The world’s first potential therapy for an increasingly common, chronic lung condition has been identified following a trial led by the University of Dundee and global biopharmaceutical company Insmed.
Millions of people living with bronchiectasis could potentially benefit from a breakthrough investigational therapy – brensocatib. The findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, detailed that trial participants given the drug experienced significant reductions in pulmonary exacerbations, one of the key symptoms of the illness.
The findings from this breakthrough research could lead to the first ever treatment for bronchiectasis, which is believed to affect approximately 400,000 patients in Europe and millions of people worldwide.
“This is the culmination of 15 years of work that we have been undertaking here at the University of Dundee,” said Professor James Chalmers, from the University’s School of Medicine.
“There is no approved treatment for bronchiectasis, which kills 1500 people in the UK and costs the economy £1.3 billion each year. With the numbers of people receiving a diagnosis increasing steadily across the world, and awareness of bronchiectasis growing, the need to address this is urgent.
“The results we have published also show that brensocatib was effective across a wide range of ages, sex and lung functions. This is incredibly exciting and offers the prospect of significant improvements in quality of life for those afflicted with this debilitating illness.”
The University of Dundee is the world’s leading research centre into bronchiectasis, a chronic lung disease. While a small percentage of cases are genetic, little is known as to how and why people are impacted by the condition, which is often indicated by a persistent cough.
Public awareness of bronchiectasis has grown considerably following confirmation that Pope Francis had been diagnosed with bronchiectasis as part of his health struggles, prior to his death.
Exacerbations can occur in bronchiectasis patients over several days, with symptoms causing extreme discomfort and distress, including breathlessness.
The published findings detail the outcomes of the Phase 3 ASPEN study, led by Professor Chalmers and School of Medicine colleagues, with Insmed.
Insmed is currently seeking regulatory approval for brensocatib so that it can be made available to the public in the United States, with further applications to be made in Europe and Japan.
“The ASPEN study is a landmark in bronchiectasis, as the first specific therapy for the disease will have a massive impact on patients,” added Professor Chalmers.
“I am very proud of the work we have done here in Dundee to understand the role of inflammation and to raise awareness of the disease. It is a credit to everyone involved and our global community of scientists and patients that this will now translate into better treatments for patients. Even if we cannot cure bronchiectasis, we now have an effective treatment that can help reduce the burden on patients and their quality of life.”