Hanania explains how IL-33 inhibitors including itepekimab and astegolimab may uniquely benefit COPD exacerbation.

Prospecting the IL-33 Pathway for COPD Care, with Nicola Hanania, MD, MS

Mepolizumab (Nucala) and dupilumab (Dupixent) made history as the first biologic therapies indicated to treat eligible patients with 

 The recency of those pharmaceutical breakthroughs highlights not only the previous dearth of treatment advancement for patients with obstructive lung disease — it also showed how much more clinicians must uncover about the pathophysiology of COPD.

As one leading expert explains, similar pathway-targeting agents may be on the horizon for an even wider population of patients with COPD.

Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) International COPD Conference

 in Philadelphia, PA, Nicola Hanania, MD, MS, professor of medicine and director of the Asthma Clinical Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine, discussed the potential of IL-33 inhibitors to treat patients with COPD.

COPD is driven by 3 epithelial cytokines, Hanania explained: interleukin 33, 25 (IL-33; IL-25), and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP). IL-33 is released when the epithelium is harmed.

“And we know COPD patients [suffer] exposure to smoke, exposure to microbes and pollution, and all these can trigger injury to the epithelium,” Hanania said. “And thus, IL-33 has been shown to be expressed at a higher level in COPD and actually correlates with increased risk of exacerbation.”

IL-33 is associated with the trigger of type 1, 2, and 3 inflammation in patients with COPD. Whereas the IL-4 and IL-13-targeting dupilumab solely benefits exacerbations in patients with type 2 inflammation, an IL-33 inhibitor hypothetically may positively impact most patients with COPD.

Early clinical trials assessing 3 different IL-33 inhibitors — including itepekimab, tozorakimab and the ST2 receptor inhibitor astegolimab — suggest this approach may particularly benefit COPD exacerbations in patients who previously smoked.

“I think the jury is still out regarding blocking IL-33, but certainly it's a plausible pathway,” Hanania said. “I think there's been lots of discussion here and excitement that we're looking outside the box now for COPD. Certainly, type 2 pathway [targeting]…is very important, but blocking other inflammatory pathways is also very plausible.”

Johnson V, Iapoce C. FDA Approves Mepolizumab for Eosinophilic COPD. 

. Published online May 22, 2025. https://www.hcplive.com/view/fda-approves-mepolizumab-for-eosinophilic-copd

Smith T. FDA Approves Dupilumab (Dupixent) for Treatment of COPD. 

. Published online September 27, 2024. https://www.hcplive.com/view/fda-approves-dupilumab-dupixent-for-treatment-of-copd

Rabe KF, Martinez FJ, Bhatt SP, et al. AERIFY-1/2: two phase 3, randomised, controlled trials of itepekimab in former smokers with moderate-to-severe COPD. ERJ Open Res. 2024;10(5):00718-2023. Published 2024 Sep 23. doi:10.1183/23120541.00718-2023

Singh D, Guller P, Reid F, et al. A phase 2a trial of the IL-33 monoclonal antibody tozorakimab in patients with COPD: FRONTIER-4. Eur Respir J. 2025;66(1):2402231. Published 2025 Jul 14. doi:10.1183/13993003.02231-2024

Greening N, Brightling C, Tal-Singer R, et alS1 Randomised, placebo-controlled trial of astegolimab for COPD with frequent exacerbations: ALIENTOThorax 2025;80:A7.

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News

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Conference

 conference coverage page features articles, videos, and expert-led live coverage from major medical meetings throughout the year.

Pulmonology

Infectious Disease condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on respiratory health. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for asthma, COPD, interstitial lung disease, COVID-19, and more.

COPD

COPD condition center page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on COPD research, treatment, and drug development.

CeleBrate: Zalunfiban Administration at First Contact Improves STEMI Outcomes, With C. Michael Gibson, MD

Zalunfiban, a subcutaneous glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitor in development by CeleCor Therapeutics for administration at first contact to patients with suspected 

ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)

, has met its primary efficacy and safety endpoints in the pivotal CeleBrate phase 3 trial.

GPIIb/IIIa inhibitors are the most potent antiplatelet drugs, blocking platelet aggregation induced by all activators including thrombin, thromboxane A2, and ADP. Most GPIIb/IIIa inhibitors must be delivered by an intravenous injection followed by continuous intravenous delivery with an infusion pump. However, zalunfiban can be administered rapidly – during the CeleBrate trial, patients received the medication at home, in the ambulance, or at a hospital emergency department.

 met with C. Michael Gibson, MD, an interventional cardiologist and the chief executive officer of the combined non-profit Baim and PERFUSE research institutes at Harvard Medical School, to discuss the implications of these data for the historically poor mortality rates in STEMI.

“When someone gets to the hospital, we do a great job getting them to the catheterization lab. It’s that time before they reach the hospital where we’re not doing as good of a job,” Gibson told 

. “Sadly, about half the deaths from heart attacks occur before someone even reaches the hospital. So, our goal was to really get the ball moving before someone hits the hospital door.”

CeleBrate is a phase 3, prospective, blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled, international multicenter study conducted at 45 locations worldwide. Patients were screened in the ambulance based on available information; male patients aged ≥18 years and post-menopausal females ≥50 years, weighing between 52 and 130 kg and with STEMI presenting with persistent ischemic chest pain (>10 minutes) and new ≥2 mm ST-segment elevation in 2 adjacent ECG leads within 4 hours were eligible for inclusion. Patients who had systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg and heart rate >100 bpm, who were being currently treated with renal dialysis, oral anticoagulation, direct oral anticoagulants, or thrombolytic agents, or who had a known history of ischemic or hemorrhagic 

Patients enrolled in the trial were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to a single subcutaneous dose of zalunfiban 0.11 mg/kg or 0.13 mg/kg, or placebo. The primary efficacy endpoint was a hierarchical proportional odds model ranking 7 endpoints from worst to best. These included all-cause death, stroke, recurrent myocardial infarction, acute stent thrombosis, new-onset or re-hospitalization for 

, larger infarct size, or no endpoint through 30 days.

Ultimately, 2467 patients were included in the trial, with 853 receiving zalunfiban 0.11 mg/kg, 818 receiving zalunfiban 0.13 mg/kg, and 796 receiving placebo. The primary efficacy endpoint was substantially improved in the zalunfiban arm (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.79; 95% CI, 0.65-0.98; 

 = .028). Additionally, investigators observed no difference in the primary safety endpoint of GUSTO severe bleeding (1.2% vs 0.8%; 

= .4); however, GUSTO mild to moderate bleeding was increased (6.4% vs 2.5%), as was access site bleeding (9.4% vs 4.4%). Coronary blood flow was significantly faster in the zalunfiban treated groups on arrival to the cardiac catheterization laboratory (median 109 vs 176 frames, 

“A lot of people show up at a hospital that’s not equipped to do primary PCI, and they must be transferred. That often takes more than 2 hours from when they had symptoms,” Gibson said. “We’re not meeting the guideline recommendations in >80% of patients. This drug could really help improve outcomes in those patients, because it can increase the odds that the artery will be opened while you transfer that patient.”

In a press release regarding the study, CeleCor Therapeutics announced their intent to file a New Drug Application for zalunfiban with the US Food and Drug Administration in early 2026.

CeleCor Therapeutics. Rapid zalunfiban treatment at 1st point of medical contact lowered risk of more severe heart damage in combination with other serious heart-attack complications. November 10, 2025. Accessed December 2, 2025. 

https://www.celecor.com/rapid-zalunfiban-treatment-at-1st-point-of-medical-contact-lowered-risk-of-more-severe-heart-damage-in-combination-with-other-serious-heart-attack-complications/

van ‘t Hof A, Gibson CM, Rikken S, et al. Zalunfiban at First Medical Contact in Patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction. Presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2025. New Orleans, Louisiana. November 8-10, 2025.

CeleCor Therapeutics. A Phase 3 Study of Zalunfiban in Subjects With ST-elevation MI (CELEBRATE). ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04825743. Updated October 23, 2025. Accessed December 2, 2025. 

https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04825743

Gibson discusses the promising improvements to the composite primary endpoint of mortality, stroke, and recurrent MI as a result of zalunfiban treatment.

Clinical

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Cardiology

Cardiology condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on cardiovascular and cardiometabolic diseases. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for heart disease and cardiovascular events, as well as associated diabetes, renal failure, and more...

Arrhythmia

Hersh Shroff, MD, MPA, is a transplant hepatologist and an assistant professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine

Zobair Younossi, MD, MPH, is chairman of the Global NASH/MASH Council and professor and chairman of Beatty Liver and Obesity Research at Inova Health System.

Wei Zhang, MD, PhD, is a transplant hepatologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.

Andreas Kremer, MD, PhD, MHBA, is the head of hepatology at University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland.

Naim Alkhouri, MD, is Chief Academic Officer at Summit Clinical Research and the Director of the Steatotic Liver Disease Program at the Clinical Research Institute of Ohio.

Chari Cohen, DrPH, MPH, is the President of the Hepatitis B Foundation.

Mazen Noureddin, MD, MHSc, is a professor of medicine and a transplant hepatologist at Houston Methodist and director of the Houston Research Institute.

This Year in Hepatology: New MASLD Therapies, HBV Updates, and More

2025 has marked a clear turning point in 

, bringing advances that are reshaping both the scientific landscape and everyday clinical practice. After years defined by limited therapeutic options and slow-moving pipelines, this year delivered transformative progress, from the long-awaited arrival of effective pharmacologic treatments for 

, cholestatic liver diseases, portal hypertension, and alcohol-associated liver disease.

However, the momentum extends well beyond new drugs. Emerging noninvasive diagnostics, evolving disease definitions, AI-enabled pathology, and increasingly patient-centered care models are redefining how clinicians detect, stage, and manage chronic liver disease. Together, these shifts signal a rapidly accelerating era in hepatology that is expanding treatment opportunities while reshaping clinical expectations.

To capture the breadth of this evolution, the editorial team of 

 invited 7 leading experts to weigh in on the most important advances of 2025:

, an assistant professor of medicine and director of the IHEAL Clinic at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine:

I think in the past year, the biggest news has been the increasing use of medications to treat metabolic dysfunction associated-steatotic liver disease, formerly known as fatty liver disease. The weight loss medications, the GLP-1 receptor agonists, are really changing the game for this disease process. Resmetirom is another new medication we have, and just given the sheer number of patients that we have with this disease process, now finally having medications to treat them, albeit with insurance barriers, which we're working on, but I think it's really promising to be able to at least have options for these patients. Hopefully the government and local partners can help bring the prices of these medications down and increase access, because they really are beneficial.

, chairman of the Global NASH/MASH Council and professor and chairman of Beatty Liver and Obesity Research at Inova Health System:

I think the biggest news in hepatology is the drugs that we are developing for MASH. Resmetirom, semaglutide, and probably the new drugs with FGF21s, so hopefully we'll see the results next year. There is also a lot of interest in other liver diseases, understanding the dynamic nature of what we call steatotic liver disease between MASLD, MetALD, and ALD, that this is a dynamic disease that goes back and forth. So that's an important concept to understand, and there is also some hope in terms of better treatment for viral hepatitis, especially delta hepatitis, which may not be a major issue in the United States but is a major issue in some other parts of the world. So all of these actually gave me more hope that we are going to see more and more innovation and interest in this area.

, a transplant hepatologist and assistant professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School:

There have been a few pieces of breaking news in the past year. First, I'd say the most important is steatotic liver disease, and now we finally have 2 approved medications to treat patients with MASH. We used to have no other, or very little, options, except for exercise and lifestyle modification, which is very important, but also hard to do. But now we have medications that actually have been proven to be effective in reducing steatosis and also fibrosis in those patients, so it can prevent further development of advanced liver disease.

Obviously, in addition to that, we're also trying to use a combination of pharmacotherapy and behavioral therapy so once patients lose weight, they'll continue to stay in that weight for a long period of time, and that disease can be controlled or even resolved. In addition to that, what I have noticed is that alcohol-related liver disease continues to be paid attention to. In our liver disease society, we have more researchers, we have more findings in this field, and more and more people are realizing that pharmacotherapy is something that could be utilized by us to manage patients with alcohol-related liver disease, and integrated clinics actually are more utilized across the academic medical centers to manage those patients.

The third part that I've noticed is there are more lectures and more attention that is paid to address psychosocial and structural determinants in patients with chronic liver disease, for example, stigma. This year, we have a specific session for stigma and also psychosocial structural barriers. I think we're paying more and more attention in this area, which is very important, because how patients feel about their disease is also extremely important as to how we can manage and help their disease itself.

, the head of hepatology at University Hospital Zurich:

I don’t want to break it down to one piece of biggest news. I think we have seen a lot of changes from treating underlying diseases, such as in rare cholestatic liver disease the switch to symptom burden, which is more and more addressed in many disorders, which I think is very important to our patients. They sometimes care more about improved symptoms rather than an improved laboratory parameter.

We also see great developments in the field of MASLD and also fibrotic or cirrhotic MASLD. The problem is so far, we have always relied on histology, and we see clear trends towards artificial intelligence based pathology investigations or noninvasive tests to overcome the need for biopsy on a study drug, where we, hopefully, in the future, have certain definitions that indicate this is associated with improved histology, so that we can avoid biopsy and purely rely on noninvasive parameters, whether this is an Agile 4 combined laboratory parameter or a certain elastography-based measurement needs to be shown in the end. There's a clear trend in this large disease moving away.

I think these are important messages and various other aspects a little bit, depending on whom you ask, but I think quite intriguing news we have learned here in Washington, DC.

, chief academic officer of Summit Clinical Research and director of the Steatotic Liver Program at North Shore Gastroenterology:

I think being in the field of hepatology has been very exciting in the last few years. We have new treatments that are being developed for hepatitis B to achieve functional cure, and I think this will be a great addition for these patients. We also see new therapeutics being developed to treat portal hypertension, and these patients have very advanced liver disease. They're on the cusp of decompensation, so if we can take them back into a more stable stage of their disease, that will be a very important development. We are also seeing many new therapeutics to treat cholestatic liver disease, both PSC and PBC, and we also see treatments for genetic cholestasis diseases like progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis. There's many, many new biomarkers that are being developed and screening algorithms to increase awareness of chronic liver disease in general, so I couldn't be happier to be a hepatologist.

, a professor at the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute and president of the Hepatitis B Foundation:

We have 2 new treatment guidelines for hepatitis B. EASL came out with their hepatitis B guidelines earlier in the year, and AASLD just came out with their updated hepatitis B guidelines a few days ago. We're excited to see how those are going to be implemented. We are excited as a community to have expanded treatment guidelines, and one of the central tenets of both of those guidelines is shared decision-making. We're very, very pleased to see that medical societies are paying attention to what the patient wants and understanding that the decision to initiate treatment should be a shared one between a clinician and a patient.

, a professor of medicine at Houston Methodist Hospital and co-chairman of Summit Clinical Research’s Board of Directors 

I think there are a million biggest pieces of news this year. We can talk about that for an hour, but I think the MASH field just got another big boost. There were multiple acquisitions this year, the efruxiferm acquisition, the pegozafermin acquisition, and the efimosfermin acquisition. In addition, pemvidutide came with a primary endpoint, so now we have multiple attractive phase 3 trials. With having big sponsors, I think we'll start seeing combination therapy and more trials going on. This is probably the hottest year for the MASH field ever, and I look forward to many good years coming down.

 reports relevant disclosures with Intercept, Gilead, Boehringer Ingelheim, Ipsen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, GSK, NovoNordisk, Siemens, Madridgal, Merck, Akero and Abbott. 

 reports relevant disclosures with AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Bayer, CymaBay, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Intercept, Mirum, Takeda, Ipsen, and others. 

 reports relevant disclosures with Altimmune, Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Merck, Novo Nordisk, Rivus, Takeda, and others. 

 reports relevant disclosures with Gilead Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Vir Biotechnology, Dynavax Technologies, and Roche. 

 reports relevant disclosures with Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Madrigal, Novo Nordisk, Takeda, 89BIO, Altimmune, Boehringer Ingelheim, and others.

Younossi ZM, Zelber-Sagi S, Lazarus JV, et al. Global Consensus Recommendations for Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease and Steatohepatitis. Gastroenterology. 2025;169(5):1017-1032.e2. doi:

​Bansal MB, Patton H, Morgan TR, Carr RM, Dranoff JA, Allen AM. Semaglutide therapy for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis: November 2025 updates to AASLD Practice Guidance. Hepatology. Published online November 7, 2025. doi:

European Association for the Study of the Liver. EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines on the management of hepatitis B virus infection. J Hepatol. 2025;83(2):502-583. doi:

Articles

The year 2025 has marked significant advancements in hepatology, transforming both scientific research and clinical practice. Notable progress includes the introduction of effective pharmacologic treatments for MASLD/MASH, innovations in viral hepatitis, cholestatic liver diseases, and alcohol-associated liver disease. Additionally, noninvasive diagnostics, AI-enabled pathology, and patient-centered care models are redefining chronic liver disease management. Experts highlight the importance of new medications, the dynamic nature of steatotic liver disease, and the role of psychosocial factors in patient care, signaling a rapidly evolving era in hepatology.

Recent advancements in hepatology highlight new medications for metabolic dysfunction and liver diseases, promising improved patient outcomes and treatment options.

MASH / MASLD

The HCPLive MASH & MASLD page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and steatohepatitis. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for fatty liver disease, steatohepatitis, and more.

Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into HCV can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on hepatitis C virus research, treatment, and drug development.

Cholangitis

cholangitis page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into cholangitis can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on research, treatment, and drug development in PBC, PSC, and more!

Hepatology

This Year In Medicine

2025 in Hepatology: New MASLD Therapies, HBV Updates, and More

Tim Smith joined the MJH Life Sciences team as an assistant editor for HCPLive in August 2022. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in political science, working in multimedia journalism as a staff writer prior to joining MJH. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, watching TV, listening to podcasts, and rock climbing. You can contact him at 

Antibiotic use is linked with an increased risk of biologic drug discontinuation for 

, new data suggest, though a causal link between antibiotics and diminished biologic durability remains undiscovered.

These data were authored by investigators such as Raphaël Ouakrat, MD, from Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC) in France, all of whom set out to explore the impact of antibiotic utilization among patients with psoriasis on biologic treatment use. Prior to their study, the investigative team noted the potential of antibiotic use in patients with psoriasis to impact outcomes due to such drug interactions or immunologic impacts.

Additionally, the team highlighted the proposition suggesting gut dysbiosis may serve as a modifying factor for psoriasis therapy efficacy.

 Such prior data impacted their decision to pursue this subject.

“The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between oral antibiotic exposure and the persistence of biologic therapies in psoriasis,” Ouakrat and colleagues wrote.

Ouakrat and coauthors collected the necessary data from the French National Health Insurance database in this analysis. They also implemented a validated approach within the Système National des Données de Santé to identify patients living with psoriasis. In this process, the investigators selected a set of individuals who had been given at least 2 dispensations of topical vitamin D derivatives within a 2-year timeframe; in this method, there is a reported sensitivity of 84.5% and a specificity approaching 100%.

Among those included in this group, the investigative team would assess adults who subsequently were provided with at least a single biologic medication in the period between January 2012 - June 2022, following the second vitamin D dispensation. The index data would be the date of the first biologic prescription. Only those who were initiating biologic drugs who also had no biologic use in the preceding 12 months were deemed eligible by the team.

Ouakrat et al assessed the use of systemic antibiotics both at the point of baseline and throughout follow-up as a time-dependent variable. They categorized baseline exposure based on subjects' number of antibiotic dispensations in the 6 months before the study's index date and, during follow-up, this variable was continuously updated to reflect participants' level of antibiotic exposure within the previous half-year through the same categories.

The investigative team's main outcome was determined to be whether patients discontinued or switched their first biologic drug course. The team incorporated antibiotic exposure in the 6 months preceding initiation of biologic use and during follow-up into a weighted Cox marginal structural model for the purposes of generating adjusted hazard ratios. There were 36,129 individuals included as participants.

The team noted 42.0% of those involved in the analysis were women and 55.9% were men. These individuals had a mean age of 48.4 years. The investigators determined, at baseline, 25.9% of these subjects had been given an antibiotics prescription and 60.6% were provided with antibiotics at some point over the course of follow-up.

 Macrolides, β-lactams, and fluoroquinolones were noted to have been the antibiotic classes implemented by patients most frequently.

A link was found between exposure to antibiotics and an increase in participants' likelihood of stopping or switching biologic treatments, with a weighted hazard ratio of 1.12 (95% CI, 1.08–1.16).

 This association was shown by Ouakrat and coauthors to be more pronounced among those with multiple dispensations, whose weighted hazard ratio was 1.29 (95% CI, 1.24–1.35), suggesting a potential dose-response pattern.

Overall, the investigators noted a significant relationship was observed between antibiotic utilization and reduced persistence of biologic drugs in psoriasis. These data were described as consistent with the concept that antibiotics, potentially resulting from gut microbiome disruption, may negatively impact the durability of biologics. Nevertheless, the team noted residual confounding cannot be ruled out. They further pointed to the need for additional research to confirm such findings, suggesting a more favorable disease course than previously highlighted.

“While causality is unproven, minimizing unnecessary antibiotic exposure may support better treatment persistence,” the investigators concluded.

 “Further research is warranted to confirm these associations, clarify underlying mechanisms, and identify patient-related and treatment-related factors influencing biologic durability.”

