New Options for Optimal Bronchodilation in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract

The European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress was held in Munich, Germany, on 6th– 10th September 2014, and was a particularly important opportunity for leading experts to share recent developments and new clinical evidence for the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In recent years, new emerging therapies have allowed patients to benefit from improved clinical outcomes and quality of life, with acceptable toxicities. The 2014 guidelines of the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease identified symptom reduction as the main goal of moderate-to- severe COPD management. Combined bronchodilation therapy with different therapeutic classes was recommended as a strategy to ensure improved symptom control while containing adverse events, as opposed to monotherapy. Moreover, combination inhaled bronchodilators that are administered once- daily can improve compliance, compared to twice-daily modalities. This review will summarise newly presented clinical data at ERS 2014, providing further information on the efficacy and safety of such combinations, clinical evidence regarding COPD presentation in various populations, strategies for optimal drug delivery, and safety profile monitoring for recent therapeutic options.