate, bexotegrast (PLN-74809), is an oral, small molecule, dual selective inhibitor of αvß6 and αvß1 integrins that is undergoing evaluation for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or IPF. Bexotegrast has received Fast Track Designation and Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Orphan Drug Designation from the European Medicines Agency in IPF. Pliant is conducting a Phase 1 study for PLN-101095, a small molecule, dual-selective inhibitor of αvß8 and αvß1 integrins, that is being developed for the treatment of solid tumors. In addition, Pliant has received regulatory clearance for the conduct of a Phase 1 study of PLN-101325, a monoclonal antibody agonist of integrin α7β1 targeting muscular dystrophies. For additional information, please visit: Follow us on social media X, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Investor and Media Contact: Christopher KeenanVice President, Investor Relations and Corporate CommunicationsPliant Therapeutics,
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pliant Therapeutics Presents Clinical and Preclinical Data at the American Thoracic Society International Conference
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., May 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLRX) today announced that the Company led oral and poster presentations of clinical and preclinical data this week as part of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) 2025 International Conference, held from May 16-21, 2025. Characterizing the Antifibrotic Activity of Bexotegrast on Distinct Fibroblast Populations in PCLS from Multiple ILD SubtypesIn a featured oral presentation, Johanna Schaub, Ph.D., Director of Translational Sciences at Pliant Therapeutics, discussed an evaluation of the antifibrotic activity of bexotegrast in fibrotic human precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) generated from non-idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) interstitial lung disease (ILD) patient lung explants. Results showed that bexotegrast, a dual inhibitor of αVβ6/αVβ1 integrins, reduced expression of genes related to TGF-β signaling and fibrogenesis in alveolar type 1 (AT1) cells and multiple fibroblast subpopulations. Plasma Proteome Analysis Reveals Shared and Unique Biomarkers of ILD SubtypesIn a poster presentation, Erine Budi, Ph.D., Senior Scientist II Translational Biology at Pliant Therapeutics, reviewed a comparative analysis assessing circulating plasma biomarkers of ILD in healthy subjects and patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), rheumatoid arthritis-ILD (RA-ILD), and scleroderma associated-ILD (SSc-ILD). Results identified biomarkers consistently dysregulated across multiple ILD subtypes that could assist in informing clinical decision making in ILD. Single-Cell Profiling Demonstrates the Antifibrotic Effects of Bexotegrast on Pathologic Lung Cell Populations in the Presence and Absence of Background TherapyIn a poster presentation, Mahru An, Ph.D., Director of Translational Sciences at Pliant Therapeutics, reviewed a single-nuclei RNAseq analysis of fibrotic human precision-cut lung slices comparing the pharmacodynamic effects of bexotegrast, a dual inhibitor of αVβ6 and αVβ1 integrins, alone, or in combination with nintedanib. Results showed that treatment with bexotegrast or nintedanib displayed distinct cell-specific pharmacodynamic profiles. In addition, bexotegrast alone, or in the presence of nintedanib, significantly reduced the expression of type I collagen and other profibrotic genes in aberrant basaloid cells (αVβ6-expressing) and fibroblasts (αVβ1-expressing), while treatment with nintedanib alone did not. The presentation and posters presented at the 2025 ATS Conference are available by accessing the links above or on Pliant's website under the Publications section at About Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. Pliant Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company and leader in the discovery and development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of fibrotic diseases. Pliant's lead product candidate, bexotegrast (PLN-74809), is an oral, small molecule, dual selective inhibitor of αvß6 and αvß1 integrins that is undergoing evaluation for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or IPF. Bexotegrast has received Fast Track Designation and Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Orphan Drug Designation from the European Medicines Agency in IPF. Pliant is conducting a Phase 1 study for PLN-101095, a small molecule, dual-selective inhibitor of αvß8 and αvß1 integrins, that is being developed for the treatment of solid tumors. In addition, Pliant has received regulatory clearance for the conduct of a Phase 1 study of PLN-101325, a monoclonal antibody agonist of integrin α7β1 targeting muscular dystrophies. For additional information, please visit: Follow us on social media X, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Investor and Media Contact: Christopher KeenanVice President, Investor Relations and Corporate CommunicationsPliant Therapeutics, in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Medscape
21-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Sorry Fido, The eNose Can Smell ILD Subtypes Too
