Cone Health Research Team Publishes Lung Disease Study in The New England Journal of Medicine

Study highlights progress toward better treatment options.

Greensboro – The Pulmonix pulmonary research team based at Cone Health LeBauer Pulmonary Care has published in The New England Journal of Medicine, one of the most respected medical journals in the world. in The New England Journal of Medicine, one of the most respected medical journals in the world.

The study focuses on Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, or IPF. IPF is a serious lung disease that causes scarring in the lungs and makes it harder to breathe over time. There is no cure, and many people with IPF live only a few years after diagnosis. The new research shows progress toward treatment that could help people with IPF keep their lung strength longer.

The study tested an inhaled medicine called Treprostinil. The medicine is already approved to treat pulmonary hypertension, a condition that affects blood flow in the lungs. Researchers wanted to see if the same medicine could be reused to slow lung scarring in people with IPF. Slowing scarring can help lungs work better for a longer time. 

The research followed patients for 52 weeks. During that time, patients who took the inhaled medicine lost lung function more slowly than patients who did not and had fewer serious medical events. These events, which were reduced among patients taking the inhaled medicine, included death, hospital stays because of breathing trouble, or a large drop in lung function of more than 10 percent.

“This research is the result of strong collaboration across our team,” said Murali Ramaswamy, MD, of Cone Health LeBauer Pulmonary Care, who was a contributing author on the study. “I’m especially grateful to our research staff, including Diwanshu Sharma, and my colleagues at Cone Health LeBauer Pulmonary Care, including Dr. Praveen Mannam. We also thank the patients whose participation made this work possible.”

Cone Health LeBauer Pulmonary Care is designated as part of the Care Center Network by The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation.