On Feb. 1, 2021, researchers at the National Institutes of Health and their collaborators found that inhaling unfragmented hyaluronan improved lung function in patients suffering from severe exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Hyaluronan shortened the amount of time COPD patients in intensive care needed breathing support, decreased their number of days in the hospital, and saved money by reducing their hospital stay.