Research lines of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

There have been changes in the therapeutic management of COPD over the last 10 years, with the arrival of new inhaled drugs of the long-acting beta-adrenergic receptor agonists (LABA), long-acting muscarinic receptor antagonists (LAMA) groups and inhaled corticosteroids (ICS).

This new therapeutic arsenal provides a wider range of options that will lead to improvement in the symptoms, tolerance to exertion, and the quality of life. However, there are clinical trials currently being conducted all over the world that include thousands of patients and will analyse the efficacy of the new drugs that could be capable of slowing down the progression of the disease.

In this sense, the potential role of the emerging drugs, such as the new anti-inflammatory agents (mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase inhibitor, losmapimod), and monoclonal antibodies (canakinumab, benralizumab, mepolizumab), is an important aspect being looked at with great enthusiasm. In fact, it is interesting to observe that the future pharmacological treatment options for COPD could include new intervention strategies, as well as the new inhaled therapies that have been at the heart of its management for the last 20 years.