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What were the key advances in pulmonary arterial hypertension at ATS 2026? In this interview, Dr Namita Sood shares her personal highlights from the meeting, discusses the importance of incorporating the patient perspective into care and research, and reflects on emerging treatments and evolving approaches to PAH assessment and management.
The American Thoracic Society’s annual conference was held in Orlando, Florida from May 15-20, bringing together global experts in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. Across the week, attendees shared new research and clinical advances through scientific sessions, abstract presentations, and collaborative discussions aimed at improving respiratory care and patient outcomes. In this interview, Dr Jean Elwing (University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA) breaks down the key presentations, sessions and abstracts from the conference, highlighting the substantial progress made in the field and the challenges that still remain
Your clinical career is shaped not only by what you know, but by who helps you navigate what comes next. Join us for the final episode in our mini-series exploring non-clinical skills that can help you thrive in your clinical career. Today we explore how to develop the right team around you to support your work, and what building that bench can mean for your career, and the life you build alongside it.
Inhaled treprostinil, a synthetic prostacyclin analogue approved for PAH and PH-ILD, was investigated in the phase 3 TETON-1 trial in patients with IPF. In this interview, Dr Steven Nathan discussed the unmet needs in the treatment paradigm for IPF, the rationale for evaluating inhaled treprostinil in this indication, and highlighted the study design and key findings from TETON-1.
Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is a rare genetic disorder that can lead to progressive, early-onset emphysema, with no current therapies able to reverse established lung damage. In this interview, Dr Karina A. Serban and Dr Maria Magallon Serrano discuss the unmet needs in AATD-related emphysema, the rationale for investigating lithium as a potential treatment, key findings from their preclinical study presented at ATS 2026, and the implications for future clinical trial development.
The phase 2b ALIENTO and phase 3 ARNASA studies investigated the efficacy and safety of astegolimab, an IL-33 inhibitor, for patients with COPD. While the primary endpoints showed mixed results, further analysis of patient-reported outcomes has shown promising results. In this Q&A, Dr Frank Sciurba outlines the objectives and findings of the health-related quality of life analysis he presented at ATS 2026, and what the results could mean for the clinical development of astegolimab.
Chronic cough remains a complex and often refractory clinical entity, with heterogeneous underlying mechanisms and significant impact on patient quality of life. The British Thoracic Society clinical statement on chronic cough in adults provides an updated, structured framework for assessment and management, with an emphasis on treatable traits and the recognition of cough hypersensitivity as a central pathophysiological mechanism. In this Q&A, Dr Paul Marsden (Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester) outlines practical approaches to implementing the latest BTS recommendations in routine care, including diagnostic assessment, use of a treatable traits framework, indications for referral, and strategies for managing refractory chronic cough.
Respirology Reflections is our new, expert-led, practice pearls series delivering concise, actionable insights from leading experts in respiratory and pulmonary medicine. Designed to help healthcare professionals stay current, it highlights real-world challenges, emerging evidence, and actionable strategies to enhance clinical practice, strengthen decision-making, and build confidence in an increasingly complex and fast-evolving field.
The World Bronchiectasis Conference (WBC) is a leading international meeting dedicated to advancing research, clinical care and collaboration in bronchiectasis, bringing together a global community of clinicians, researchers, healthcare professionals, industry partners and patients. This year’s meeting marks 10 years of rapid progress and sets the stage for the next era of innovation. In this Q&A, Organising Committee Co-Chair Prof. Felix C. Ringshausen (Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany) reflects on the evolution of the field, the role of EMBARC in driving progress, this year's theme “Paving the Way for the Next Generation,” and the key scientific and clinical advances shaping this year’s World Bronchiectasis Conference.
In the US, 26.8 million people have asthma, including 4.5 million children. Asthma accounts for millions of emergency department visits, tens of billions in healthcare costs and thousands of missed school days each year. The American Lung Association’s Promoting Asthma-Friendly Environments through Partnerships and Collaborations brings together a network of programs to help children better manage their asthma.
Effective asthma management requires more than medication alone. Education, self-management support, and early intervention are essential to helping patients achieve better symptom control and improved quality of life. To address these needs, the American Lung Association has developed a range of evidence-based asthma programs for both adults and children, designed to build practical skills, improve adherence, and support long-term disease management across home, school, and community settings.
Asthma and COPD are common airway diseases with distinct underlying mechanisms, yet in everyday practice many patients present with features of both. Differentiating between asthma-predominant and COPD-predominant disease is an important clinical challenge, with significant implications for diagnosis, treatment selection, and long-term outcomes. In this Q&A, Prof. Felix Herth discusses how clinicians can approach patients with overlapping features of asthma and COPD, including the role of clinical history, lung function testing, biomarkers, imaging, treatment selection, and the importance of reassessing response to therapy over time.
Interstitial lung disease (ILD) encompasses a heterogeneous group of disorders that pose significant challenges for clinical trial design, from patient selection to endpoint definition and global implementation. Despite advances in therapeutic development, translating trial findings into real-world benefit remains difficult, particularly when study populations and protocols do not fully reflect the complexity of routine clinical practice. As part of our Respirology Reflections series, Dr Tejaswini Kulkarni discusses practical strategies for designing more inclusive and pragmatic ILD trials, including patient selection, recruitment, endpoint choice, and aligning study protocols with real-world care.
The EUFOREA allergic rhinitis patient portal is an expert-led online resource designed to provide clear, reliable, and accessible information to people living with allergic rhinitis. Developed as part of EUFOREA’s broader patient initiatives, the portal aims to empower patients through education, support informed decision-making, and encourage active participation in their own care.
The Phase 2 VIBRANT trial (NCT06164704) evaluated verekitug, a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting the TSLP receptor, in patients with severe, uncontrolled chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). In this interview, Professor Joseph Han outlines the significant clinical burden of CRSwNP, explains the mechanism of action of verekitug, and discusses the rationale for the Phase 2 trial. Professor Han also reviews the trial’s design, objectives, and the key efficacy and safety findings, presented at AAAAI 2026.
Today is World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, which takes place annually to raise global awareness of the ongoing burden of tuberculosis and efforts to eliminate the disease. We asked editorial board member Prof. Juzar Ali for his reflections on the progress ...
Patient–ventilator synchrony is crucial for effective mechanical ventilation, yet asynchrony is common and often under-recognized, with early signs requiring careful waveform interpretation. In this Q&A, John Davies outlines practical approaches to identifying and managing asynchrony, highlighting missed patterns such as false triggering and cycle asynchrony, and offering strategies to troubleshoot triggering, inspiratory flow, and cycling issues, alongside considerations for sedation and ongoing patient assessment.
Dr Amber Luong discusses results from the Phase 3 LIBERTY-AIMS trial of dupilumab in allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS), presented at AAAAI 2026, highlighting key efficacy findings and mechanism of action. These data are particularly timely given the recent FDA approval of dupilumab for AFRS, which was supported by findings from the study.
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