SAN FRANCISCO — Dogs trained to sniff out lung disease may need to look for another line of work if an 'electronic nose' sensor in development makes it into widespread clinical practice. In a multicenter cohort study of 589 patients with a diagnosis of interstitial lung disease (ILD) by multidisciplinary team discussion and evidence of pulmonary fibrosis on high-resolution CT, the electronic nose technology, or 'eNose,' distinguished between different ILD subtypes with a high degree of accuracy, reported Bart Formsma, MD, PhD candidate at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. 'This external validation study demonstrates that various ILDs can be distinguished with high accuracy using an eNose, and therefore, eNose technology holds potential as an easy point-of-care tool in the diagnosis of ILD, potentially reducing diagnostic delay,' he said in an oral abstract session at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) 2025 International Conference here. Tough Nut to Crack Under the best conditions, ILD is still difficult to diagnose, and diagnostic delay is common, Formsma said. The diagnosis is based on a host of factors, including biopsy results, imaging studies, lung function tests, and bronchoalveolar lavage, and a multidisciplinary team is often required to reach consensus on the ILD type. The eNose mimics olfactory receptor function of the human nose and odor detection of the human brain with a sensor array, but the old schnozz goes one better with software and machine learning capabilities of pattern recognition that can pinpoint abnormalities in volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath. To validate the technology for potential use in the pulmonary clinic, Formsma and colleagues conducted a prospective longitudinal study in five ILD centers in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and France. The investigators analyzed the ability of the eNose to distinguish between ILD subtypes and to identify individual ILD types. A total of 589 patients were included in the training and validation data sets. Approximately one third of the patients (35%) were women. The median patient age was 70 years, the mean forced vital capacity (FVC) was 80% of the predicted value, and the mean diffusion capacity of carbon monoxide (DLco) was 52% of the predicted value. In both the training and validation sets the technology distinguished between idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with high degrees of accuracy. The area under the curve of receiver operating characteristics (AUC) was 0.91 (95% CI, 0.88-0.95) in the training set and 0.89 (CI, 0.85-0.94) in the validation set. Similarly, the eNose sniffed out differences between connective tissue disease–associated ILD and other ILD types with an AUC in the training and validation sets, respectively, of 0.89 (CI, 0.84-0.94) and 0.91 (CI, 0.85-0.98). The technology was also extremely good at discriminating unclassifiable ILD (U-ILD), with AUCs of 0.92 (CI, 0.86-0.98) and 0.95 (CI, 0.88-1.00), respectively. The eNose was less adept, however, at distinguishing fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis from other ILD types with a training set AUC of 0.88 (CI, 0.81-0.94) but validation set AUC of 0.75 (CI, 0.61-0.88). No Apparent Confounders In the question and answer, session co-moderator Joyce Lee, MD, from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, asked whether diet or other factors could affect the breath samples collected by the eNose. 'We did a subgroup analysis looking into smoking status, gender, and autoimmune drug or antifibrotic drug use, and they had no big influence on outcomes,' Formsma said. Sergio Harari, MD, from San Giueseppe Hospital in Milan, Italy, asked whether there was good correlation between the sensitivity of the eNose analysis and the severity of disease. Study co-author Catharina Moor, MD, also from Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, responded, noting that the investigators looked at both FVC and DLco, but could not find any indications of disease severity. She added that in previous analyses the group had evaluated the findings in patients with both severe and less severe disease and also found no significant differences, suggesting that the technology might be useful as a screening tool for early ILD, although that potential application has yet to be studied. The study was funded by an unrestricted grant from Boehringer Ingelheim. All persons cited in this article reported having no conflicts of interest.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Endeavor BioMedicines Presents New Clinical Findings From Post Hoc Analysis of Phase 2a Clinical Trial Evaluating ENV-101 in Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Findings presented at the American Thoracic Society 2025 International Conference corroborate previous findings and provide important new clinical evidence supporting ENV-101 SAN DIEGO, May 20, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Endeavor BioMedicines ("Endeavor"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing medicines with the potential to deliver transformational clinical benefits to patients with life-threatening diseases, today presented a post hoc analysis from the completed Phase 2a clinical trial of its lead investigational therapy, ENV-101 (taladegib). Results demonstrated a significant reduction in pulmonary vessel volume, a significant increase in lung volume, and a trend towards reduced lung fibrosis for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients treated with ENV-101 for 12 weeks vs. placebo. The analysis utilized Qureight's deep learning-based computed tomography (CT) analytics technologies and was presented in a poster presentation at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) 2025 International Conference. Lung volume, fibrotic tissue volume and pulmonary vessel volume are all volumetric lung measures that can change during IPF disease progression or in response to