COURSE: Encouraging results for tezepelumab in COPD

In the phase 2a COURSE trial, tezepelumab was associated with numerical reductions in exacerbations in patients with moderate to very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who were on triple inhalation therapy.

The thymic stromal lymphopoietin inhibitor tezepelumab was tested in the phase 2a COURSE study (NCT04039113) among 333 patients with moderate-to-very severe COPD [1]. The participants were randomised 1:1 to 420 mg tezepelumab, every 4 weeks via subcutaneous administration, or a placebo. All participants were on triple inhalation maintenance therapy. The primary outcome measure was the annualised rate of moderate or severe COPD exacerbations over 52 weeks. Prof. Dave Singh (University of Manchester, UK) presented the main findings.

Treatment with tezepelumab was associated with a numerical reduction in moderate or severe COPD exacerbations compared with placebo (17% reduction; 90% CI -6 to +36; P=0.10). Notably, greater reductions were reported in patients with blood eosinophil counts ≥150 cells/μL (37% reduction) and in those with blood eosinophil counts ≥300 cells/μL (46% reduction). Furthermore, the authors noticed numerical improvements for pre-bronchodilator FEV1, St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) score, and COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score if patients were treated with tezepelumab instead of placebo. According to Prof. Singh, adverse events and serious adverse events occurred as frequently in the placebo arm as in the experimental arm.

“The current study showed promising results for tezepelumab as a treatment option for patients with moderate to very severe COPD on triple inhalation therapy, especially for those with higher baseline eosinophil counts,” concluded Prof. Singh.

 

1. Singh D, et al. Tezepelumab in adults with moderate to very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): efficacy and safety from the phase 2a COURSE study. Breaking News: 2024 Clinical Trial Results in Pulmonary Medicine. ATS 2024, 17–22 May, San Diego, USA.

Medical writing support was provided by Robert van den Heuvel.

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Posted on 11 June 202411 June 2024