A 'game-changing' study has revealed a daily pill, called embrocation, can significantly limit the damage caused by bronchiectasis, as it blocks the cells that cause inflammation in the lungs.
Some people suffer from bronchiectasis, where the air passages in the lungs widen, leading to a buildup of mucus. Patients often suffer from persistent coughing and shortness of breath, and are vulnerable to life-threatening germs.
In a promising international trial that included 1,600 adults from 35 countries, participants who took a 10 mg or 25 mg tablet of embrocation daily noticed a 20% reduction in cough symptoms, and their risk of chest infections decreased by 25%. The most common side effect was headache.
The drug is known as a DPP1 inhibitor, which means it blocks the production of harmful inflammatory cells in the lungs, which can expand the airways further.
Professor James Chalmers, a respiratory expert and lead researcher on the trial, from the University of Dundee, says: “The treatment appears to be very safe. The rate of this disease has risen by 40% in the past 10 years, so it is important to find a cure for it. COPD often overlaps (COPD) and asthma with bronchiectasis so it will be interesting to see if these treatments can be used.”
Very useful discovery.
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