5 Pulmonology Headlines You Missed in July 2025

Amid continued advancements in pulmonary care, July 2025 delivered a mix of clinical insights, real-world perspectives, and evolving guidance that reflect the changing landscape of respiratory medicine. This month’s highlights span COPD management, viral respiratory illness, and post-COVID care—underscoring both emerging opportunities and persistent challenges in the field.

A leading conversation focused on the expanding role of advanced practice providers in endobronchial valve therapy for COPD, with Haley Hoy, PhD, CRNP, emphasizing their impact on diagnosis, referral, and access—particularly in rural settings. New data from Genentech’s phase 3 trials of astegolimab showed mixed efficacy in COPD, with one trial meeting its primary endpoint and another falling short, complicating its future regulatory pathway. In a large retrospective study, older adults hospitalized with RSV faced significantly higher risks of heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and mortality compared to those hospitalized for influenza or UTIs.

Meanwhile, a multisociety consensus introduced new recommendations for standardizing post–COVID-19 CT imaging practices. Finally, the FDA approval of mepolizumab for eosinophilic COPD signaled a shift toward targeted, biologic-based care for patients with type 2 inflammation, supported by data from the phase 3 MATINEE trial.

Check out this July 2025 pulmonology month in review for a recap of HCPLive’s coverage of the top news and research from the past few weeks:

1. Examining APP-Led Endobronchial Valve Therapy for COPD, with Haley Hoy, PhD, CRNP

HCPLive spoke with Haley Hoy, PhD, CRNP, who discussed the critical role advanced practice practitioners (APPs) can play in improving COPD care, especially in rural outreach settings where they help expedite diagnoses, referrals, and access to treatments like endobronchial valve therapy.
2. Genentech (Roche)’s Astegolimab Shows Mixed Data for COPD

Genentech reported mixed phase 3 results for astegolimab in COPD, with the ALIENTO trial showing a statistically significant 15.4% reduction in annualized exacerbation rate at 52 weeks, while the ARNASA trial failed to meet its primary endpoint despite a similar 14.5% reduction. Neither trial found no new safety signals, but the inconsistent efficacy results may challenge astegolimab’s regulatory path.

3. Heart Failure, AF, and Mortality More Common After RSV Than UTI or Flu Hospitalizations in Older Adults

A retrospective cohort study of adults ≥65 years in Ontario found that 18.5% of those hospitalized with RSV experienced a cardiovascular event within one year, higher than those hospitalized for influenza, UTI, or fracture. RSV hospitalizations were associated with significantly higher risks of subsequent heart failure, atrial fibrillation, ICU admission, and longer hospital stays.

4. New Consensus Aims to Align Post-COVID CT Imaging Practices
A multisociety consensus statement recommends standardized CT imaging practices for post–COVID-19 residual lung abnormalities. Key guidance includes limiting chest CT to patients with persistent symptoms at least 3 months post-infection, using low-dose protocols, and avoiding terms like “interstitial lung abnormality” in favor of “post–COVID-19 residual lung abnormality” to prevent unnecessary workups for fibrosis.

5. The Biologic Era in COPD: What Mepolizumab Approval Means for Exacerbation Control
Joseph Khabbaza, MD, Nikita Desai, MD, and Eric Costanzo, MD, discussed the clinical impact of the FDA approval of mepolizumab for eosinophilic COPD, highlighting its potential to reduce exacerbations and lower corticosteroid dependence in a traditionally treatment-resistant population. Supported by the phase 3 MATINEE trial, mepolizumab marks a shift toward personalized care in COPD, offering a targeted option for the estimated 40% of patients with type 2 inflammation and drawing parallels to the evolution seen in asthma management.