Victoria Johnson joined MJH Life Sciences in 2020 and has written for NeurologyLive, CGTLive, and is now an assistant managing editor for HCPLive and RheumatologyLive. She doesn’t have enough time for her numerous hobbies. You can reach her at vjohnson@mjhlifesciences.com.

European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress 

convenes in Barcelona, Spain, from September 5 to 9, 2026, 

 will arrive at one of its more consequential inflection points in recent memory. Chronic obstructive pulmonary diasese (COPD), long the field's most undertreated major disease, is undergoing a meaningful therapeutic expansion: the first phase 3 data for an IL-33 receptor antagonist in exacerbation prevention will be presented, eosinophil-guided ICS strategy is being tested in a prospective randomized design for the first time, and questions about beta-blocker use in COPD without cardiovascular disease are getting a direct answer. In asthma, the next wave of anti-TSLP biology is arriving — a bispecific antibody targeting both TSLP and IL-4Rα and a long-acting anti-TSLP candidate with a 6-month dosing interval are each presenting first human data. In IPF, nerandomilast's open-label extension brings long-term safety data that will inform the field's growing conversation about combination antifibrotic therapy, while back-to-back sessions on Monday and Tuesday will present early clinical results from RNA and base editing programs targeting the PI*ZZ mutation in AATD — a first for any major respiratory congress.

 editorial team will be on site in Barcelona for coverage and interviews throughout the meeting.

1. Eosinophil-Guided ICS Therapy in COPD: The COPERNICOS Trial

Jens-Ulrik Stæhr Jensen, MD, PhD | 16:30–17:30 CEST

Blood eosinophil counts have long been proposed as a biomarker to guide ICS use in COPD, but prospective randomized evidence for eosinophil-directed treatment decisions has remained limited. COPERNICOS tests this directly in an RCT evaluating whether eosinophil-guided ICS escalation or de-escalation improves outcomes compared to standard care in patients with severe COPD. 

 will be speaking with Jensen following his presentation to discuss the trial design and what the results mean for eosinophil-guided prescribing in clinical practice.

2. Metoprolol in COPD Without Cardiovascular Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Beta-blocker use in COPD has been debated for decades, with observational data suggesting cardiovascular and respiratory benefit but few prospective trials. This RCT directly addresses whether metoprolol — a cardioselective beta-1 blocker — is safe and effective in patients with COPD who lack an established cardiovascular indication, a population routinely excluded from landmark beta-blocker trials.

3. Tozorakimab Modulates COPD Airway Biology Beyond Type 2 Inflammation: FRONTIER-4

Tozorakimab is a monoclonal antibody targeting IL-33, an epithelial alarmin released in response to viral infection and tissue damage that drives both type 2 and non-type 2 airway inflammation. FRONTIER-4 is a phase 2 mechanistic study examining tozorakimab's effects on COPD airway biology — including translational biomarkers beyond eosinophils — providing biological context ahead of the phase 3 OBERON and TITANIA exacerbation data presented Tuesday.

4. Zumilokibart (APG777) and Durable FeNO Suppression in Asthma

Mario Castro, MD, MPH | 16:30–17:30 CEST

Zumilokibart (APG777) is a next-generation anti-IL-13 antibody engineered for extended half-life, designed to offer meaningful dosing intervals beyond current approved agents. This late-breaking abstract reports a single-dose study demonstrating durable suppression of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) through 32 weeks in patients with mild-to-moderate asthma, establishing proof-of-pharmacodynamic-concept for the program.

5. GRI-0621 in IPF: Phase 2a Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial

GRI-0621 is an oral agonist selective for retinoic acid receptor β/γ (RARβ/γ), a nuclear receptor pathway implicated in alveolar epithelial repair and the attenuation of TGF-β–driven fibrogenesis. This phase 2a randomized trial reports safety, translational biomarker data, and lung function signals in patients with IPF, representing an early clinical readout for a mechanism largely unexplored in antifibrotic development. 

 will be talking with Wijsenbeek about these results and what the RARβ/γ mechanism adds to the current antifibrotic landscape.

6. In Vivo Base Editing for AATD: YOLT-202 Phase 1/2 Trial

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency caused by the PI*ZZ genotype results from a missense mutation in SERPINA1 that causes misfolding and hepatic accumulation of AAT protein, with downstream lung and liver disease. YOLT-202 uses adenine base editing delivered in vivo to correct the PI*ZZ mutation at the DNA level — a strategy that, if effective, would represent disease modification rather than protein replacement.

7. RNA Editing for AATD: RestorAATion-2 Interim Results

RNA editing offers an alternative to permanent DNA modification for AATD: rather than correcting the underlying SERPINA1 mutation, ADAR-mediated RNA editing restores the sequence at the transcript level, transiently normalizing AAT protein production and reducing the burden of misfolded Z-AAT in hepatocytes. RestorAATion-2 presents interim phase 2 data with primary interest in circulating AAT levels and hepatic biomarkers.

8. ATI-052, a Bispecific Anti-TSLP/IL-4Rα Antibody: First-in-Human Phase 1a Data

Christopher Brightling, MD, PhD | 15:45–17:00 CEST

ATI-052 is a bispecific monoclonal antibody engineered to simultaneously block TSLP and the IL-4Rα subunit shared by IL-4 and IL-13 receptors, targeting upstream epithelial alarmin signaling and downstream type 2 effector cytokines with a single agent. This first-in-human phase 1a study reports pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and initial safety in healthy volunteers and subjects with mild asthma.

9. Selective TRPA-1 Antagonist in IPF-Associated Chronic Cough: Phase 2a/2b (BI 1839100)

Chronic cough affects a significant proportion of patients with IPF and represents a major unmet need with no approved therapy; TRPA-1 is a sensory receptor expressed in airway epithelium that responds to mechanical stretch, acid, and inflammatory mediators and is thought to drive cough hypersensitivity in fibrotic disease. This phase 2a/2b randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of BI 1839100 provides the first controlled evidence on selective TRPA-1 blockade for IPF-associated cough. HCPLive will be asking Wijsenbeek about this readout alongside the GRI-0621 data to get her perspective on what these two trials together signal for the IPF pipeline.

10. Lunsekimig for Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps: DUET Trial

Lunsekimig is a bispecific antibody targeting both IL-13 and TSLP, combining type 2 cytokine blockade with upstream epithelial alarmin suppression — a mechanism not covered by dupilumab or tezepelumab alone. The DUET trial presents phase 3 efficacy and safety data in patients with CRSwNP, a disease with established biologic options but persistent burden in incomplete responders.

11. Tozorakimab to Prevent COPD Exacerbations: OBERON and TITANIA Phase 3

Tozorakimab (MEDI3506) blocks IL-33, an alarmin released during cellular stress and viral infection that activates ST2-expressing innate immune cells and drives both eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic airway inflammation in COPD. OBERON and TITANIA are replicate phase 3 randomized controlled trials evaluating tozorakimab's effect on moderate-to-severe exacerbation rates across a broad COPD population — the replicate design and breadth of the target population make this among the highest-stakes data readouts of the congress.

12. VALIANT: Phase 2 Trial of Verekitug in Severe Asthma

Verekitug targets the TSLP receptor directly rather than the ligand, representing a mechanistically distinct approach to TSLP pathway blockade compared with tezepelumab. VALIANT is a phase 2 randomized trial reporting efficacy and safety in patients with severe asthma, with results that will inform how the anti-TSLP class may expand beyond the first approved agent. 

13. BEAM-302: First-in-Human In Vivo Gene Editing for Severe AATD

will be speaking with Hurst onsite to learn more about BEAM-302, which uses lipid nanoparticle delivery to introduce adenine base editors directly into hepatocytes in vivo, correcting the PI*ZZ point mutation at the genomic level without permanent DNA double-strand breaks. Initial phase 1/2 data represent the first clinical evidence for in vivo base editing in any respiratory or hepatic genetic disease, with primary endpoints focused on circulating AAT levels, hepatic safety, and off-target editing assessment.