Ouakrat R, Penso L, Sbidian E, et al. Antibiotic Use and the Persistence of Biologic Therapies in Patients With Psoriasis. JAMA Dermatol. Published online November 12, 2025. 

Gorelik Y﻿, Freilich S﻿, Gerassy-Vainberg S﻿, et al; IIRN. Antibiotic use differentially affects the risk of anti-drug antibody formation during anti-TNFα therapy in inflammatory bowel disease patients: a report from the epi-IIRN. Gut. 2022;71(2):287-295. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2021-325185.

New data suggest a link between antibiotic use and increased risk of biologic drug discontinuation in psoriasis patients, though causality remains unproven. The study, conducted by researchers from Université Paris-Est Créteil, utilized the French National Health Insurance database to assess the impact of antibiotics on biologic therapy persistence. Findings indicate a significant association between antibiotic exposure and reduced biologic durability, potentially due to gut microbiome disruption. The study emphasizes the need for further research to confirm these associations and explore underlying mechanisms affecting biologic treatment persistence.

In this analysis, investigators explored potential impacts of antibiotic exposure on the persistence of biologic treatments in patients living with psoriasis.

Dermatology

The HCPLive dermatology page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on skin disease. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments for dermatologic conditions, and more.

Plaque Psoriasis

The HCPLive plaque psoriasis page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on psoriasis. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments for psoriatic disease, and more.

Antibiotic Exposure Linked to Increased Risk of Biologic Discontinuation in Psoriasis

Barr discusses the means to encourage systemic adoption of low dose CT scans to help curb the deadliest cancer in the US.

Bettering CT Scan Rates in Pulmonology, with Graham Barr, MD, DrPH

Despite there being highly determinable clinical and behavioral risk factors, access to Medicare-covered screening measures, and a severe mortality risk in cases diagnosed too late, the frequency of 

 screening remains precipitously low among eligible patients in the US.

The matter of improving this recurring trend — as has been previously discussed by experts — requires behavioral shifts from clinicians in the position to seek out a diagnosis.

 in Philadelphia, PA, Graham Barr, MD, DrPH, Chief of the Division of General Medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia University Irving Medical Center, discussed the continually minimal use of low dose computed tomography (CT) scans on patients at determined risk of lung cancer.

As Barr emphasized, low dose CT scan is not some novel, unevidenced diagnostic tool — is it covered by Medicare and private insurers and is recommended for use in eligible patients based on criteria factors by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Despite it being available and endorse like any standard screening tool, only about one-fourth (28.1%) of US patients are diagnosed at an early lung cancer state during which they experience a 65% five-year survival rate. US patients are primarily diagnosed (43%) in late-stage lung cancer, when survival rate is approximately 10%.

From Barr’s perspective, the common reasons why a colleague may not prescribe a primary cancer test do not apply to low dose CT scans: it is neither costly like a full pulmonary function test, nor is it linked to a high risk of adverse events like initially believed.

“It's a dramatically underused test and it's sort of staggering that we're still in this position,” Barr said. “It would not be acceptable if we were talking about breast cancer screening, if we were talking about pap smear screening, and so forth. We have to straighten this out.”

Barr disagreed with the theory that patient follow-through on screening referrals have a major impact on the utility of low dose CT scans. Instead, he said systems have been slow to adopt it as standard practice and clinicians are still struggling with the stigma tied with smoking.

“We still have a habit of saying, ‘Somebody got into this trouble by smoking’,” Barr said. “But whether or not they have quit [the habit], they’re still eligible [for screening] in the most part, and we should be pushing it aggressively.”

As Barr looks at the checklist of hurdles his colleagues must still clear to streamline low dose CT scans in pulmonology practices, he highlights “evidence.” There are mortality reduction-based data supporting the tool but even more robust randomized clinical trial data showing the benefit of timely lung cancer screening in the continuum of care for eligible patients. Healthcare systems can play their role by implementing quality control programs to assess their own outcomes and refine their internal processes to both clinician and patient satisfaction.

More supporting data, and a system tailored to their practice and patients, may help to overcome the stigmas surrounding both lung cancer and low dose CT scans.

“There’s not an inherent resistance to mammography screening, colon cancer screening…there’s really no reason we shouldn’t get this done,” Barr said.

Wood D, Kunzmann K. What Ails Lung Cancer Screening, with Douglas Wood, MD. 

