Testing a medication to reduce breathing difficulty in people with advanced lung disease

Plain-English translation of NCT05937854 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated May 2026 · Translation generated June 2026 · How we translate trials

Phase 2 — Testing in a bigger group (up to a few hundred people) to see if the treatment actually works and is still safe.

What is this trial?

This trial is testing whether , a medication that works by relaxing blood vessels in the lungs, can help reduce the severe shortness of breath experienced by people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who also have high blood pressure in their lung arteries. An earlier study showed that this medication improved how breathless patients felt and reduced flare-ups of their lung disease, even though it didn't change their exercise capacity. This larger study will confirm whether the medication truly helps with breathing difficulty.

Severe shortness of breath is one of the most debilitating symptoms of advanced COPD and greatly affects quality of life and daily activity. When high blood pressure develops in the lung arteries as a complication of COPD, the breathing difficulty becomes even worse, so researchers are looking for effective treatments to reduce this symptom and help patients live better lives.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you have been diagnosed with COPD (a condition with airflow limitation confirmed by lung tests or evidence of emphysema on a CT scan)
you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure in your lung arteries, confirmed by recent imaging or heart tests
you experience significant shortness of breath that affects your daily life
you have been taking at least one long-acting bronchodilator medication for at least 4 weeks
you are between 35 and 89 years old
if you are a woman of childbearing age, you are using reliable contraception and have a negative pregnancy test

You likely don't qualify if…

you have a type of high lung blood pressure unrelated to COPD (such as from heart disease, blood clots, or connective tissue disease)
you have very low blood pressure that cannot be stabilized (systolic reading consistently below 89 mmHg)
you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant during the study
you have other serious lung or heart conditions that would make it unsafe to participate

What participation looks like

If you enroll, you will be randomly assigned to take either the study medication or a placebo (a dummy pill) once or twice daily by mouth, depending on how the study team determines your dose. You will attend clinic visits for check-ins and breathing tests, and you'll answer questions about your shortness of breath and quality of life. The study will track how the medication affects your symptoms, exercise ability, and how often you experience flare-ups of your lung disease.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Jun 2, 2026 · Not medical advice

Testing a medication to reduce breathing difficulty in people with advanced lung disease

What is this trial?

Do you qualify?

What participation looks like

Trial locations