14. Nerandomilast Safety and Tolerability in IPF and PPF: FIBRONEER-ON

Nerandomilast is a selective PDE4B inhibitor that reduces fibroblast activation and macrophage-driven inflammation through a cAMP-dependent mechanism distinct from both pirfenidone and nintedanib. The FIBRONEER-ON open-label extension provides long-term safety and tolerability data from patients with IPF and progressive pulmonary fibrosis continuing nerandomilast after the pivotal FIBRONEER trial — data that will directly inform the feasibility of combination antifibrotic regimens as the field evaluates dual therapy as a next step. HCPLive will be sitting down with Wuyts to discuss what the extension data reveal about nerandomilast's long-term profile and where combination strategies go from here.

Articles

ERS 2026 spotlights a pivotal broadening of respiratory therapeutics across COPD, asthma, IPF, and AATD. COPD advances include first phase 3 exacerbation-prevention data with IL-33 blockade, a randomized test of eosinophil-guided ICS escalation/de-escalation, and definitive RCT evidence on metoprolol in patients without cardiovascular indications. Asthma features first-in-human programs extending anti-TSLP biology, including a TSLP/IL-4Rα bispecific and a long-acting candidate with extended dosing. IPF sessions emphasize novel antifibrotic mechanisms, cough targets, and long-term nerandomilast safety, alongside inaugural respiratory-congress clinical readouts for in vivo and RNA/base editing approaches in PI*ZZ AATD.

The HCPLive editorial team previews late-breaking abstracts across COPD, asthma, IPF, PAH, and AATD ahead of ERS Congress 2026 in Barcelona.

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ERS Congress 2026 Preview: Late-Breaking Trials to Know

Baba Inusa, MBBS, is a Consultant Paediatrician in the School of Life Course & Population Sciences at King's College London.

In recognition of Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month, HCPLive revisits a conversation with Baba Inusa, MBBS, a consultant paediatrician in the School of Life Course & Population Sciences at King's College London, about a global survey comparing the experiences of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) across sub-Saharan Africa, other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and high-income countries (HICs). The full conversation was previously covered in 2 parts: 

Increased Sickle Cell Pain Burden in Sub-Saharan Africa Despite Younger Patients

Using SWAY's Global Sickle Cell Data to Close Access, Treatment Gaps

Q&A: Addressing Global Care Gaps in Sickle Cell Disease, With Baba Inusa, MBBS

HCPLive: Can you explain the gaps you set out to study, and what prompted the decision to compare the experiences of patients with sickle cell disease across sub-Saharan Africa, other LMICs, and HICs?

I'm a pediatric hematologist, and I've been involved in quite a number of research studies looking at the diagnosis, the challenges, and the needs in terms of gaps in services across different global geographic settings. This work, funded by Novartis, was to understand how disease patterns compare between high-income countries, sub-Saharan Africa, and other low- and middle-income countries. Even though a majority of patients in the US, UK, and Europe have a similar background to patients from Africa, we observed differences in adherence to therapy and in responses that patients have and expectations. This became very obvious in some of our research involving countries across different regions. We thought it was important to understand why we were observing those differences and how they could be addressed by different countries, because different countries have different healthcare systems, different approaches to funding, and different family setups. That is why we found it important to look at these differences and try to characterize them, because it's important for how we address patients' needs.

HCPLive: Can you walk us through the major findings, and share if any of them were surprising to you?

The total population surveyed was 2145 patients across the countries. The majority came from high-income countries, with three low- and middle-income countries other than Africa, and two low- and middle-income countries from Africa, which were Ghana and Nigeria. We compared the different subgroups. It became obvious that patients recruited in sub-Saharan Africa were much younger, but that recruitment was entirely from expert clinics, whereas recruitment from the other settings had a significant proportion from community-based organizations (CBOs). So it's entirely possible that some of the differences we observed might be because of how patients were recruited, or because patients in Africa were younger.

