Margarida Maia, PhD, science writer —

Being exposed to pesticides at work increases the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a large U.K.-based study has found. This was true regardless of whether people smoked or had asthma; smoking and asthma are both known risk factors for COPD. “Focused preventive strategies for workers exposed…

Patients with moderate-to-very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and frequent flare-ups who were given astegolimab, a medicine in Genentech’s pipeline, reported a better health-related quality of life than those taking a placebo, a study found. The findings are from a Phase 2a trial, called COPD-ST2OP (NCT03615040),…

A first patient has been enrolled in a Phase 4 study of the effectiveness of Yupelri (revefenacin) against Spiriva (tiotropium) in improving lung health in adults with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The respective safety of these two approved, once-daily COPD maintenance treatments will also be evaluated. Yupelri, developed…

An anti-inflammatory compound used in China to help treat liver disease — known as magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate (MgIG) — eased the symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by reducing inflammation in the lungs, a study in a rat disease model reported. “These findings suggest MgIG might be an alternative for…

Low-cost screening involving a questionnaire and a breathing test may help identify patients with undiagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a study conducted in China has found. Among the combinations tested, the Chinese symptom-based questionnaire (C-SBQ) combined with microspirometry — a test that measures how much air a patient…

Hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in blood, may be a promising biomarker to assess the clinical outcomes of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a large U.S.-based study has found. The findings indicate that unusually high or low levels of hemoglobin were linked to worse clinical outcomes.

Therapeutic Solutions International has filed a patent covering the therapeutic use of JadiCells — a type of mesenchymal stem cell derived from cells lining the umbilical cord — and its various combinations in treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The patent application is supported by new data indicating…

The COPD Foundation is partnering with Savana, a machine learning and artificial intelligence company, to develop a way of better identifying people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who have not yet been diagnosed, or are at high risk of this disease. De-identified data in electronic medical…

Dental care in Brazil needs to be more accessible to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and integrated into their primary care to better tackle the impact of the disease in the country, a study suggests. “Our research indicates that incorporating preventative oral health into COPD management and…

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who engage in activities that put them at risk of being exposed to mold are more likely to experience disease flare-ups, a small U.K. study has found. This may be related to Aspergillus, a type of fungus that grows in damp or…