Your Health

Medicine For Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Posted: 4/19/2012

Emerging scientific approaches to treating COPD offer new hope to improve and save lives.

(NAPSI)—The more than 13 million American adults who suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), one of the most common lung diseases in the U.S., and the people who care for them, may soon have more treatment options.

New Medicines in Development

That’s because America’s biopharmaceutical research companies are working on 54 new medicines to treat COPD, according to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). These new therapies are in clinical trials or under review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for patient use.

The Condition

COPD is a serious, progressive lower respiratory disease that encompasses two main conditions—chronic bronchitis and emphysema—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 even perform routine activities.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the number of patients with COPD is increasing. In addition to those who have been diagnosed with the disease, 12 million Americans likely have COPD without knowing it. The NIH says symptoms can include:

• Constant coughing, sometimes called “smoker’s cough”;

• Shortness of breath while doing activities you used to be able to do;

• Feeling like you can’t breathe;

• Not being able to take a deep breath; and

• Wheezing.

If you experience any of these, see your doctor.

Early Detection Is Key

“Early detection of COPD is imperative, as effective treatment and lifestyle changes can change the course and progression of this devastating disease,” said PhRMA President and CEO John J. Castellani. PhRMA’s mission is to advocate for public policies that encourage medical innovation and research into new medicines for patients by pharmaceutical and biotechnology research companies.

America’s biopharmaceutical research sector is the global leader in medical innovation, with more than 300 new medicines approved by the FDA in recent decades. Researchers are currently studying more than 3,000 more compounds.

Learn More

For more information about the research, see www.phrma.org/research/new-medicines-COPD.

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