We observed that treatment modalities sought were different, because the majority of patients in Africa tended to undergo treatment at home if they had pain or other episodes, whereas patients in Europe and the US tended to go to the hospital and be admitted. We thought, could that be because of different social networks that allow people to manage patients at home? We also looked at the three most common features patients reported, including headache, fatigue, and pain. These were the three most common across the different groups, but in Africa, fatigue did not come out as the highest. Why didn't they report fatigue as the most common compared to the other regions? These are some of the things we're trying to understand.

It was also surprising that patients from sub-Saharan Africa asked more for psychosocial support compared to the other patients, even though the nature of their disease was not very dissimilar. Prescriptions for supportive treatment, like folic acid and penicillin, were much lower in sub-Saharan African patients, and we know clearly that penicillin prophylaxis is very important. Hydroxyurea use was also much lower, but this survey was done in 2019, so this may have changed. There was lower utilization of some disease-modifying agents, and these treatments were paid for out-of-pocket by patients in sub-Saharan Africa. If you lose days of work, you lose your income, because the social safety net in Africa is weaker, whereas in other settings you can receive pay through sick leave despite not going to work. If you're on a zero-hour contract, you don't get work, you don't get money, so that's going to affect people's desire to be admitted to hospital. First, you pay the cost of care, and second, you lose work, and this may have influenced patients' preference to be managed at home. On the flip side, if the family and community social network is much more robust, it's entirely possible that people are much more comfortable not having to go to hospital to be managed.

Pain presentations were similar across the board, but those with higher pain episodes, more than 5 vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) per year, were much higher in the sub-Saharan African patients. It's interesting, because pain episodes are expected to be less severe in younger children, but in this population, more than 5 episodes in the last 12 months was actually higher. This emphasizes the need for us to refocus on what we should emphasize in terms of our patients.

HCPLive: What do you think are the main structural drivers behind these regional differences in care access and treatment use?

Health systems are very important. In Europe, including the UK, access to healthcare is not dependent on income. There's community support and hospital support that is available, whereas in Africa that system is weaker, and most of it is driven by what patients themselves can afford to do and cope with without affecting the welfare of other children. Both systems in Europe and the US have a much more robust health system, and that helps reassure parents and patients to seek care.

There's also the reluctance of patients to go to hospital. We know that sometimes people worry about stigma, or how they're treated in hospital. If they're not treated well, they'll say there's no point going, because they're asked the same questions every time. Cost is important, systems are important, and the absence or presence of a social network will have a major impact. Awareness matters too, because who is looking after these patients, specialists or generalists? Where there's a very high burden of disease, patients tend to be seen by other healthcare workers rather than physicians, so how much information those workers have to pass on to patients will also influence health-seeking behavior and utilization. I think systems and education are important, but also availability and affordability of services. You may know what to take, but if you cannot afford it, that's a major challenge.

HCPLive: Based on your findings, where do you see the most immediate opportunity to intervene, whether that's medication access, acute care delivery, or community-level management?

I think you've really highlighted the areas I wanted to emphasize: access and affordability. We've written papers suggesting there should be more global support for medications like hydroxyurea and penicillin, so they become essential medications. Organizations like the Global Fund and other bigger funding bodies could contribute significantly to reducing cost, which would improve access and utilization. We've been trying to involve the World Health Organization (WHO) and other organizations to bring this to bear. In terms of service structure, specialist centers should be supported by generalist centers that have the capacity to treat properly, with professionals available and patients able to access them easily. This effort shouldn't only be left to those organizations; pharmaceutical companies can also contribute significantly, and a number of foundations supported by drug companies and civil society have already had significant input. Community-based organizations have also contributed to filling some of these gaps. Funding is very important, but having a joined-up approach that provides a standard framework different countries can use, so we can learn from each other's best practices, is what will benefit patients across the board.

