News

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),…

Researchers in the U.S. have identified a new cell type in the narrowest airways of the lungs that, besides being involved in producing the mucus lining the airways, can give rise to alveolar epithelial type 2 (AT2) cells, which are involved in lung tissue repair and regeneration. This cell type,…

The levels of a mucus protein called MUC5AC — abnormally increased when a person gets a viral infection — are associated with airway inflammatory responses and exacerbation severity in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a study shows. Simply put, the increased mucus protein from viruses creates a “vicious…

Molecules called stapled peptides blocked the secretion, or release, of mucin proteins from airway cells and lessened mucus buildup in the lungs of mice in a study. According to its researchers, these findings led to the creation of an inhaled aerosol that was tested in the mice and, with further…

Older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) found the Wellinks health mobile app useful and valuable for managing the disease and treatment, a small pilot study suggests. According to study authors, the Wellinks platform may aid patient engagement and outcomes. “It’s exciting to see this population of chronically ill patients successfully…

Strados Labs has been awarded a $990,118 grant to advance the development of its RESP Smart Sensor Platform, a noninvasive wearable lung device to help in the early detection of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other respiratory infectious conditions. The funds are part of a second phase…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first generic equivalent to AstraZeneca’s Symbicort (budesonide and formoterol fumarate dihydrate) as a maintenance treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The generic, produced by Mylan Pharmaceuticals now part of Viatris, will be available as a metered-dose inhaler. It is intended…

Propeller Health has announced three new initiatives aiming to broaden the application of its technology, which connects a sensor to inhalers, allowing for detailed tracking of treatment in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. The goal, according to Propeller, is to implement “new solutions to bring [this]…

Papa, an at-home companionship and support platform, has partnered with Highmark Wholecare, a managed care organization, to address the social needs of Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable populations, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and people at risk of isolation. The collaboration, touted as a new approach to…

Infection with rhinovirus, a virus that causes the common cold, combined with long-term exposure to cigarette smoke — two risk factors associated with symptom worsening in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) — can significantly affect lung structure, a study in a mouse model has found. The study,…