BMJ  2006;333:246-248 (29 July), doi:10.1136/bmj.333.7561.246

Practice

ABC of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Future treatments

National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London.

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Current treatment used in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often poorly effective and fails to halt the relentless decline in lung function that leads to increasing symptoms, disability, and exacerbations. This has stimulated clinicians, scientists, and drug companies to seek more effective ways to control the underlying disease process.

View larger version (26K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Additive effects of once daily formoterol and tiotropium on forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) in patients with severe COPD after six weeks' treatment

 

The challenge of drug development

Only recently has there been much research into the molecular and cell biology of COPD in order to identify new therapeutic targets. There are several reasons why drug development in COPD is fraught with difficultly, but significant progress is being been made, and several new therapeutic strategies are now in the preclinical and clinical stages of development.

View this table: [in this window] [in a new window]   Problems encountered in developing new drugs for treating COPD

 

New bronchodilators

The mainstay of current drug . . . [Full text of this article]

Effective smoking cessation strategies

Treating inflammation in COPD

Mediator antagonists
Protease inhibitors
New anti-inflammatory treatments

Lung repair

Route of delivery

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