HCPLive:  What is the single most important takeaway clinicians and health systems should draw from this study when thinking about sickle cell disease care globally?

It's important that the patient voice is heard. Previously, we didn't pay too much attention to problems like fatigue; we focused more on pain. But patients are telling us fatigue is key, almost top of their agenda. We need to listen to patients and involve them at various stages of drug development and service provision. We also need to address end-organ damage, not only pain. A lot of the endpoints people look for in drug development are pain-related, but sickle cell disease is beyond that, and patients are telling us there are other things we need to pay attention to. Quality of life is paramount, because if we improve the health of these patients, they'll contribute significantly to society. Psychosocial support is also an issue across the board, not just hospital provision. Finally, there's great importance in collaboration between high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries. I come from a low- and middle-income country myself, but I work in a high-income country, and I think the role of people in the diaspora in their home countries should be acknowledged and strengthened, both through governments and through organizations like the WHO and charities.

HCPLive: Is there anything else about the study you'd like to highlight?

Inusa: I feel that this study is an eye-opener and should lead to further studies. It's important for us to dig deeper to understand why patients are or aren't seeking treatment, whether that's based on individual factors, income, or a decision they've made because they feel it's what works for them. That would require additional qualitative studies to identify some of these key subjects and understand what's driving their decisions. We also need to understand the impact of age on presentations and decisions, through a study involving all age groups and a wider range of countries, so we can understand what factors are at play across Africa, the Americas, and Europe, and what the cost of care means for patients economically and for their decision-making. We know there are over 7 to 8 million patients with sickle cell disease across the world, and management systems are very different, so it would be important to understand the impact on their lives beyond health alone. I'm advocating for more research in this area, so we can better explain some of these findings. But there's enough in this study to tell us there's a need to improve access, and to achieve better utilization, there needs to be greater investment and priority placed on essential drug lists. This is happening now, as we're part of the WHO expert group developing frameworks for specialist and comprehensive centers, which I think can go a long way toward harmonizing care.

Editor's Note: Inusa reports relevant disclosures with Novo Nordisk A/S.

A 2,145-patient global survey highlighted marked regional differences in sickle cell disease care across sub-Saharan Africa, other LMICs, and HICs, with important confounding from younger African cohorts and recruitment largely via expert clinics. Sub-Saharan African respondents more often managed crises at home, faced higher out-of-pocket costs, and reported lower use of penicillin prophylaxis and hydroxyurea (2019 data). Despite similar symptom triads, fatigue prominence varied and psychosocial needs were heightened in Africa. Structural determinants included health-system robustness, stigma, workforce capacity, and social safety nets, underscoring the primacy of patient-reported priorities.

A pediatric hematologist unpacks why sickle cell disease burden, treatment access, and pain outcomes differ across sub-Saharan Africa, other LMICs, and HICs.

Hematology

Sickle Cell

Sickle Cell condition center page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into sickle cell disease can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on sickle cell research, treatment, and drug development.

Addressing Global Care Gaps in Sickle Cell Disease, With Baba Inusa, MBBS

Kristina Duffin, MD, MS is a professor in the Department of Dermatology and recently appointed Dean of the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah.

Kristina Duffin, MD, MS, built her LEADderm session around personal elements of leadership and the experiments that grew from them.

She referenced the book "Total Leadership," which asks leaders to define the qualities they bring to work, home, spiritual, and community life.

Duffin advised new leaders to carefully evaluate which problems are truly theirs to solve, since leadership roles require stepping back from certain prior responsibilities.

