Alice Melão, MSc,  —

Treatment with Verona Pharma’s investigative drug RPL554 can effectively improve lung function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), results from a Phase 2b trial showed. The trial (2016-005205-40) enrolled 403 patients with moderate-to-severe COPD from 45 centers in Europe. Participants were randomized to…

A mutation of the PDGFD gene is linked to an increased risk of adrenal gland suppression, a serious side effect of inhaled corticosteroids used to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), researchers have found. The discovery, reported in the study, “Susceptibility to corticosteroid-induced adrenal suppression: a…

A new subset of stem cells was found to expand quickly after lung injury and to specifically restore the tissues of air sacs, called alveoli, according to a study published in the journal Nature. This finding can represent a new therapeutic option for treatments targeting pulmonary conditions such as…

Better and more adequate home-based care for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can significantly improve their quality of life and reduce the need of hospital-based treatments. This finding was reported by the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement (CFHI) as a result of its INSPIRED initiative,…

Long-term use of Tudorza (aclidinium bromide) can significantly and safely reduce exacerbations in people with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cardiovascular disease or risk factors, findings in a Phase 4 post-marketing study show. Tudorza, developed by AstraZeneca, contains the long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) aclidinium bromide,…

Verona Pharma has enrolled more than half of the 400 COPD patients it is seeking for a Phase 2b clinical trial of its therapy candidate RPL554, putting the program ahead of schedule. This means the company may be able to report the results of the study by mid-2018, sooner than expected. The…

Pooled data from three Phase 3 clinical trials shows that the investigative SUN-101/eFlow product is well-tolerated and improves lung function in patients with moderate-to-very-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Data from the GOLDEN-3, GOLDEN-4, and GOLDEN-5 clinical studies were subject of poster presentations during the American College of…

Verona Pharma’s lead investigational medicine RPL554, engineered to treat patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other respiratory disorders, was found to have an effective therapeutic profile when administrated by inhalation to healthy volunteers. This finding resulted from data obtained during a U.S. clinical trial that Verona…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a triple combination treatment developed by  GlaxoSmithKline as a maintenance therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. GSK collaborated with Innoviva on the COPD combo, which consists of fluticasone furoate, umeclidinium and vilanterol. The approval means the once-a-day, single-inhaler therapy will enter the U.S. market under the brand…

A new computer model based on anatomical and experimental information can predict changes in lung function caused by chronic inflammation. Developed by researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey, this virtual system can help identify the different damaging and remodeling factors that contribute to lung function changes in several respiratory…