- First-ever use of Ebenbuild’s Twinhale technology in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis lung models
- Trial results published in Nature Communications
Munich, Germany – April 9, 2025 — Ebenbuild, a company developing personalized, AI-enabled digital twins of lungs to support clinical decisions and digital clinical trials, today announced its contribution to a pioneering study published today in Nature Communications. The article titled Preclinical concept studies showing advantage of an inhaled anti-CTGF/CCN2 protein for pulmonary fibrosis treatment (DOI:10.1038/s41467-025-58568-x) highlights the potential of inhaled therapeutics for treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a devastating lung disease with limited treatment options. Ebenbuild’s advanced digital lung simulation software called Twinhale played a critical role in demonstrating the broad distribution of aerosol deposition in both healthy and IPF-affected lungs, providing key insights in addition to the clinical safety data (NCT05473533) of the novel inhaled Anticalin® protein PRS-220 developed by Pieris Pharmaceuticals (now Pavella Therapeutics, Inc.)
In the study, Ebenbuild’s pioneering digital twin technology Twinhale was used, a first in IPF patients. Computer tomography (CT) data from the Open Source Imaging Consortium (OSIC) database were analyzed and patient-specific models were generated for two selected cases, using available spirometry and physiological data. The influence of fibrotic tissue was also modeled. The digital twins simulating normal and diseased lung structure and function were then used to study the delivery and distribution of PRS-220 within the virtual lung environments. By leveraging these high-resolution digital twins of the human lung, Ebenbuild’s team provided detailed, precise predictions of aerosol deposition patterns. The simulations revealed how PRS-220 achieves effective penetration and coverage in fibrotic lung tissue, offering a significant advantage over traditional systemic treatments.
“Working with Ebenbuild allowed us to simulate drug deposition in diseased human lungs without performing extensive clinical studies,” said Vanessa Neiens, Biology Lead, Pieris Pharmaceuticals (now Pavella Therapeutics, Inc.).
“The collaboration underscores the transformative potential of our in silico technologies in drug development and exemplifies how digital tools can bridge the gap between preclinical research and clinical success,” said Dr. Jonas Biehler, CTO of Ebenbuild. “By creating precise, patient-specific in silico lung models, we were able to demonstrate how inhaled PRS-220 can target diseased tissue effectively, paving the way for more efficient therapies for IPF patients.”
“Our digital twin technology integrates advanced computational fluid dynamics, tissue mechanics and anatomical precision to simulate drug transport and deposition in the entire lung,” said Dr. Kei Müller, CEO of Ebenbuild. “This approach can be tailored to specific disease indications and not only accelerates preclinical research but also enhances the translatability of results to human applications, de-risking the development of innovative therapies such as PRS-220.”
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About Ebenbuild
Ebenbuild is a digital health tech pioneer developing precise computer models of lungs based on patient-specific data, i.e. digital twins of the lungs. Its digital toolset is based on physics-based simulation, A.I., and data science and is designed to support decision makers in the life sciences and healthcare industries. Ebenbuild technology deepens the understanding of respiratory diseases and individual pathophysiology. It enables products ranging from personalized decision support to improve patient outcomes in severe respiratory diseases to in silico trials to accelerate and de-risk the development of inhaled drugs.
www.ebenbuild.com
About Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic lung disease that causes irreversible scarring, leading to progressive loss of lung function and difficulty breathing. A defining feature is its patchy, uneven distribution—fibrotic and healthy regions coexist, creating irregular airflow and complicating both treatment and drug delivery. IPF affects around 3 million people globally, with 3–9 new cases per 100,000 annually in Europe and North America. There is no cure, but approved antifibrotic medications can slow progression. Ongoing research aims to deepen understanding of the disease and enable more precisely targeted therapies.
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