Improving Inhaler Treatment and Small Airways Assessment in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

NIHRCDF

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experience breathing difficulties because the airways deep in their lungs become narrowed. COPD patients use inhaler drugs to provide relief from breathlessness. However, current inhalers are inefficient as they deliver a 'coarse-mist' of drug-droplets that do not reach the deep airways. In our study, we will use an inhaler of 'fine-mist' drug-droplets, tagged with a radioactive tracer to track them. We will take images of the lungs to see if the fine-mist droplets reach the deep airways, and assess if this improves the breathing capacity in our patients. Our research may allow the development of new, more efficient inhalers to improve treatment for patients with COPD.

2012-10-01

2017-11-27

2017-11-27

Completed

Early phase I

65

Inclusion Criteria: - COPD patients, either male or female, over the age of 40 with a clinical diagnosis of COPD with airflow obstruction(FEV1/FVC\<0.7) and post-bronchodilator FEV1\>50% predicted, gas trapping (on lung volume testing), and decreased carbon monoxide transfer factor. Healthy subjects will be nonsmokers(or exsmokers stopped 5 years ago), will have no respiratory disease, normal spirometry and be age-matched to the COPD patients. Asthmatic subjects, either male or female, over the age of 18 with a clinical diagnosis of Asthma with airflow obstruction (FEV1/FVC\<0.7). All patients should be capable of giving informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Oral corticosteroids taken within last month. 2. Current involvement (or involvement in the last 4 weeks)in clinical trials assessing investigational medicinal products. 3. Previous adverse reaction to short or long acting β2 agonist. 4. Any subject with a contraindication to taking inhaled beta2-adrenoceptor agonists (especially salbutamol) as listed in the British National Formulary will not be entered into this study. 5. Those who have experienced an acute respiratory exacerbation requiring emergency room treatment and/ or hospitalisation within four weeks of visit 1 (screening visit). 6. Pregnant or breastfeeding women. 7. Subjects unable to give Informed Consent.

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2023-03-06