Leadership in health care is often less intentional and more of a learned process than many clinicians expect, according to Kristina Duffin, MD, MS, who discussed the origins of her LEADderm session, ‘Lessons in Leadership: Elements & Experiments,’ in an on-site interview with 

Duffin, dean of the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah, said she built the talk around her own leadership journey to help address common misconceptions about how leaders emerge in fields such as 

Key Lessons in Leadership as a Clinician, With Kristina Duffin, MD

Duffin said the session wove together the personal elements she has found valuable in leadership with the experiments that resulted from applying them. Drawing on themes discussed throughout LEADderm, including personal resilience, well-being, community building, and public speaking, Duffin said she wanted to start by identifying which qualities and behaviors support sustained thriving in leadership roles.

What Framework Did Duffin Use to Explore Leadership Qualities?

Duffin cited the book "Total Leadership" as a key influence, noting it challenges leaders to examine what qualities, traits, and behaviors they bring across 4 domains: work life, home life, spiritual or self life, and community life. She described this as an ongoing exploration relevant to any leader, forming the foundation of the "elements" portion of her talk. She then discussed how to deploy those elements in practice, framing effective leaders as chief problem solvers, chief vision setters, and chief cultural attachés.

What Is Duffin's Top Tip for Clinicians Moving Into Leadership?

Duffin said health care providers are leaders by default, given their responsibility for guiding teams and patients toward better outcomes. She said a critical shift occurs as clinicians move into more traditional leadership roles, since responsibilities that once defined their work may no longer be appropriate or feasible to continue. Duffin emphasized the importance of carefully evaluating whether a given problem is truly one's own to solve, citing a colleague's guidance that a leader cannot perform CPR and run the code simultaneously. She noted this often means seeing fewer patients directly while taking on more supervisory and educational responsibilities to help other physicians grow.

Editor's Note: This transcript has been edited for grammar and clarity using artificial intelligence tools. Duffin had no relevant disclosures of note.

Duffin K. Lessons in Leadership: Elements & Experiments (CME). Session presented at LEADderm. Aug 29-30, 2026.

LEADderm. About LEADderm: the missing curriculum. 

Videos

Kristina Duffin, MD, MS, shares lessons from her LEADderm leadership session, including how to define which problems are truly yours to solve.

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Stacey Rifkin-Zenenberg, DO, is a Pediatric Hematologist Oncologist in Hackensack, NJ. She has 30 years of experience and is board certified in Hospice Care and Palliative Medicine.

For sickle cell patients without a matched sibling donor, the path to a cure used to be narrower. Now, gene therapy offers an alternative, though it comes with its own tradeoff: a 9- to 12-month timeline that isn't always an option for the sickest patients. 

As Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month draws attention to the condition, HCPLive is revisiting a conversation with Stacey Rifkin-Zenenberg, DO, pediatric hematologist/oncologist and program director of the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship at the Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center, on how she weighs gene therapy against allogeneic stem cell transplantation for individual patients.

HCPLive: Over the past few years, curative treatment options for sickle cell disease have expanded significantly. How would you describe the current treatment landscape, and what do you see as the biggest shift in care?

In the last few years, gene therapy has become more common as a curative therapy offered to sickle cell patients. Bone marrow transplant has been the standard of care since the early 1980s, starting with a patient who had sickle cell and leukemia and was cured of both. Since then, there has been a push to get patients to bone marrow transplant, initially for the most severe patients, and more recently the standard of care has been that if you have a sibling who matches you, you have the opportunity to be transplanted. The issue is that a good percentage of patients don't have a sibling or a good donor, and that's where gene therapy came from. Gene therapy uses the patient as their own donor. It's been very successful; there are a few companies doing it, multiple qualified treatment centers across the United States now, and most insurances will pay for it. Because of that, we hope it will become a more common therapy for patients.

HCPLive: In your clinical experience with both gene therapy and allogeneic stem cell transplantation now available for some patients, how do you approach determining which curative strategy may be the best fit for an individual?

The standard of care is still that if you have a matched sibling — a tissue match, not a blood group match — that's the pathway you'd go. If you don't have a matched sibling, it depends on the patient. Gene therapy is definitely a great option, but it takes longer, usually about 9 to 12 months. So if the patient is very sick, an allogeneic transplant may be an option because it can be done more quickly, but it also depends on the availability of donors outside the family.

