4th World Symposium Makes History

Abstract

The 4th World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension at Dana Point was a historical event. Composed of 11 working groups in areas of basic science, clinical science, and future perspectives, this 3-day event brought experts in pulmonary vascular disease from all over the world to review the past and current literature, update guidelines and recommendations, and discuss and debate issues regarding the controversies and the future directions in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). What was singularly the most remarkable memory for me was witnessing the collective dedication of the group to reach that elusive, yet definite, goal —finding the cure for PAH, a disease that was recently considered “uniformly fatal.” Indeed, one only had to step into the room to feel the incredible energy and excitement of all the participants–we all felt the past, present, and future of PH converging in that moment.This meeting marked the 35th anniversary of the 1st World Health Organization Meeting on Pulmonary Hypertension held in Geneva in 1973, a meeting prompted by the outbreak of aminorex-induced PH. It is a testimony to the unflagging dedication of all involved that we now have 8 FDA-approved therapies with more treatments targeting novel pathways currently being developed.In putting this issue together, I have had the privilege of working closely with several key members of the working groups. In addition to bringing you a synopsis of several sections, our goals in this issue were to give you an insider's view on the process of shaping the drafts, personal perspectives on some key controversial issues, and a taste of what we can and should expect at the next World Symposium in 2013. Furthermore, we present a lively roundtable discussion from Drs Robyn Barst, Marc Humbert, Ivan Robbins, and Lewis Rubin, in which they share their experiences and thoughts from the Dana Point meeting and place this symposium in context with the past ones. I hope you enjoy the journey from an insider's look at the 4th World Symposium from Dana Point.