The Temple Lung Center continued to set the standard in lung health throughout 2024, delivering exceptional clinical care and advancing lung disease research. Through expanded screening programs and innovative clinical trials, our multidisciplinary team—including pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, and other specialists—provides patients with breakthrough options for diagnosing and treating even the most complex lung conditions. Read on to learn how we are pioneering new approaches that enhance lung health and improve outcomes.

Now in its third year, the Temple Healthy Chest Initiative is aimed at identifying lung diseases in their earliest and most treatable stages. This year, in addition to LDCT screening for lung cancer and other diseases, the program added simultaneous spirometry testing to detect undiagnosed COPD and airflow obstruction. This screening allows us to catch COPD early, giving patients access to more treatment options and leading to better outcomes. This approach represents the latest standard of care, and evidence is emerging that it leads to more appropriate treatments for COPD patients. Learn more »

In September, Temple Lung Center Director Gerard Criner, MD, FACP, FACCP, presented the first long-term five-year follow-up data from the LIBERATE study for the Zephyr Endobronchial Valve, a minimally invasive treatment for severe emphysema. The study showed that the benefits of the valve in improving lung function, exercise tolerance, and quality of life continue for at least five years after the procedure, with an acceptable safety profile. Criner also recently performed the first US-based procedure of the CONVERT II trial, an innovative approach that targets and treats fissural defects that cause leaks between lung lobes. The procedure has the potential to help more patients qualify for minimally invasive BLVR treatment.

As one of the world's most comprehensive COPD programs, the Temple Lung Center remains at the forefront of advancing treatments for severe emphysema and COPD. Learn more »

This year, the Temple Lung Center expanded its Pulmonary Vascular Disease (PVD) Program, a comprehensive and multidisciplinary program that's designed to address a wide range of conditions, ranging from pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), to interstitial lung disease with PAH, acute pulmonary embolism, and more. With a focus on managing high-risk cases of all forms of pulmonary vascular diseases, this program expands on the existing infrastructure of the Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT) and offers expedited care that includes assessing patients for mechanical circulatory support and lung transplant evaluations. It will ensure that the Temple Lung Center is providing comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic options for patients with complex pulmonary vascular diseases, including inpatient care, outpatient care, and clinical trial participation. Learn more »

This year, Temple was the top national enroller in the Fibroneer clinical trial, a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of nerandomilast, a potential breakthrough treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Researchers announced in September that the trial had met its primary endpoint, absolute change from baseline in Forced Vital Capacity at week 52, making it the first IPF phase III trial to meet its primary endpoint.

As an ILD Center of Excellence, the Lung Center also enrolled patients in a number of trials focused on targeted therapies for patients with ILD, such as scleroderma-related ILD and progressive pulmonary fibrosis secondary to other causes.

In addition, Temple Lung Center is currently enrolling participants in various clinical trials investigating promising therapies to improve lung function, quality of life, and long-term health outcomes for patients with moderate to severe COPD. We have also implemented a streamlined referral process, making it easier than ever for patients to join trials and access new treatment options. Learn more »

This year, Temple's transplant program once again treated some of the most complex and high-risk lung transplant cases, including patients whose age, BMI, or overlapping health conditions exclude them from transplant considerations based on standard eligibility criteria. As the nation's leading referral destination for lung transplantation, Temple surpasses national patient outcomes benchmarks, with a one-year survival rate above 90%, almost 5 points higher than the national average. Our multidisciplinary transplant team includes internationally renowned surgeons like Dr. Yoshiya Toyoda, a pioneer of the antero-axillary approach to transplantation. Learn more »