Inhaled Therapies for IPF – an update
In a recent blog we reflected on key presentations at the ERS relating to pulmonary fibrosis, including the promise shown by the orally-delivered preferential PDE4B inhibitor, nerandomilast, now approved by the FDA for the treatment of IPF. However, the Fibroneer programme with nerandomilast further served to emphasise the challenge faced when attempting to use new […]
Reflections from ERS 2025
From a Pulmonary fibrosis perspective, the ERS meeting in Amsterdam (27 September to 1 October, 2025) provided a combination of hope, challenge and satisfaction for the TherapeutAix team. Hope was provided by the updates on the Fibroneer trials of Boehringer Ingelheim’s (BI) preferential PDE4B inhibitor, nerandomilast. After many years of negative clinical data and frustration […]
Biking for Action Medical Research
Our co-founder and Director of Translational, Darcey Black, is planning to take part in the BiotechBikers “Catalyst” Charity Event, a 250-mile cycle ride from London to Bruges, on 8th to 10th May 2025. The event will raise funds for Action Medical Research. Action Medical Research (www.action.org.uk) is the leading UK charity dedicated to funding […]
TherapeutAix Roundup: 2024
As another year comes to a close, we reflect on 12 months filled with innovation and collaboration at TherapeutAix. From kickstarting the year with strategic planning in snowy Aachen to closing with a comprehensive review of IPF research, this year has been marked by exciting developments and impactful contributions to the life sciences sector. Here’s […]
Exploring the Potential of Inhalation Therapies for IPF: Lessons from Asthma
A few weeks ago, our updated review on the state of drug development in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) was published in Drug Discovery Today. This update highlights the untapped potential of inhaled drug delivery in the treatment of IPF, a disease with poor prognosis and limited treatment options. It’s worth contrasting this therapeutic scenario with that […]
The Evolving Landscape of IPF Drug Discovery and Development
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) remains one of the most challenging respiratory diseases to treat, characterized by progressive lung scarring and severely unpredictable disease progression. Despite high unmet clinical needs, the current standard of care—antifibrotic therapies nintedanib and pirfenidone—offers only modest benefits, with ongoing side effects that are a significant burden to patients. In our latest […]
ECM2024 meeting
In late June, Darcey Black (Director, Translational) attended and presented at the ECM2024 meeting in Copenhagen. This conference brought together speakers and experts from industry and academia to discuss the latest advances in fibrosis and related research. ECM2024 covered a range of topics around the theme of the “ExtraCellular Matrix” (hence the title!), and […]
AI Target Identification: A novel approach to drive drug R&D in IPF?
Within the realm of lung diseases, developing new drugs to treat Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) remains a formidable challenge. Characterized by progressive scarring of lung tissue, IPF significantly impairs breathing and has a median survival rate of just 2 to 3 years post-diagnosis. Current therapeutic options are limited, often providing only marginal relief while […]
First drug approval in NASH
When we reviewed the R&D landscape in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in 2018, we highlighted 4 development programs that were in Phase 3 development and all targeting pivotal data readout, and a potential launch, between 2019 and 2021. However, obeticholic acid, elafibranor, cenicriviroc, and selonsertib all turned out to not confirm their initial positive data in […]
How rare diseases came to be defined: Rare Disease Day 2024
Today is Rare Disease Day, an international awareness day that takes place annually on 28th February (or 29th on leap years like this one) – the rarest day of the year. In earlier blogs we looked at the relationship of rare diseases to common diseases, and how thinking about one can benefit thinking about the […]