Emerging trends in the therapy of COPD: novel anti-inflammatory agents in clinical development

• Published in: Drug discovery today Vol. 12; no. 11; pp. 479 - 486
• Main Authors: Fitzgerald, Mary F., Fox, J. Craig
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2007; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma; Humans; Medical sciences; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Pneumology; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - drug therapy; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - pathology; Respiratory system; Respiratory System - pathology; Leukocyte elastase; Lung disease; Pharmaceutical technology; Serine endopeptidases; Respiratory disease; Enzyme; Cytokine; Antiinflammatory agent; Enzyme inhibitor; Mitogen-activated protein kinase; Research and development; CXCR2 chemokine receptor; Peptidases; Chronic; Treatment; Phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor; Bronchus disease; Hydrolases; Antagonist; Obstructive pulmonary disease; Interleukin 8
• ISSN: 1359-6446; 1878-5832
• DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2007.04.005

During the past ten years, the pharmaceutical industry has focussed on treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as distinct to asthma, and no novel anti-inflammatory agents have been launched as therapies for this disease. As our understanding of the pathology of COPD has increased it has been established that the progressive pulmonary inflammation that is associated with COPD relates to disease severity. Thus, it is anticipated that drugs that reduce pulmonary inflammation will provide effective, disease-modifying therapies. Here, we consider the potential of anti-inflammatory drugs that are currently in clinical development for COPD and discuss how these might reduce pulmonary inflammation in this disease.