HCPLive: What characteristics or clinical factors should prompt hematologists to refer a patient for evaluation at a specialized center, even if a curative therapy is not immediately planned?

Everybody should be talking to their patients, starting when they're babies, about both of these options, since sickle cell patients have the opportunity in their lifetime to pursue either one. For gene therapy, the criteria are the same as when patients were undergoing clinical trials: having four painful crises or other types of acute crises in the last two years. Patients with SS or S beta thalassemia can also qualify. That's the criteria most insurance companies are also going by. For transplant, it really depends on how severe the sickle cell is, how sick the patient is, and donor availability.

HCPLive: As more patients begin to undergo gene therapy and other curative approaches, what long-term outcomes are you most interested in tracking over the next several years?

There are so many. What we're now seeing is that most patients who have received gene therapy are transformed — their sickle cell is transformed, and they don't have crises. I'd like to see how they do over time with their clinical organ function, and also how they're doing from a psychosocial point of view.

HCPLive: What message would you send to community hematologists about the role of curative therapies in the future of sickle cell disease management?

If you have a sickle cell patient, it should be standard of care to discuss this when you meet them, ideally after the newborn screen. If you don't meet them then, at any point after, talk to them and give them the option of pursuing it if you're not at a qualified treatment center yourself.

Editor’s Note: Rifkin reports relevant disclosures with Bluebird Bio and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated.

Sharma A. How I treat sickle cell disease with gene therapy. 

. 2024;144(26):2693-2705. doi:10.1182/blood.2024024519

Tardif M, Saby M, Forté S, Pincez T. The journey of gene therapy in sickle cell disease: how molecular advances meet clinical care. 

. 2026;15(10):939. doi:10.3390/cells15100939

Stacey Rifkin-Zenenberg, DO, marks Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month with insight on gene therapy vs. transplant.

The 9-to-12-Month Decision in Curative Sickle Cell Care

Chelsie Derman is an associate editor for 

who covers allergy and  psychiatry. 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.

 psychedelic pipeline, with a resubmission of the new drug application (NDA) for MDMA-assisted therapy and phase 3 data on lysergide for anxiety. TMS practice also saw new data this month, from a look back at how far session times have shrunk to fresh questions about whether current dosing conventions are even the right ones.

Elsewhere, a large genetics study offered the field's clearest look yet at the biological differences underlying 

's opposite symptom presentations, hypersomnia and weight gain versus insomnia and weight loss. Below is a roundup of the month's top psychiatry stories, with links to HCPLive's full coverage of each.

MDMA-Assisted Therapy NDA Resubmitted to FDA for PTSD

Resilient Pharmaceuticals, formerly MAPS Public Benefit Corporation and then Lykos Therapeutics, resubmitted its NDA for MDMA-assisted therapy in PTSD without conducting a new phase 3 trial. The resubmission follows the August 2024 complete response letter (CRL) that recommended additional research on durability of response, safety characterization, and bias mitigation, areas the FDA's new July 2026 final guidance on psychedelic drug trials also addresses.

Voyage: DT120 ODT Reduces Anxiety in Phase 3 GAD Trial

Definium Therapeutics reported positive phase 3 Voyage trial results for DT120 (lysergide) orally disintegrating tablet in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), showing a 5.4-point placebo-adjusted reduction on the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale at week 12. The single-dose treatment reached significance as early as day 2, and the FDA has granted the DT120 Breakthrough Therapy designation for GAD.

TMS Sessions Reduced From 38 Minutes to 3, With Jonathan Downar, MD, PhD

Jonathan Downar, MD, PhD, described 2 decades of advances that compressed TMS sessions from 38 minutes to as little as 3, expanding treatment access for depression and other psychiatric conditions. He credited theta-burst protocols, accelerated scheduling, and improved neuroimaging maps of depression circuitry for the shift.

