The 2026 European Respiratory Society (ERS) Conference ended recently after providing a platform for emerging research in pulmonary fibrosis, a space that is seeing increased momentum after a long time.

In today’s episode of the GlobalData Healthcare podcast, Manasi Vaidya, editor at GlobalData Insights, speaks to Connor Daniels, a healthcare analyst at GlobalData Healthcare, who attended the 2026 European Respiratory Society (ERS) Conference. The meeting took place 5–9 September in Barcelona, Spain.

Daniels dissects the scientific discussions surrounding treatments for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF), and major clinical updates released at the premier event.

Emerging research on Boehringer Ingelheim’s drug Jascayd (nerandomilast) was in the spotlight at ERS 2026, and these new findings are anticipated to influence treatment and payer decisions. Additionally, United Therapeutics also presented the latest positive data with inhaled treprostinil in IPF. Daniels likened advances in the pulmonary fibrosis space to London buses: you wait forever for one, and two come along at once, which is what also happened in 2014, when BI’s Ofev (nintedanib) and Roche's Esbriet (pirfenidone) were approved.

Daniels also highlights interesting signals from clinical trials in patients with chronic cough, an area that has seen several high-profile failures.