News
New COPD drug disappoints in Alpha-1 patients
VIENNA, Austria—A trial of palovarotene, a novel retinoid receptor agonist, in patients with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD) emphysema has produced disappointing results—with no significant improvements in lung function, researchers reported at the 19th Annual Congress of the European Respiratory Society (ERS).
Presenter Jan Stolk, MD, PhD, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands explained here Monday that retinoid receptor agonists have been developed in rat models of emphysema and were shown significantly to restore elastin content, alveolar structure, and lung function.
The Retinoid Treatment of Emphysema in Patients on the Alpha-1 Antitrypsin International Registry (REPAIR) study recruited 262 patients with AATD emphysema confirmed by computed tomography. AATD subjects were chosen due to the rapid progression of emphysema at a relatively young age and subsequent lack of comorbidities.
A two-year trial of palovarotene treatment in 492 patients with smoke-induced emphysema is in progress.
