Pulmonology: What You May Have Missed in 2025

Ann Intern Med. 2026 Apr 14:e2600985. doi: 10.7326/ANNALS-26-00985. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

Research in pulmonology generated several landmark publications over the past year. We screened more than 900 studies published in 2025 and selected 8 articles that highlight novel treatments and possible practice-changing evidence in several respiratory conditions. Two articles studied therapeutic options in interstitial lung disease, including a novel antifibrotic agent for pulmonary fibrosis and first-line methotrexate use in sarcoidosis. Two articles outlined the role of corticosteroids in community-acquired pneumonia and selecting patients who may benefit most. One article described evidence for an alternate agent for smoking cessation in patients with or without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), while another article studied the use of mepolizumab in patients with eosinophilic COPD. We also reviewed the first head-to-head trial comparing biologic medications in asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. Finally, we summarized the latest evidence of a first-in-class therapeutic agent that reduced exacerbations in patients with bronchiectasis.