Biologics for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Present and Future
Dave Singh 1, Ubaldo Martin 2
1 University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK; 2 AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
*Correspondence: Dave Singh, Email not available
Abstract
An unmet need exists for effective treatments for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who continue to experience exacerbations despite receiving standard-of-care treatments. Current advances for COPD are based on an evolving understanding of the molecular mechanisms of increased airway inflammation in stable-state COPD and during acute exacerbations. This review examines the current understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of COPD, discusses clinical trials of novel biologic treatments for COPD, and provides an overview of potential new targets for development of innovative therapies and biomarkers that may be used to identify appropriate patients for these novel treatments. The most promising biologic treatments at an advanced stage of development for COPD are agents targeting eosinophilia, either indirectly through anti–interleukin-5 (IL-5) or directly though anti–IL-5Rα (IL-5 receptor alpha) mechanisms. Targeting proteins involved in response to viral infection, such as IL-33, offers further potential for future advances in the development of biologics for COPD.
