Lung Disease News and Research

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Gentic circuits that cause mucous hyper-production identified

Scientists have identified the main genetic switch that causes excessive mucous in the lungs, a discovery that one day could ease suffering for people with chronic lung diseases like asthma and cystic fibrosis, or just those fighting the common cold.

15 Sep 2009

Genetic switch that causes excessive mucus in the lungs identified

Scientists have identified the main genetic switch that causes excessive mucus in the lungs, a discovery that one day could ease suffering for people with chronic lung diseases like asthma and cystic fibrosis, or just those fighting the common cold.

15 Sep 2009

Clinical studies reveal treatment with pirfenidone is safe and well-tolerated

InterMune, Inc. (Nasdaq: ITMN) today announced that the results of a comprehensive review of safety data from four clinical studies were presented at the 2009 European Respiratory Society Annual Congress in Vienna, Austria by Dr. Ulrich Costabel of the Ruhrlandklinik, Essen, Germany.

14 Sep 2009

Positive results from Transave's Phase II clinical trial of ARIKACE in non-CF bronchiectasis patients

Transave, Inc., today reported positive results from a Phase II clinical trial in non-cystic fibrosis (CF) bronchiectasis patients for its lead investigational drug, ARIKACE(TM) (liposomal amikacin for inhalation). The Phase II data indicated that ARIKACE, delivered once daily for 28 consecutive days, demonstrated superior clinical benefit compared to placebo as measured by patient and physician reported outcomes and reduction in Pseudomonas aeruginosa density.

14 Sep 2009

Phase 3 trial of ataluren commences

PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (PTC) today announced the initiation of a Phase 3 trial of ataluren (formerly PTC124(R)), an investigational protein restoration therapy in patients with nonsense mutation cystic fibrosis (nmCF).

11 Sep 2009

A non-invasive test for cystic fibrosis is the goal of University Of Arizona researchers

Researchers from The University of Arizona Colleges of Pharmacy and Medicine are teaming up to try to invent a novel non-invasive lung test for cystic fibrosis sufferers.

10 Sep 2009

Preventive-care TB therapy is cost-effective for patients

University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) researchers have found that the cost of preventive antibiotic tuberculosis (TB) therapy for patients infected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is generally less expensive than the reported cost of treating newly confirmed TB cases.

10 Sep 2009

Inspire Pharmaceuticals wins award for its denufosol tetrasodium program

Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today it received the North Carolina Health & Life Sciences Award in the category of “Breakthrough Research” for its denufosol tetrasodium program for cystic fibrosis (CF).

9 Sep 2009

Genetic risk factor involved in cystic fibrosis discovered

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have discovered a genetic risk factor for severe liver disease in people with cystic fibrosis. Those who carry a particular variant of the SERPINA1 gene (also known as alpha-1-antitrypsin or alpha-1-antiprotease) are five times more likely to develop cirrhosis and other liver complications than patients who carry the normal version of the gene.

9 Sep 2009

Exposure to air pollution can cause heart attack

It's well known that measures such as exercise, a healthy diet and not smoking can help reduce high blood pressure, but researchers at the University of Michigan Health System have determined the very air we breathe can be an invisible catalyst to heart disease.

8 Sep 2009

Chronic pediatric cough linked to reflux and allergies

New research shows that chronic cough in children is most often caused by gastroesophageal reflux and allergies. Researchers from Tulane University in New Orleans, LA, evaluated 40 patients aged 5 to 12 years with chronic cough (> 8 weeks in duration) with no obvious cause. Each patient underwent extensive multispecialty testing. Results showed that reflux was the single most commonly associated factor of chronic cough by itself (27.5 percent), followed by allergy (22.5 percent).

8 Sep 2009

COPD patients to have better protection against pneumonia with new vaccine

A new vaccine against pneumonia may offer better protection from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients than the currently accepted vaccine, according to recent research that will be published in the September 15 issue of the American Journal of the Respiratory and Critical Care Journal, a publication of the American Thoracic Society.

8 Sep 2009

Victim’s longevity with the deadly disease inspires thousands of dying patients

When Jerry Lewis takes the stage again on Labor Day 2009 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon, thousands of people who suffer from the same lung disease as he will be watching - and not just to hear the funny things he'll say. They'll be looking for inspiration from the funny man who suffers from a not-so-funny and little known fatal lung disease.

5 Sep 2009

SUPERVALU PHARMACIES available to administer flu shots

With an eye on convenience, cost and consumer education, SUPERVALU PHARMACIES this year has expanded its traditional flu shot offering to help ease some of the anxieties the upcoming flu season may bring.

2 Sep 2009

Rite Aid pharmacies to offer regular seasonal flu shots throughout the flu season

Many Rite Aid pharmacists have already been giving regular seasonal flu shots following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advice that anyone who wishes to reduce the risk of getting the regular seasonal flu get a flu shot as soon as they are available.

31 Aug 2009

Forest Laboratories announces phase 3 trial results for roflumilast

Forest Laboratories, Inc., an international pharmaceutical manufacturer and marketer and Nycomed, a privately owned pharmaceutical company, today announced that results of four phase III trials have been published in the prestigious peer-reviewed medical journal The Lancet showing that roflumilast, a phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor, improved lung function and reduced exacerbations in patients with moderate to severe COPD.

28 Aug 2009

University of Michigan discovers new gene target for treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Researchers at the University of Michigan have discovered that targeting of a novel gene utilizing genetic and pharmacologic strategies was successful in treating pulmonary fibrosis in mice and will be developed for future testing in humans.

24 Aug 2009

Scientists to discuss effective treatments for serious diseases at Functional Genomics/Chemical Biology conference

A cure for cystic fibrosis, HIV-fighting 'Trojan horses', new pharmaceuticals from the ocean. Chemical biologists use new and innovative approaches to discover medications of the future. On 24 August, some of the field's most prominent researchers will attend an international conference in Gothenburg, Sweden.

24 Aug 2009

Tiotropium - corticosteroid combination improves lung disease survival

Sufferers of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have a greater chance of survival when treated with a combination of drugs that includes tiotropium, according to research at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

12 Aug 2009

New hope for sufferers of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the University of Florida in Gainesville have safely given new, functional genes to patients with a hereditary defect that can lead to fatal lung and liver diseases, according to clinical trial findings slated to appear this week in the online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

10 Aug 2009