Lower TMS Intensity Correlates With Greater Depression Improvement

A secondary analysis of a randomized McLean Hospital trial found lower electric-field strength at the DLPFC, not higher stimulation intensity, was associated with greater depression symptom improvement. The finding challenges the conventional fixed 120% resting motor threshold dosing standard and points toward individualized, E-field-guided TMS dosing.

AERS Subtypes Show Distinct Genetic Architecture in MDD

A genome-wide association study of > 460,000 individuals identified 27 genetic loci separating atypical energy-related symptom (AERS) subtypes of major depressive disorder (MDD), defined by opposing hypersomnia/weight gain and insomnia/weight loss profiles. AERS+ correlated with metabolic risk factors, including BMI and type 2 diabetes, suggesting a biological basis for future subtype-specific treatment approaches.

A regulatory resubmission, 2 phase 3 psychedelic trial readouts, new TMS dosing data, and an MDD genetics study, all in this August 2026 recap.

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5 Psychiatry Headlines You Missed in August 2026

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.

A joint ESC/ERA guideline on universal CKD screening headlines August 2026's nephrology news, alongside new finerenone and sibeprenlimab trial data.

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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.

Chronic Kidney Disease

5 Nephrology Headlines You Missed in August 2026

Peter Lio, MD, discusses why precision medicine has advanced further in psoriasis than atopic dermatitis, and what oncology can teach dermatology.

The Present and Future of Precision Medicine in Dermatology, With Peter Lio, MD

FDA actions, a WAO consensus update, and late-stage trial data in food allergy, anaphylaxis, CRSwNP, and EoE, all in this August 2026 recap.

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.

Food Allergy

Anaphylaxis

The HCPLive anaphylaxis page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on acute allergic reactions. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for preventing anaphylaxis, and more.

Seasonal Allergy

7 Allergy Headlines You Missed in August 2026

This episode, "B-Cell Therapy in IgAN: APRIL, BAFF, and the VISIONARY and ORIGIN Trials," features the panel examining a class that changed the field.

B-Cell Therapy in IgAN: APRIL, BAFF, and the VISIONARY and ORIGIN Trials

Biologics have displaced a procedure that once filled the fellowship schedule. The panel weighs what replaced aspirin desensitization, and how sinus surgery rates changed with it.

Video Series

Managing Both Upper and Lower Airway Diseases

In "Endothelin Receptor Antagonists in IgAN: The ALIGN Trial and Access," our experts turn to a newly approved kidney-protective class.

Endothelin Receptor Antagonists in IgAN: The ALIGN Trial and Access

Not every patient with nasal polyps is allergic, and no test reliably separates those who are. The panel discusses how referral patterns skew what each specialist believes.

Unified Airway Disease Presentation in Clinic

A nephrologist outlines gaps in CKD tracking, medication access, and transplant standards across the carceral health system.

For Incarcerated Patients, Kidney Care Can't Wait, With Laura Maursetter, MD

Mahboobeh Mahdavinia, MD, PhD, a board-certified allergist/immunologist from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Mahboobeh Mahdavinia, MD, says a published, safe at-home protocol for resolving egg allergy is rarely used because of the counseling time it demands.

Egg Ladder Protocol Remains Underused Despite Safety Data

Peter Lio, MD, on Skin Angels, a dermatology-focused angel-investing group that has evaluated over 300 companies and funded more than 30.

Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic Dermatitis condition center page, audiences can find a variety of coverage mediums for medical news and updates, including articles, video interviews, podcasts, and breaking news on dermatitis research, treatment, and drug development.

Latest News

ERS Congress 2026 Preview: Late-Breaking Trials to Know

Addressing Global Care Gaps in Sickle Cell Disease, With Baba Inusa, MBBS

Key Lessons in Leadership as a Clinician, With Kristina Duffin, MD

The 9-to-12-Month Decision in Curative Sickle Cell Care

5 Psychiatry Headlines You Missed in August 2026