Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

People in China with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are overusing inhaled corticosteroids and underusing non-pharmacological therapies such as home oxygen therapy, a study suggests. The real-world data show that treatment of COPD patients fails to follow the 2017 revised Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines.

The European Commission has approved AstraZeneca‘s triple combination therapy Trixeo Aerosphere as a maintenance treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The approval, which follows a positive recommendation from the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), covers the therapy’s use in adults with moderate-to-severe COPD…

Nuvaira’s targeted lung denervation (TLD) therapy lowers the risk of hospitalization due to exacerbations in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Phase 2 trial data show, according to a company press release. A new clinical study, called AIRFLOW-3 (NCT03639051), is currently recruiting COPD patients at multiple…

Use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) is associated with an increased risk of respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), among young adults, irrespective of other tobacco product use, a large U.S.-based study shows. Compared to healthy people, those currently using e-cigarettes, commonly called vaping, had a 43% increased…

Exposure to cigarette smoke during pregnancy impairs lung embryonic development, which may increase the baby’s later-in-life risk for disorders like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a mouse study suggests. Smoke was found to increase the levels of the amphiregulin (AREG) protein, which may impair the formation of certain…

A single dose of a pressurized metered-dose inhaler formulation of ensifentrine (RPL544) significantly improved lung function, compared to a placebo, in people with moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Verona Pharma announced. These results are from part A, the single-dose part, of a Phase 2 trial (NCT04091360) underway in two…

With the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) rising, a team of researchers is discussing the latest research linking both diseases, and the recommended therapeutic approaches for patients with coexisting COPD and diabetes. The study “COPD and Type 2 Diabetes,” published in the journal…

Exosomes — tiny vesicles used for cell communication, released from specific activated immune cells called polymorphonuclear leukocytes — can induce chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) when transferred to the lungs of healthy mice, a study by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) shows. The study, “Activated PMN exosomes: Pathogenic…

A Phase 2 clinical trial is enrolling participants to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Verona Pharma’s dry powder inhaler RPL554 as a potential maintenance treatment for people with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). RPL554 is a dual inhibitor of the proteins phosphodiesterase (PDE) 3 and…

Two new studies highlight the important role of mucus in cleaning and protecting the lungs, and how its accumulation and impaired clearance can contribute to the worsening of lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In the studies, researchers show how mucus in the lungs forms a protective…