Inhaled treprostinil in PH-ILD: The INCREASE study

In this animation, we present the INCREASE study, the evaluation of the safety and efficacy of inhaled treprostinil in patients with pulmonary hypertension due to interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD).

When blood vessels in the lungs become thickened, narrowed, damaged or blocked, blood pressure in the lungs becomes abnormally high. This is known as pulmonary hypertension (PH). This can be caused by heart failure, clots within the lungs or lung diseases such as interstitial lung disease (ILD). It is common for patients with ILD to develop PH-ILD, particularly for patients with advanced ILD. Common symptoms of PH-ILD include chest pain, shortness of breath and dry cough – PH-ILD is a progressive condition meaning that these symptoms often gradually worsen over time.

At the time of the study, there were no approved treatments for PH-ILD. Inhaled treprostinil (Tyvaso®) is used to treat a similar condition known as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Inhaling treprostinil delivers the drug directly into the lungs to help keep bloods vessels open and promote blood flow. The INCREASE study aimed to determine whether inhaled treprostinil could also be used to treat PH-ILD.

Original article:

Inhaled Treprostinil in Pulmonary Hypertension Due to Interstitial Lung Disease.

Waxman A, Restrepo-Jaramillo R, Thenappan T et al.

N Engl J Med (2021) doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2008470