Exton, PA, June 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Despite the introduction of new therapies, connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD) remains an area of significant unmet need, according to findings from the recently updated Special Topix™: ILD in Rheumatology (US) study from Spherix Global Insights. Physicians estimate that only 15% of CTD-ILD patients achieve drug-free remission, and most report dissatisfaction with currently available treatment options. As a result, specialists are increasingly focused on pipeline therapies that may move treatment beyond slowing disease progression toward meaningful disease modification.
The study, fielded among 54 rheumatologists and 53 pulmonologists in March 2026, finds that the CTD-ILD treatment landscape continues to rely heavily on established therapies such as mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), corticosteroids, rituximab, tocilizumab, and antifibrotic therapy. While treatment options have expanded, physicians continue to identify improved efficacy, reversal of fibrosis, better tolerability, and disease-specific treatment approaches as the most pressing unmet needs.
One of the most significant developments in the market has been the arrival of Boehringer Ingelheim's Jascayd® (nerandomilast), which recently gained approval in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF), including patients with progressive fibrosing CTD-ILD. Survey findings indicate that Jascayd has already established early traction across multiple CTD-ILD subtypes and is viewed favorably relative to OFEV® (nintedanib), particularly regarding gastrointestinal tolerability, overall tolerability, and perceived efficacy. Its launch comes amid broader change in the antifibrotic market, including the 2026 introduction of multiple generic nintedanib products. Yet despite these developments, physicians continue to describe CTD-ILD as an area marked by persistent therapeutic challenges, where disease progression remains difficult to control and patients continue to face substantial long-term morbidity and mortality.
The importance of CTD-ILD to Boehringer Ingelheim's long-term strategy is reflected in the company's continued development of nerandomilast in rheumatology-associated ILD populations, including dedicated studies in systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease-associated ILD (SARD-ILD) and systemic sclerosis-associated ILD (SSc-ILD). These efforts underscore growing industry recognition of CTD-ILD as a distinct and increasingly important therapeutic category.
The limitations of current treatment approaches are fueling interest in a rapidly evolving CTD-ILD pipeline. While existing therapies are largely viewed as disease-stabilizing, physicians are increasingly looking toward therapies with the potential to modify the course of disease. Among rheumatologists, GSK's Benlysta® (belimumab) generates considerable enthusiasm, driven in part by extensive familiarity with the therapy in systemic lupus erythematosus.
Interest is particularly strong for therapies capable of delivering more meaningful disease modification. Rheumatologists identify Bristol Myers Squibb's investigational CD19-directed CAR-T therapy, zola-cel, as one of the most promising assets in development, citing its potential to provide a durable immune reset and emerging evidence suggesting possible reversal of fibrosis in systemic sclerosis-associated ILD. Such findings have generated significant interest in a treatment landscape where current therapies are largely designed to slow progression rather than restore lung function.
Pulmonologists, meanwhile, demonstrate greater interest in therapies that build upon established ILD treatment paradigms. United Therapeutics' nebulized Tyvaso® (treprostinil) generates substantially higher levels of interest among pulmonologists than rheumatologists, reflecting physicians' familiarity with inhaled treprostinil in pulmonary hypertension-associated ILD. Pulmonologists also rank oral lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1 (LPA1) antagonists among the most promising emerging mechanisms, highlighting continued demand for next-generation antifibrotic therapies that may offer broader utility across progressive fibrosing lung diseases.
"While Jascayd represents meaningful progress, physicians continue to tell us that slowing disease progression is not enough," said Ryan Rex, Senior Director at Spherix Global Insights. "What stands out is the growing enthusiasm for therapies that may fundamentally alter disease course, whether through next-generation antifibrotic approaches, increasingly disease-specific treatment strategies, or highly targeted immune interventions such as CAR-T cell therapy. It is one of the most active CTD-ILD pipelines we've seen in years."
The Special Topix™: ILD in Rheumatology (US) 2026 update explores physician perspectives on diagnosis, treatment patterns, unmet need, co-management, emerging therapies, and market developments across the CTD-ILD landscape. The study was conducted among 54 rheumatologists and 53 pulmonologists in the United States during March 2026.
About Special Topix™
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About Spherix Global Insights
Spherix Global Insights is a leading independent provider of market intelligence and advisory services for specialty pharmaceutical and biotech markets. By combining physician, patient, and payer perspectives into a single integrated view, Spherix helps brand teams, market access stakeholders, and investors understand how a specialty market actually behaves, not how any one stakeholder describes it. The firm operates eight dedicated therapeutic franchises – Central Nervous System, Dermatology, Gastroenterology, Hematology, Nephrology, Oncology, Ophthalmology, and Rheumatology – alongside a fully dedicated Market Access team. Each franchise is led by hyper-focused analysts and researchers who track these specialty areas full-time, drawing on independently curated communities of vetted practicing specialists, KOLs, patients recruited through treating physicians and advocacy partners, and medical and pharmacy directors at commercial and government payers. Spherix delivers quarterly trending, launch tracking, chart audits, KOL synthesis, patient experience research, and payer and market access intelligence that support confident, strategic decision-making across the pharma lifecycle. Trusted by 19 of the top 20 pharmaceutical and biotech organizations, Spherix has been a go-to resource for more than a decade for leading brands, market access stakeholders, industry media outlets, financial analysts, professional organizations, and patient advocacy groups seeking an unbiased, holistic view of specialty markets.
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Lynn Price, Rheumatology Franchise Head Spherix Global Insights 484-879-4284 lynn.price@spherixglobalinsights.com