. Published October 20, 2025. https://www.hcplive.com/view/what-ails-lung-cancer-screening-douglas-wood-md

American Lung Association. State of Lung Cancer 2025: Lung Cancer Key Findings. Web page. Last updated November 3, 2025. https://www.lung.org/research/state-of-lung-cancer/key-findings

Lung Cancer

Alex Hillenbrand is an assistant editor for 

. She earned her BA in English from Lafayette College in 2023 and went on to write for pop culture, entertainment, and sports media outlets before joining MJH Life Sciences in 2025. In her free time, Alex enjoys cooking, going on walks, and meeting new people. Contact her at mjhlifesciences.com.

Key FDA approvals, pivotal IgAN and glomerular trial results, and transplant and CKD insights from November 2025.


Nephrology

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IgA Nephropathy

The HCPLive Berger disease page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on IgA nephropathy. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments in Berger disease, and more.

FDA News

Chronic Kidney Disease

8 Nephrology Headlines You Missed in November 2025

Ryan Livingston joined the MJH Life Sciences team in March of 2025, shortly after graduating from TCNJ with a bachelor’s degree in English. He enjoys creative writing, reading, and scuba diving. He can be reached at rlivingston@mjhlifesciences.com.

The submission follows positive results from the BaxHTN trial, which saw the investigational aldosterone synthase inhibitor improve systolic BP versus placebo.

Hypertension

The HCPLive hypertension page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on high blood pressure. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments for hypertension, and more.

Baxdrostat NDA for Uncontrolled Hypertension Receives FDA Priority Review

Biofrontera announced its submission of a supplemental New Drug Application to the FDA for Ameluz-PDT in superficial basal cell carcinoma (sBCC).

sNDA for Ameluz-PDT as a Treatment for Superficial Basal Cell Carcinoma Submitted to FDA

Victoria Johnson joined the MJH Life Sciences in 2020 and has written for NeurologyLive, CGTLive, and now HCPLive. You can reach her at vjohnson@mjhlifesciences.com

PR was seen to reduce FeNO, a biomarker of type 2 inflammation, in a new study.

Asthma

The HCPLive asthma page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on asthmatic disease. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for allergic and severe asthma, and more.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation Reduces Type 2 Inflammation in High Inflammation Asthma

A groundbreaking trial reveals the effectiveness of aggressive LDL lowering in high-risk patients, showcasing significant improvements in cholesterol management.

Video Series

VICTORION-INCEPTION and the Evolving Role of Inclisiran in ASCVD

Sayna Norouzi, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine, clinical nephrologist, and founder and director of the glomerular disease and polycystic kidney disease clinics at Loma Linda University Medical Center.

This episode focuses on the underlying biology of IgA nephropathy, particularly the “multi-hit hypothesis.”

Pathophysiology of IgAN

Chelsie Derman is an associate editor for 

who covers psychiatry, sleep medicine, geriatrics, migraine, and allergy. She joined MJH Life Sciences in September 2023 after graduating from The College of New Jersey with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and professional writing. In her free time, she enjoys creative writing and reading.

This month in review spotlights 5 top allergy headlines published in November, including late-breaking data at ACAAI 2025.

Allergy

Allergy condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on allergic and inflammatory diseases. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for food and seasonal allergies, as well as allergic asthma and related conditions.

5 Allergy Headlines You Missed in November 2025

Discover the critical importance of early LDL lowering with PCSK9 inhibitors to reduce cardiovascular risks and improve patient outcomes.

Expanding the Role of PCSK9 Inhibitors in ASCVD Treatment

In this segment, the panel focuses on what “optimized supportive care” truly means for patients with IgA nephropathy.

Optimizing Supportive Care for IgAN

Abigail Brooks is an assistant managing editor for 

She joined MJH Life Sciences in August 2023 shortly after graduating from Monmouth University where she earned her BA in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations/Journalism and later an MA in Interactive Digital Media. She enjoys traveling, running, and reading books. She can be reached at abrooks@mjhlifesciences.com.

Catch up on GI FDA news, new American Gastroenterological Association Crohn’s disease guidelines, and more gastroenterology updates from November.

Gastroenterology

Gastroenterology condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on digestive and GI conditions. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for 

, IBS and IBD, Crohn's disease, and more.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

On the HCPLive inflammatory bowel disease page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into IBD can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on IBD and more.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

On the HCPLive irritable bowel syndrome page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into IBS can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on IBS, IBD, and more.

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