The personalized treatment of COPD, main challenge for practitioners.

-differentiation by phenotypes of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be a step forward for a more appropriate choice of treatment

-COPD symptoms can affect the development of other pathologies

Barcelona, March 2012.- the past Thursday March 15 started in Barcelona VIII Symposium on lung disease, promoted by Almirall, which brought together approximately 300 specialists in Pulmonology and thoracic surgery of all Spain. Attendees had the opportunity to discuss the latest diagnostic and treatment in diseases such as COPD, lung cancer and tuberculosis.

Dr. Pere Casan Clara, Director of the National Institute of Silicosis in Oviedo and member of the scientific organizing Committee explains that is a primarily clinical symposium and, as such, participants will present the main aspects that affect their patients being COPD the central axis of the meeting ”.

The meeting dealt with the latest updates and one of the keys has been the differentiation by phenotypes of patients with COPD, that may be a step forward for a more appropriate choice of treatment.

In the words of Dr. José Luis Viejo Bañuelos, Chief of the Pneumology Service of the healthcare complex of Burgos and also member of the Scientific Committee, recent studies show different phenotypes in COPD, behave differently in each type of patient and a different options of treatment response ”.

Variability shown in the latest research extends the definition of COPD panorama to a kind of inflammatory disease of a general nature, which affects not only the general deterioration but the quality of life of the patient. Practitioners advocate an individualized treatment of the pathology, the treatment that suits each patient, with the aim of achieving the greatest therapeutic benefit.

Symptoms of patients with COPD and other pathologies development

It has shown that patients with COPD symptoms often nocturnal, such as coughing and wheezing, whose presence is around 30%. On the other hand, classic partners show a prevalence of cardiovascular disease more than expected by the presence of cardiovascular risk factors. With reference to the link between COPD and sleep apnea syndrome, found that these patients have more symptoms worse gas exchange and lower incidence of pulmonary hypertension than the one shown by each one of the processes in isolation.

Latest Bronchoscopy and lung cancer

During the symposium, discussed advances in bronchoscopy, one of the fundamental techniques that it has more advanced in the past five years and which has improved substantially the neumológica practice. In addition, there were the progress achieved thanks to the emergence of a new approach of staging TNM classification (1), and that has significantly changed the treatment of cancers of the lung and the therapeutic approach to follow.

Finally, the symposium participants knew firsthand tuberculosis news and updates on therapy inhaled as a route of optimal administration of certain drugs.

The commitment of Almirall with respiratory diseases

Respiratory diseases are one of the focal points where Almirall focuses its research. Almirall boasts a powerful portfolio of projects, such as the aclidinio, which is administered by inhaler of Genuair ®, owned by Almirall, an innovative device in two steps and easy to use which was submitted to registration in the USA and the EU to treat COPD. Recently, the FDA Advisory Committee has recommended approval of the aclidinio for the treatment of COPD. Although it is not binding, the FDA will take it into consideration to evaluate its final approval.

Also underway is phase III of the combination of the aclidinio + formoterol in COPD, with the start of clinical trials overall to complete the authorities American and European regulatory requirements. The development of the abediterol (OD LABA / agonist Beta of long duration once a day), combined with an inhaled prednisolone, is another solid asset within the respiratory franchise Almirall, covering several options of treatment for asthma and COPD.

Almirall maintains several agreements in the respiratory field in Spain: on the one hand, the co-promotion of roflumilast, (first anti-inflammatory oral treatment for COPD), and on the other hand, the co-marketing of salmeterol-fluticasone (combination of a beta-adrenergic agonist and a prednisolone in the treatment of asthma and COPD).

COPD

the World Health Organization (who) has described COPD as a global epidemic; it is estimated that worldwide there are 64 million people with COPD and more than three million people died as a result of this disease in 2005, amounting to 5% of all deaths globally in a year. He is expected to total deaths as a result of COPD to increase by more than 30% over the next 10 years if there is no intervention measures to tackle risks, in particular, exposure to tobacco smoke.

Almirall

Almirall is an international pharmaceutical company based on innovation and committed to health. With headquarters in Barcelona (Spain), Almirall researches, develops, produces and sells drugs r & d own and license, with the aim of improving the health and well-being of people. The therapeutic areas in which concentrates its resources in research are related to the treatment of asthma, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), gastrointestinal disorders, psoriasis and other skin forms. Almirall drugs are now present in more than 70 countries. It has direct presence in Europe and Latin America through 12 subsidiaries.

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Referencia:

(1) the so-called classification-based approach of staging TNM has been developed by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC), in collaboration with the Union Internationale contre le Cancer (UICC) and follows the recommendations of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC).