According to a report released by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), America’s biopharmaceutical research companies are working on 54 medicines to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

These exciting therapies are in late-stage development, meaning they are either in clinical trials or awaiting review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the report says.

COPD is one of the most common lung diseases in the US. More than 13 million American adults suffer this disease. COPD is a progressive lower respiratory disease that encompasses two main conditions – chronic bronchitis and emphysema – COPD is characterized by obstructed airflow to the lungs that interferes with normal breathing. People with COPD may be limited in their ability to work, exercise and perform routine activities.

The number of patients with COPD is increasing in America, according to National Institutes of Health (NIH). In addition to those who have been diagnosed with the disease, 12 million Americans likely have COPD without knowing it.

“Early detection of COPD is imperative, as effective treatment can change the course and progression of this devastating disease,” said PhRMA president and CEO John J. Castellani. “The promising new therapies highlighted in this report illustrate how emerging scientific approaches to treating respiratory diseases such as COPD offer great hope to improve and save the lives of future patients.”

America’s biopharmaceutical researchers are exploring various new ways to attack COPD. Examples of such approaches include:     An adult stem cell therapy that targets a protein in the blood that is often elevated in COPD; A monoclonal antibody that acts on IL-1 receptors involved in the inflammatory component of COPD; A medicine that targets the underlying inflammation in COPD.

More than 120,000 Americans die from COPD each year, making it the third leading cause of death in the US. In addition to the disability inflicted upon millions of patients, COPD costs the nation approximately $49.9 billion annually, including direct and indirect healthcare costs, according to the NIH.

While smoking is the main risk factor for COPD, and nearly 90 per cent of COPD deaths are caused by smoking, other causes include air pollution, second-hand smoke, occupational dusts and chemicals, hereditary and childhood respiratory infections.

America’s biopharmaceutical research companies are devoted to the discovery and development of medicines that allow patients to live longer, healthier and more productive lives. In fact, the biopharmaceutical sector invests roughly eight times the estimated R&D spending per employee in all manufacturing industries. This commitment to R&D helps to save and improve lives of patients around the world, promote American jobs and strengthen the US economy.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country’s leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to inventing medicines that allow patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives.