A new treatment may help many patients living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a debilitating lung disease that’s the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, breathe easier.
The injectable medication works by blocking specific immune responses that worsen COPD. Those who received the treatment in clinical trials enjoyed better lung function and reduced respiratory symptoms.
It’s the first medication approved for the condition in more than a decade.
A Boon for Biologics
It’s also a biologic, meaning it’s made from living cells and organisms. The technology is being used in research of additional therapies that target other pathways, providing optimism among those involved in the studies and hope for an ever-increasing number of COPD patients that even more therapeutic options may soon be available.
Incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has been rising in the United States. The condition has long been tied to cigarette smoking, but never smokers are also being diagnosed at an alarming rate.
Occupational Exposures Contribute to Risk
Doctors and researchers have found that military service is heavily correlated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Nearly half of veterans have been exposed to inorganic dust during their service, which significantly increases their susceptibility to lung irritation and airway inflammation characteristic of COPD.
Other occupational and environmental exposures, including those among farmers, miners and factory workers, are often overlooked as contributors to later chronic lung issues.
70% of Cases are Not Identified
While 17 million Americans have been diagnosed, approximately 30 million are likely to be affected by the condition. The underdiagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, like other kinds of underdiagnosis, has socioeconomic, geographic and racial components. Raising awareness among policymakers would help drive better policies that promote early detection, improve patient care and access to treatment, ultimately improving the quality of life for those affected.
Given the data around exposures, recent studies predict as many as 70% of cases worldwide where inflammation is obstructing the airway may not be identified.
Stigma around the condition may keep some patients from seeking help for their symptoms. Others may be motivated to downplay the severity of their symptoms, if they are concerned about a diagnosis putting their employment at risk.
Updated Definition to Ease Diagnosis
In 2023, the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease updated its definition of the condition to include its inflammatory properties, more accurately describing the lived experience of patients. This may also make the condition easier to recognize and thus diagnose.
Helping patients get a timely and accurate diagnosis remain a necessary first step to initiating treatment. Physicians, especially those who treat rural and other at-risk populations, should prioritize spirometry testing for airway obstruction and inflammation.
Increased educational efforts about the disease and its causes can help overcome misconceptions and potential fears about being diagnosed. This is crucial to initiating treatment for many who have been living short of breath without knowing why.
Policymakers can also help by prioritizing COPD. With a new treatment now available, and additional treatments on the horizon, it’s vital that patients have access to the tools necessary to advance their health.