treatment. Each measure has been established as an independent predictor of mortality. Deep learning-based quantification of lung volume and pulmonary vascular changes may offer valuable insights that corroborate physiological improvement in lung function and measure treatment outcomes with a greater effect size than forced vital capacity (FVC), the current registrational endpoint in IPF. A new finding from this post hoc analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in pulmonary vessel volume for patients in the ENV-101 treatment arm versus placebo. A reduction in pulmonary vessel volume has been correlated with improved mortality and decreased disease burden. To date, ENV-101 is the only therapeutic that has demonstrated a reduction in pulmonary vessel volume in patients with IPF, providing further evidence that ENV-101 has the potential to reverse disease across multiple measures of IPF. "These findings provide additional evidence of clinical utility of ENV-101 in patients with IPF marking another step forward in our mission to restore hope and improve lives for those facing this otherwise devastating disease," said Lisa Lancaster, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Endeavor BioMedicines. "We are grateful to the Qureight team for partnering with us on this important analysis." The post hoc analysis of the Phase 2a trial was conducted using novel deep learning-based CT analysis technologies developed by Qureight Ltd (Cambridge, UK). Qureight used three deep learning models developed to quantify lung volume (Lung8), pulmonary vessel volume (Vascul8), and fibrosis extent (Fibr8) on the baseline and follow-up CTs of ENV-101 treated and placebo patients (ENV-101 = 16; placebo = 18). Key Results from the Post Hoc Analysis Presented at ATS 2025 Significant increase in lung volume (Lung8) for patients in the ENV-101 treatment arm vs placebo (placebo: −113.07 mL vs ENV-101: 142.28 mL; p=0.014; effect size=0.87). Trend towards reduced fibrosis (Fibr8) for ENV-101 treated patients vs placebo (placebo: 1.32pp vs ENV-101: −1.32pp; p=0.063; effect size=−0.64). Significant reduction in normalized pulmonary vessel volume (Vascul8) for patients in the ENV-101 treatment arm vs placebo (placebo: 0.07pp vs ENV-101: -0.25pp; p=0.0007; effect size=-1.28). "We are excited to share significant findings from the post hoc analysis of the phase 2a clinical trial of ENV-101, highlighting our pulmonary vessel volume quantification model, Vascul8," said Simon Walsh, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Qureight. "Using this model, we quantified a significant treatment effect from ENV-101, with a greater effect size than forced vital capacity. Qureight's deep learning-based imaging biomarkers offer distinct advantages by capturing treatment signals from each prognostic compartment of the lung separately, optimizing for precision medicine." About the ENV-101 Phase 2a Clinical Trial Data from the post hoc analysis independently validates and builds upon the previously reported results from the Phase 2a randomized, double-blind, multi-center, placebo-controlled clinical trial of ENV-101 (NCT04968574). In the trial, ENV-101 demonstrated significant improvements in lung function and total lung volume, while also showing a reduction in key measures of lung fibrosis versus placebo with a manageable safety profile. About the WHISTLE-PF Trial Endeavor continues to study ENV-101 and has initiated the Phase 2b WHISTLE-PF (Wound-remodeling Hedgehog-Inhibitor ILD Study Testing Lung Function Endpoints-PF) clinical trial, a global, randomized, placebo-controlled study evaluating the therapeutic potential of ENV-101 in individuals with IPF (NCT06422884). The WHISTLE-PF trial will evaluate the efficacy of a range of ENV-101 doses through 24 weeks of treatment, characterize the investigational compound's safety, assess its effect on patient reported outcomes and its effects on lung capacity and lung fibrosis as measured by chest HRCT. About Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis IPF is a chronic, progressive lung disease that affects more than 150,000 adults in the United States. Although the exact cause of IPF is unknown, various environmental factors can deliver repeated injuries to lung cells that trigger abnormal wound-healing processes and life-threatening lung scarring. IPF is a chronic disease with limited treatment options and a very poor prognosis: the average life expectancy is only three to five years after diagnosis. About ENV-101 Endeavor BioMedicines' investigational medicine ENV-101 (taladegib) is a Hedgehog signaling pathway inhibitor. By binding to and inhibiting a key receptor in the Hedgehog pathway, ENV-101 stops the abnormal accumulation of the myofibroblasts that cause fibrosis. This may resolve the excessive wound-healing process seen in pulmonary fibrosis, improving lung volume and function. About Endeavor BioMedicines Endeavor BioMedicines is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing medicines with the potential to deliver transformational clinical benefits to patients with life-threatening diseases. Endeavor's lead candidate, ENV-101 (taladegib), is an inhibitor of the Hedgehog signaling pathway in development for fibrotic lung diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The company's second candidate, ENV-501, is a HER3 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) in development for the treatment of HER3-positive solid tumors. More information is available at and on LinkedIn or X. View source version on Contacts Media: Audra Friis Sam Brown, Inc.917-519-9577audrafriis@ Sign in to access your portfolio
